Taskbar Phantom Window when using multiple monitors

[Carrie34225282he7l]

I'm using Windows 11.  I've used Adobe Acrobat Pro for many years but recently upgraded to Windows 11 and am wondering if my issue is related. Using multiple monitors (extended view) when I open a pdf file on one monitor there is one icon in the taskbar showing my open file name as expected. If I MOVE this pdf document to one of my other monitors the taskbar DUPLICATES and shows two open files with the same name even though I only have ONE document open.  If I move it to the third monitor sometimes it shows in triplicate.  This is visually distracting and uses up my taskbar space.  If I open a second document it is very difficult to tell which file to toggle back to as the "phantom" files don't react if I click on them.

[Jason38528165cv0r]

Souvik - Any new updates over the last month?

[Jason38528165cv0r]

Can anybody from Adobe provide an update on this issue?

[-Matty-]

Define soon?  Adobe's sense of time seems to be the same as the NFL's time of 15 minutes for 1 quarter of football play.  Soon is relative to the person saying soon.  A 2+ year old issue is "should be live soon" is a joke.

[L3x1]

The Same... this Bug is only by Adobe Reader + Microsoft Firefox and only on Windows 11
I used 3 Monitors and when open Adobe Acrobat on 1 Screen, it's ok. 
When change the Window to the next Screen, is open more Tabs on Taskbar.

Only Soluton was... change to the Main-Screen or Close and re-Open the Application.

I hope Microsoft or Adobe + Mozilla can this fix.

[S. S]

Hi @L3x1,

Hope you are doing well. 

Thanks for sharing your observations.

This is one of the top priorities for our team, and work is ongoing for the issue.

The fix should be live soon.

Regards,
Souvik.

[Jason38528165cv0r]

Souvik - Any new updates over the last month?

[peter_7047]

Bumping this to stay in the loop. This issue is fustrating - as a tax professional that only uses acrobat to view tax returns that look the same when previewing them in the windows taskbar, it's nearly impossible to distinguish them when there are a bunch of phantom duplicates. 

[alexa_8458]

Any updates on this issue???

[L3x1]

Why don't fix this Bug ???

[-Matty-]

This continues to be an issue as of 9.2.2025.  @adobe support - Stopp replying with "Adobe is working on a fix and will go live soon".  Your "soon" is relative at best.  My soon, much like the rest of those complaining here, was in 2024.  More than a year later, and Adobe still has no resolution.  If we could afford to drop this software, I would recommend doing so just based off poor support by the supposed "engineers" at Adobe.  Shame on Adobe for continuing to charge such high prices for this software and let trival issues like this go unresolved for well over a year from reported date.

[Kevin31204537356t]

Agreed, Matt! Where is the accountability? Adobe needs to provide a firm date to correct this an execute.

"We're working on it" means nothing.

[Jason38528165cv0r]

Agreed!  Has anyone tried using an equivalent software like Nitro?  In general, I like the Adobe products better, but this issue is about to push me over the edge, and I am considering making the switch before my next renewal later this year.  

[David288435270jso]

Struggling with this issue, also plenty of empty tab previews, but could not find any decent problem reporting,

until I discovered it depends from display to display and that's what brought me here.

This is not an issue with pdf files, this is an issue with Adobe Acrobat and only with Adobe Acrobat.

[Robert Lee5DD1]

I just upgraded to Windows 11 and am now having this issue. Boy is it annoying. And its frustrating to hear that a service I pay a monthly subscription for has had this issue for over a year and a half now and hasn't resolved it.

[Vivacious_thinker0230]

I'm another paying monthly subscriber that has to put up with this issue every day. Please fix soon.

[Weebsn]

Same issue here on a dell laptop running and updated win11 version and 2 additional monitors. driving me nuts. 

[thomas_1819]

I have a user that is currently having this issue. Any word on a fix?

[JonOfAnalysisParalysis]

I also have this issue.

I may have found a work around though.  I've found that when I:

  1. Open a file and move to the screen that has the 'phantom' / dupicate window issue (Screen 2)

  2. Close the tab but keep the Adobe window open (image 1)

  3. Move the Adobe window back to the 'no phantom' / single window screen (Screen 1)

  4. Move the Adobe window back to Screen 2 (image 2)

  5. Open file

     There should only be one instance of each file opened now.

     Note:  moving the window back to Screen 1 then back to Screen 2 returns the phantom windows.

[-Matty-]

Thanks for the work around tip.

As an IT Technician for my organization, I can honestly say that not one of our end users would do this work around.  They will want it to just work, as it should.

What I would LOVE to understand, is why NO ONE from Adobe is responding to this thread?  This is THEIR OWN forum.  "ADOBE COMMUNITY" with an addobe.com website.  So, it must be managed and maintained by Adobe, right?

What would be trigger words we could use here that force thier system to make an actual Adobe employee have to read the post?  I don't want to put harmful or disrespectful words here, but surely there is some kind of trigger that would get an Adobe representative to respond.  Totally unacceptable for a company of this magnitude to not put forth enough effort into A) responding to users of their own community who have a legitimate issue with their product and B) not fix this issue in the amount of time t hat has elapsed since they were first notified of the issue.

[Michaela25303379npyq]

Can Adobe PLEASE RESPOND with a timeline of a fix for this? It's been close to 2 years since the original post and the issue is clearly widespread. We do not pay for this absymal level of service. 

[S. S]

Hello everyone, 

The fix is in progress, and work is being done.

In the meantime, can you try disabling Protected View and check again?

To do so, go to Preferences > Security (enhanced) > change the radio box for Protected View to Off > Restart app.

Let us know if it works.

Regards,
Souvik.

[jacob_9651]

This did NOT work. 

[Jason38528165cv0r]

Nope - did not work.  

[-Matty-]

Mine was already set to Off.  So, this isn't a viable work-around.  And telling us 'The fix is in process, and work is being done" is a copout.  Give timelines and project markers.  This should have been provided 2 years ago, yet we are to take your word now that there has been more active complaints in recent weeks, that you are actually working the issue?  Please.

[errol_1141]

Hi Souvik, just checking what kind of timeline we may we may be looking at regarding a fix on this issue? Will we wait until next year?  I would also like to set expectations to my colleagues.  Thanks!