How do I get Adobe Acrobat Reader DC to open PDF files in their own separate windows?

[Guest]

I find it interesting that as support for multiple monitors becomes more standard in operating systems, applications start forcing all associated documents into the same window such that one sometimes has to employ registry hacks to get the documents into separate windows to be able to easily compare side-by-side across the multiple monitors.

First it was Microsoft Excel... now it appears Adobe Reader is forcing the documents into a single window.

While Adobe Reader at least allows one to click on the "Window" menu and choose "New Window" to "move" a PDF to a separate window (annoyingly enough instead of actually moving the selected tab to the new window, it opens another copy, which requires one to still close the first copy in the original window). I'd prefer the default behavior to automatically open the documents in new windows when I double click on them in Windows Explorer to open them.  At least give me a preference option for this...

Does anyone have any (permanent) work arounds for this?  I know there are registry modifications for Excel (which I have implemented)... hopefully it is more straight forward for Adobe Reader.

Thanks,

Murray

[Guest · Accepted solution]

Hi ,

Please Navigate to Edit>Preferences>General>Uncheck the option"Open documents as new tabs in same window(requires restart).>Once unchecked please relaunch Reader.

You would not be able to see documents in separate windows.

Regards

Sukrit Dhingra

[mariyao40526469]

I don't have the option "open documents as new tabs in same window" under general and am unsure what to do.

[Мартин2861777268yg]

Found it:

Click the 3 horizontal lines button at top left

-> Disable new Acrobat Reader

-> Restart

-> Edit>Preferences>General

-> Uncheck the option "Open documents as new tabs in the same window (requires relaunch)"

-> Restart

-> Like this comment, enjoy

[elainep91331071]

I don't have the option "open documents as new tabs in same window" under general. May I know where else I can find this option?

[Guest]

Not sure how many times I looked at that screen and missed that option...  THANK YOU!!

[elainep91331071]

I don't have the option "open documents as new tabs in same window" under general. May I know where else I can find this option?

[joemusco]

Thank you so much! This eliminated a lot of frustration!!

[Lalanda]

I am using Adobe Acrobat DC and I do not have that option. How can I fix this?

[Bernd Alheit]

What can you see in the preferences?