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blind1st
Participant
July 23, 2015
Answered

How do I prevent acrobat reader DC from opening .pdf files by default?

  • July 23, 2015
  • 5 replies
  • 49348 views

I have set Acrobat Professional as my default application for .pdf files, however it doesn't stick; unless I right click and choose the "open with" option, Acrobat DC takes over even with Acrobat Professional set as the default application.  I have no uses for DC as I have purchased Acrobat Professional, which is more useful and familiar to me in terms of manipulating .pdf files.  I would simply uninstall it, as I have before because of this but lately I have found sites are requesting I install it as former acrobat plug-ins are deprecating, so not having DC is posing a problem as well.  I know Adobe is proud of their new program, but DC is acting like a religious cult or an anxious teenager, I can't decide which one, either way the point is it's annoying; I don't want it.

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Bernd Alheit

‌Uninstall Acrobat Reader DC and repair Adobe Acrobat.

5 replies

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PrimeVerse5E90
Participant
August 5, 2021

For Google Chrome - Click on the 3 dots, click 'Settings', click on 'Extensions' on the left hand side and then click 'Remove' under Adobe Reader DC.

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Test Screen Name
Legend
June 21, 2019

That does sound like a bug in Acrobat (if it can't open files that Reader can open), but not connected to the original person's problem - none of them mentioned this error, or a federal court setting. Sometimes tagging on the end of a problem stops the right people seeing your message, and works against you.

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kenh734041
Participant
June 21, 2019

The answer does not solve the problem with the CM/ECF system in federal courts. Windows 10 does NOT provide the option to select Acrobat Pro as the default (NOT in the list). The download documents from the CM/ECF system required DC PDF Reader to open. Acrobat Pro cannot open (error or corrupted file). I must use another laptop with DC PDF Reader installed to load the documents and then use SAVE AS to another PDF file in order for Acrobat Pro to open. This is clearly a bug on the Adobe side, not Microsoft.

Bernd Alheit
Community Expert
Bernd AlheitCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
July 23, 2015

‌Uninstall Acrobat Reader DC and repair Adobe Acrobat.

    AadeshSingh
    AadeshSingh
    Participating Frequently
    July 23, 2015

    Hi blind1st,

    • Right click on one of the PDF file, select Open with -> Choose Default program.

    • Choose Acrobat as the default PDF viewer & checkmark the "Always use the selected program to open this kind of file".

    • Click OK to confirm.

    Let me know if the issue persist.

    Regards,

    Aadesh

    A
    Anonymous
    January 18, 2018

    Adobe Staff did not even read the question! This question has been posted numerous times and not properly addressed by Adobe!!! The DC program takes over ownership even when full Adobe Acrobat is selected as the default program. Why the *&^A%% would I want a reader when I have paid big $$ for the program that can actually edit pdfs? And lest Adobe think that this problem will quietly go away as people "get used to it" remember that the people get reminded time and time and time again how frustrating it is to have DC get in the way of their paid-for Acrobat program. I know that it makes me madder and madder each time it "refreshes" itself back into owning all pdfs on my system. And the pleas of Adobe's paying customers are being ignored over and over in the forums.

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      Rejane15C2
      Participant
      September 15, 2020

      I had this problem too. Open you Adobe Pro product. Select Edit from the Menu, go to Preferences. Select General in the Categories section on the left. When that panel opens, you will see a button to select your default PDF Handler (label may vary according to what version Acrobat you are running). Click the button, there should be a drop down that you can select your pro version from, then click apply. It will run the installer to get the key. It can take up to 15-20 minutes depending on what version or how many versions you may have. Be patient. Once that is done, click okay, then close the window.  Now go find a PDF file on your computer and open it. It should now default to your selected pro version.  Hope this was helpful and works for you!


      Thanks, but I couldn't find that option (PDF Handler or equivalent) on my Acrobat Pro 9. Any hints? 

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