Convert to PDF context menu in explorer missing

[Joe_azv_2019]

Hi everybody,

Three of my users have an Adobe Reader DC licence, one is working on Windows 7, the other two are using Windows 10.

If the Windows 7 user rightclicks a Word document in explorer, she gets a context menu with the options to "convert to PDF", "convert and email", etc... The other two users do not get this context menu.

How can I enable this context menu? They can convert files by opening them and then choosing convert, but they need to convert a lot of folders, each holding thousands of documents, which is incredibly tedious.

Thanks!

[jane-e]

Hi Joe,

Does the one user who has the context sensitive menu have the full paid version of Acrobat and not just the free Reader?

To convert from Word to an Adobe PDF, you need the full version of Acrobat, not the Reader. Adobe does not own PDF, so you can also create a Microsoft PDF. To see which is used, look in File > Properties > Description.

IMHO, Adobe PDFs are far superior to Microsoft PDFs.

~ Jane

[Joe_azv_2019]

Hi Jane,

All three users have a paid version of Adobe Reader DC.

There is no option to convert to PDF in their context menu, so I don't quite get what you mean when you mention creating a Microsoft PDF (there isn't a convert to PDF item for Microsoft PDFs either).

I'm not going to argue which one is superior, but we paid for Adobe so that's the one we would like to use of course

Thanks.

[Bernd Alheit]

Joe_azv_2019  wrote

Hi Jane,

All three users have a paid version of Adobe Reader DC.

....

No. Reader is free.

[Joe_azv_2019]

Hi Bernd Alheit,

We have paid for three licences of Adobe Pro DC - the application they use is Adobe Reader DC.

Thanks.

[Bernd Alheit]

Then install and use Adobe Acrobat Pro.

[Joe_azv_2019]

Adobe Acrobat Pro IS installed. Why would we buy a licence and not install the software?

I fail to see how opening a PDF in Adobe Reader has anything to do with the right-click context menu in Windows explorer. Neither Adobe Acrobat Pro nor Adobe Reader need to be open to right-click on a file in explorer, nor is it needed to make a conversion (at least on the Windows 7 machine).

[jane-e]

Joe_azv_2019  wrote

I fail to see how opening a PDF in Adobe Reader has anything to do with the right-click context menu in Windows explorer.

Hi Joe,

You are correct. I have Reader and Pro and I can right-click and get the shortcut with neither launched. In your first post you specified Reader, but have now clarified that all have Pro. Can you check each machine and confirm Pro is actually installed?

My first theory was that the user where it works has Pro and the others have Reader — because that would be logical and make sense and would be easy. If everyone has Pro, it‘s more of a challenge, so please double-check that first.

I wonder if opening Pro and creating a PDF from within would work?

Maybe Repair the installation?

Or uninstalling and reinstalling Pro?

May I ask why you are using Reader when you have Pro?

Jane

[Joe_azv_2019]

Hi Jane,

I can confirm that all three users have Adobe Pro DC. If they open Adobe Pro DC, they can convert the files just fine - the conversion itself works, it is just the context menu that is missing.

The software was sold to us as Adobe Reader DC, and the installer was named AdobeReaderDC<version>.exe, so that's why I'm confused about the name I guess.

Anyway, I found a mention on Google with the following fix:

regsvr32 "C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Acrobat 10.0\Acrobat Elements\ContextMenu64.dll"

But this doesn't work, since we have neither the Acrobat 10.0 folder, nor the ContextMenu64.dll anywhere on the disk.

Thanks

[Bernd Alheit]

For Adobe Acrobat DC the path is C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Acrobat DC\Acrobat Elements\ContextMenu64.dll

[jane-e]

Joe_azv_2019  wrote

The software was sold to us as Adobe Reader DC, and the installer was named AdobeReaderDC<version>.exe,

That strikes me as very odd that you were sold Adobe Reader DC, because it is free. The is a PDF Pack that you can subscribe to and use with the free Reader. Is that what you bought? Who did you buy It from?

Online PDF converter, convert from web or Acrobat Reader | Adobe PDF Pack

The “Acrobat 10.0” referred to in your Google link was for Acrobat X. The next version, Acrobat XI would have an 11 folder. DC has a 2015 and 2017 version, so you would expect that number to change In the path.

[Joe_azv_2019 · Accepted solution]

Hi,

Oh dear what a mess... Turns out that we bought the Pro, but the Reader was indeed installed... Anyway, I redownloaded the Pro version and installed it on one of the computers, and now everything is working fine.

Thanks, and sorry for the confusion.

[jane-e]

Oh, I’m glad it’s solved! That was the only thing that would make any sense!

No worries, and we are happy to help.

[jane-e]

Joe_azv_2019  wrote

Hi Jane,

All three users have a paid version of Adobe Reader DC.

There is no option to convert to PDF in their context menu,

It was the reference to converting to PDF with Reader, which can’t be done that I was basing the first answer on. You said Reader, which is free, when you meant Pro, which is paid for. In fact, though, your users have both.

Without having Pro, it would be a Microsoft issue, but I think we have clarified that you do. So I was answering what you said, not what you meant. Did I say it back correctly?

Also, can you go to Help > About and give us the exact version number?