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jtd57752056
Participant
December 4, 2015
Question

How do we stop Adobe Reader from asking "Do you want to save changes to '*.pdf' before closing? Yes, No, Cancel

  • December 4, 2015
  • 15 replies
  • 25496 views

When we open PDFs with Adobe Reader and then close them a pop up appears asking if we want to save the changes even when no changes are made. Is there a setting somewhere that will stop this from occuring?

Thanks

    15 replies

    Participant
    May 8, 2023

    I have found that my PDF documents open and close just fine until I PRINT the document, no changes, just print.  As soon as I print, the File save icon lights up and I can't close without saving.  In addition, I can't rename or move the original document until I completely close Acrobat.  Even with the document closed it says it can't complete the action till I close the document, I have to completely shut down Acrobat.  This only happens after I PRINT the document.

    brendar50933937
    Participant
    July 11, 2018

    I have the same problem with every PDF that I open & I doubt that every one that I open is corrupt.  They are sent to me from different people. All I am doing is printing the PDF's. I noticed that this did not start happening until after I got a new computer with OS10. I do not edit any PDF's, I just print & do not save any of the PDF's. My situation is that I get the Fleet Vehicle usage forms and most of my people scan them in and e-mail them me, so of course I am getting new files every month. Even with files that I was using when I have my old computer OS07 was not doing this and I am using the same files on my new computer OS10 and I am having this problem. I think this is pretty ridiculous that there is no solution. It is like every time you get a new computer and download the Microsoft office stuff they are enabling or disabling feature that make you go in and either have to turn the off or turn them on again. It is getting annoying to where you do not want to get a new computer or update anything. I don't update my phone or tablet anymore as the update to the devices and the app keep getting more annoying. To make my keyboard so small that not even a baby would be able to type. I was forced to download a keyboard app to change the keyboard as there was only one option. Not all updates are good and should be thought about and tested by everyone. Like my phone I was told to stop doing the updates as the ones they were putting out are ment to make your phone go slower and make you think you need a new phone.

    Participant
    June 25, 2018

    I have had the same problem from PDF's generated by our bank.  Obviously the bank is not going to change the way they're generating their PDFs because I'm encountering this error.  After dealing with this annoying pop-up over 250 times today, trying to disable Enhanced Security protected mode and so forth, I ultimately just downloaded the first competitor's solution that popped up in a Google search (Foxit Reader) and like magic: no more annoying problem.  I've used Adobe Reader and Acrobat since it first came out ... due to this problem I changed to their competitor.  The responses in this string have to do with "corrupted" files ... if that's the case why do other readers have no problem with the file?

    try67
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    June 26, 2018

    Because they probably just ignore it, or don't notice it at all. Reader is actively trying to fix it for you, which is why the file is edited and needs to be saved after you open it. I agree that it would be better to be able to disable this feature via the Preferences, but the fact that it's there in the first place is a good thing.

    Legend
    March 20, 2018

    Thanks for the file. Here is a report.

    It was reported that Acrobat and Acrobat Reader prompt to save these PDF files, even if there is no change.

    This often happens if the file is damaged and needs repair.

    The files were marked as made with PowerSchool 11.0.5.

    The error is in the xref table. Entries must be exactly 20 bytes apart, but these are 21 bytes apart (each record is separated by a space, CR, LF sequence).

    Participant
    March 20, 2018

    Aha!  Thank you!  Comparing with another file, I see that the issue is with the space before the CR.  I'll bring your report output to their support team. 

    I appreciate your quick help!!

    Legend
    March 20, 2018

    Can you share a problem file publicly? Often its a fault in the PDF generator. Maybe a dummy report with no real data. You'd need to put it on a file sharing site.

    Participant
    March 20, 2018

    Yes, thanks for looking at it.  Knowing the issue, perhaps I could bring it up with their support team.  Here's a dummy report:

    Sample_PDF_Output.pdf - Google Drive

    Legend
    March 6, 2018

    How are the files made/where do they come from?

    Participant
    March 20, 2018

    Since there isn't a response yet, I can give an example of where such files come from.  It's affecting my workflow quite a bit.

    I work with educational databases (PowerSchool, Scantron) that produce reports in PDF.  These files always trigger the "Save?" dialogue when I haven't edited. 

    My workflow often includes viewing a large number of reports, so closing Adobe Reader takes a lot of clicking.  Your "press N" suggestion helps a lot (thanks).  Now I'm pressing Alt+F4 (close the program) then N repeatedly until all the tabs close.  It still takes some time, so if there's a way to figure out the issues with these files, I'm interested.

    Thanks.

    try67
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    March 20, 2018

    I'm not aware of any way around it using just the free Reader. What can be done, though, is to use a script to close all the files without saving them. It can't close the application for you, though.

    Participant
    March 6, 2018

    Still no solution for this?   I open many PDF's everyday.  continually asking if we want to save in the Reader where we don't make changes is annoying.  Makes one want to use a different reader.

    Participant
    February 25, 2017

    You can alter excel to do it.

    try67
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    February 25, 2017

    Well, in theory it's possible to embed a script in a PDF file that will do it as well, but you can't do that using Reader. You would need Acrobat to do it.

    Participant
    February 26, 2017

    Would you have to do that for every PDF or just one? I'm interested, I think I have acrobat in work.

    Legend
    February 25, 2017

    Yes... So you go close and touch the N key. Such an option without prompting would be very risky and I would not want to see it. Too easy to lose hours of work.  I don't think touching N is so much of an imposition, especially if using the keyboard to close, which I assume you do as you're in a hurry.

    Participant
    February 25, 2017

    Hi,

    I work in Administration. I have to open and close hundreds of PDFs every day. There must be a way to turn of the 'do you want to save changes?' prompt? It would save me and millions like me so much time and effort.

    Kind regards,

    Ryan

    try67
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    February 25, 2017

    Did you read the discussion above? That message appears if you, or something else, changes the file. To prevent it from appearing you need to find out what's changing the file, and if possible, stop it from doing so. But it's not a setting that you can turn off, if that's what you mean.

    Participant
    February 25, 2017

    Why isn't there a setting? Surely there should be? Even when you edit a file, you often don't want to save it.