Problems with making comments in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC

Report · Sep 20, 2021

Hi there,

I don't know if anyone can help me or has experienced the same issue, but I have used the Comments function in Adobe for years. I work for a book publisher and when proofreading a document, for example, if I ever wanted to delete a highlighted word I could just highlight the word and press the 'delete' button on the keyboard and it would put a strikethrough on the word, rather than me having to press the strikethrough button on the toolbar. Similarly, if I wanted to add a word I could just click on the PDF where I wanted the word to go and begin typing and Adobe would automatically open up a note to replace the text.

When I first open the PDF everything works as normal, but after the first note things stop working, so the only way to get around this is to press the relevant toolbar option at the top, which is a pain. Sometimes the comments work but take absolutely ages to appear. I've attached a video where I am typing a correction, but it takes a good 10 seconds for anything to appear as a comment.

Anyone have any ideas?

The verison of Adobe I'm on is 2021.007.20091.

Cheers,

Matt

Report · Oct 12, 2021

Hi there

Thanks for your time and patience.

The planned update for Adobe Acrobat/Reader DC version 21.07.20099 is now available. Please update the application from the help menu > Check for updates and reboot the computer once.

You may also download the patch manually from the link https://www.adobe.com/devnet-docs/acrobatetk/tools/ReleaseNotesDC/index.html .

For more information about the new release please check the help page https://community.adobe.com/t5/acrobat-discussions/adobe-acrobat-and-reader-october-21-updates-are-l...

Let us know if you experience any trouble and need more help

Regards

Amal

View solution in original post

Report · Feb 28, 2022

Hi there

Hope you are doing well and sorry to hear that.

Would you mind sharing the version of the OS you are using? Also please check for any missing/pending updates for the OS and try updating it and check.

Also try to reset the Acrobat preferences as described here https://community.adobe.com/t5/acrobat-discussions/how-to-reset-acrobat-preference-settings-to-defau... and see if that works

You may also try to create a new test user profile with full admin rights or enable the root account on MAC and try using the application there and check.

Regards

Amal

View solution in original post

Report · Sep 20, 2021

Hi @psproduction15CB4

Hope you are doing well.

Thanks for providing the details. As mentioned in the issue description that it takes few seconds to open the text comment box while adding a note to replace it. We have tried to reproduce the issue but it is working fine. Kindly follow the steps provided in the below-mentioned help article to reset preferences to default and restart the application:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/acrobat-discussions/how-to-reset-acrobat-preference-settings-to-defau...

Let us know if that works.

Thanks,

Harsh

Report · Sep 20, 2021

Hi there

++ Adding to the discussion, we need some more information as below:

Please share the logs of the affected machine so that we can narrow down and isolate the issue

For Mac: Please collect the logs using the log collector tool as desscribed in the help page https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/kb/cc-log-collector.html

For Windows: Please download the procmon tool here https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/procmon run the procmon tool and regenerate the issue and collect the logs.

Please share the collected logs using the Document Cloud service as described here https://helpx.adobe.com/document-cloud/help/sharing-pdfs.html

Also please share the afftected PDF file and a small video recording of the issue so that we can check it at our end.

Regards

Amal

Report · Sep 20, 2021

Hi Matt

I have exactly the same problem. I also use it for proofreading. I could comment/mark-up PDFs no problem two weeks ago and now suddenly I can no longer use my keyboard or mouse to position the cursor and start typing/deleting text. I also end up having to use the toolbar, which is time consuming.

I am using Creative Cloud and am using the same version as Matt - Adobe Acrobat Pro DC 2021.007.20091

I do not have the files that Harsh in his link recommended I delete.

Thanks,

Angela

Report · Sep 20, 2021

Hi Matt

I managed to find this file com.adobe.Acrobat.Pro.plist on my Mac

I quit Acrobat, deleted this file, and then restarted Acrobat by opening the PDF I was initially working on.

I can now delete by selecting the text and pressing my delete button on my keyboard, and I can also now insert text at my cursor - rather than using the toolbars.

Seems to be working so far... worth giving it a go.

Good luck!

Angela

Report · Sep 20, 2021

Hi Matt

I take it back - it has just suddenly stopped working again... so it worked for ten minutes and now I have to use the toolbars again...

Report · Sep 20, 2021

Hi Angela,

Please share the requested logs , the affected/sample PDF file and a small video recording of the issue as described earlier to that we can isolate the issue and get it fixed.

Regards

Amal

Report · Sep 20, 2021

Hi Amal,

I've tried sharing the files - not sure if it is working though?

PDF https://documentcloud.adobe.com/id/?uri=0d4f9e16-7b8c-4afd-94df-3d7f341f6243

Video link: https://documentcloud.adobe.com/id/?uri=ead96b48-c6fb-4688-8f86-43a476ae561a

File: AdobeLogs_20210920_193910_923-mac.zip
Log file: https://documentcloud.adobe.com/id/?uri=6c258765-d075-4ab8-aa04-15745c68910c

Thank you,
Angela

Report · Sep 21, 2021

Hi Angela,

Thanks so much for replying and confirming it's not just me! I spent about 3 hours yesterday trying all sorts to make this work with no luck. I've tried doing the initial step that Harsh suggested with no luck, and even uninstalled and reinstalled Adobe Acrobat but the problem persists. I noticed it started doing this towards the back end of last week, and noticed on the forum that a new Adobe update went live on the 14th of September. I wonder if something in that update has scuppered things?

