Tools Menu Missing in Portfolio

[Tiffany K. Terry]

Hello, all!  I regularly archive emails in batches by converting them to a PDF within Outlook.  This creates a portfolio document with each email listed as a file within a folder.  I was curious if I could create a new folder from inside the PDF portfolio to hold other non-email documents that were related to the items within the email archive, but that can't be added by appending the file from Outlook since it's not an email and since I'd like to put it in a different folder anyway.

While researching that I realized I can't follow other people's instructions because the Tools menu that normalls appears between Home and Document underneath the main menu bar is missing.  I tried F4 and any other fixed people mention to unhide the menu, but I don't think it's hidden.  When I open a document from within the portfolio, that single document has the menu and all tools are available in the now-visible Tools menu on both the top of the screen and the righthand toolbar, but I need to edit the portfolio itself, not just a single document within the portfolio.  It's not grayed out anywhere either - it's like it doesn't exist.  However, many of the items in the Edit menu are grayed out.  I can't figure out why this is happening, and I can't find anyone with this same problem by searching the web or this community, or any how-to documentation that addresses why this might be a normal occurrence for some reason.  Does anyone know what's happening here?

[Dave__M]

Would it be possible to open the portfolio on another computer?  It might help to know if the issue is in the file or the installation.. or an Acrobat bug.

Can you post a screenshot of your issue showing the missing menu?  It might help me, or someone to attempt to recreate your issue.

Dave

[Tiffany K. Terry]

Sure, here's some screenshots.  Apologies for the different sizing and messy redactions!  I was using an existing PDF portfolio for testing, and I opened the same file on my desktop at work and our department's laptop in our conference room.  Note that I use the dark theme on my desktop and I noticed it says it's the 32-bit version, and the defaults are set on the laptop which is 64-bit (no clue if 32 vs 64 matters).  I'm even more confused now because the file looks TOTALLY different on the two computers, nevermind the Tools menu, and I couldn't figure out how to get any top menus to show up either.  I'm usually pretty tech savvy, but this has me baffled!

[Dave__M]

We have the same Acrobat installation version.  Does the red box below show the tools that you are missing?

I might try to change the way your Portfolio displays by right-clicking in the file list and changing the way it's presented. Maybe that will trigger the desired tools to come out of hiding.

Dave

[Tiffany K. Terry]

Yes, I believe the first red box is the menu I'm missing, which I thought came from the Tools menu at the very top.  I tried right-clicking from the file list and got a similar menu as your second screenshot, but I don't have the same options.  (See screenshot.)

HOWEVER... I just took 3 single page PDFs that I had saved and combined them into a portfolio, and when I right click in the file list, I get a more robust pop-up menu, including the Portfolio Properties which takes me to that second red box you shared.  I can also see the icons in the first red box, but the Tools menu still isn't there.

I'm even more baffled now.  Is the problem maybe stemming from the fact that the portfolio was made by selecting emails from Outlook, right clicking, and selecting Convert/Append to Adobe PDF??

[Megan31238405whvo]

I have the same issue, but mine is all PDFs located in the same folder on a C drive (no emails).  Hoping for a solution as I'm trying to prep a submission!