When I first open the PDF it seems to work okay for the first few comments, but then after that it stops working. Another weird thing I've found is that when you highlight a word and click on the 'add note to replace text' tool, it copies the word you have highlighted into the new comment, which it never did before. This is particularly annoying – why would I want to copy a word that I'm wanting to replace?

As you also pointed out, I can no longer use the arrow keys to move the cursor (which I used to use if an author had told me a correction was on line 16, for example, I'd start at line one and then just press the down arrow 16 times to get to the correct line. I found that a lot easier than trying to count the lines by eye).

Hopefully Amal can do some more digging for us...

All the best,

Matt

Report · Sep 23, 2021

Angela, I may have an answer for you regarding the word you have highlighted showing up in your comment. There's a preference that you can choose to make this happen. (I don't know why you'd want to, either.) You might try checking your preferences to see if it was turned on somehow.

Report · Sep 27, 2021

Thanks RainbowCollage. I checked my preferences and this box wasn't selected. Thank you for your help though!

Report · Sep 21, 2021

Hi Angela

Thank you for sharing the required logs and the PDF files. However, due to some technical issue we are not able to access the Document Cloud links. Would you mind sharing the required information using the Google cloud?

Regards

Amal

Report · Sep 21, 2021

Hi Amal,

What email address am I sharing the files with?

Thanks

Angela

Report · Sep 21, 2021

Hi Amal,

Please advise which email address to share the files with if you cannot access the Document Cloud files.

Thanks Angela

Report · Sep 21, 2021

[Edited Response]

Hi Angela

Please regenerate the links for the logs, sample PDF and the video and share the new link in the email which I have shared in the private message.

Due to some technical issue, the old links were not working, but our team is working on it on priority to make sure they get up and running.

For now please generate the new links and share it with us.

Thanks for your time and cooperation on this.

Regards

Amal

Report · Sep 29, 2021

Hi there Amal,

Is there any update on fixing this bug?

As mentioned by nearly everyone on this post, it is having a serious effect on work productivity.

Thanks

Angela

Report · Sep 29, 2021

Hi Amal

Is there a way to rollback to a previous version of Adobe Acrobat Pro DC? I do not have an option of 'Older versions' in the Creative Cloud.

I have uninstalled and reinstalled umpteen times, deleted the com.adobe.Acrobat.Pro.plist file to no effect, etc...

This latest update has pretty much rendered any PDF editing/commenting unusable. People in the publishing industry use Adobe Acrobat PRO on a daily basis and often have short, quick deadlines.

The reduction in productivity is unnacceptable when we are paying a lot of money for the Adobe Acrobat Pro DC software.

Please provide guidance for how to rollback to a previous version so we can continue our work.

Thanks

Angela

Report · Sep 29, 2021

Thank you, Angela. This is exactly how I'm feeling as well. It seems like there was interest in helping us with an "easy" solution at the beginning, but now we've been left to fend for ourselves.

This is a logjam for my editing team as well. We need a solution, or we need the ability to do a rollback.

Report · Sep 29, 2021

Hi guys. I just wanted to add weight to what everyone else is saying on this thread. I notice that Adobe have released an updated a few minutes ago, but I have downloaded and am still experiencing the same problems, so it looks like Adobe haven't identified the problem as of yet. It's very frustrating!

Report · Sep 30, 2021

Hi Angela

I have shared more details in private message please check.

Regards

Amal

Report · Sep 30, 2021

Thanks Amal.

Hi everyone

I have successfully rolled back to the 13 July 2021 update, which I know definitely worked.

My version of Adobe Acrobat Pro DC is now 2021.005.20058

And it is all working perfectly like it did before! 🙂

For interest - the previous version that wasn't working was 2021.007.20091

Not sure why the rollback guidance came in a private message, but I am happy to send on the link if anyone needs it... ?

Report · Sep 30, 2021

Could you please?

Report · Sep 30, 2021

YES PLEASE!

Report · Sep 30, 2021

@Angela5E4D Yes please - I have a 300-page edit arriving soon! That would save me going insane.

Report · Sep 30, 2021

Hi there,

Sorry for the delay - I had posted it on the forum a couple of times, but it keeps disappearing!!

Anyway, here is the link from Adobe that I received:

“You may revert to the old version by downloading the base version of Adobe Acrobat DC (Continuous Track) and then update the base version to your desired version here - https://www.adobe.com/devnet-docs/acrobatetk/tools/ReleaseNotesDC/index.html”

So here are the steps I did - after a lot of going back and forth - and a lot of reading Adobe documents… (Oh - I use a Mac so I have no idea on a PC... sorry!)

1. Uninstall Adobe Acrobat DC from Creative Cloud
2. Use Acrobat Uninstaller in the Adobe Acrobat DC folder in Applications (I found this a vital step)
3. If you have an icon on your Dock for Adobe Acrobat, delete this as well (the also seemed important for me)
3. Open the link https://www.adobe.com/devnet-docs/acrobatetk/tools/ReleaseNotesDC/index.html
4. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the ‘Continuous Track’ list and click DC Continuous Track (base release)
5. Scroll back up to the top of the ‘Continuous link’ and click ’21.005.20058 Planned update, July 13, 2021’. This was the last version that definitely worked for me.
6. Install DC Continuous Track (base release)
7. Install 21.005.20058 Planned update, July 13, 2021
8. Make sure you open Acrobat Pro DC > Preferences > Updater > and deselect Automatically install updates (I’m not sure, but because I have rolled back to a previous version, I assume this will want to continually update the software…??)

After doing all this, my document opened and worked perfectly - like it did before 🙂 Way hey!! I can finally get on with my work 🙂

All we need now is a fix to the most recent version….

Good luck!