Reader XI do NOT want opening FULL SCREEN!

[Guest]

I am running Adobe Reader XI Version 11.0.2 on a Dell Windows 7 workstation with dual monitors.  We generally have a dozen applications open and we bounce all around between them.  Whenever I open a PDF document which ever monitor it was opened on last, it will open maximized on the display.  I do *NOT* want it to open maximized and I have searched high and low, tried setting Preference settings for Full Screen, Documents, everything I can find and no matter what I do, as soon as I open a PDF it's full screen.  I can get it to change how the document appears in the full screen view, like fit page or zoom to width, but it always opened FULL SCREEN!

How do I turn this feature OFF?!?!?!?!?!

[pwillener]

v57 wrote:

So it appears that everything works fine until I open a PDF with IE and then something toggles and it opens in full scree maximized every time after that with Outlook attachments or on web pages.

I will do some testing later today with this; see if there is some registry entry that is changed when doing this.

I have the same problem as you, but reversed; Adobe Reader always opens in normal mode, when I prefer it to open maximized.

[Guest]

>>I have the same problem as you, but reversed; Adobe Reader always opens in normal mode, when I prefer it to open maximized.

Wanna trade? 

[PPHHIILL_T]

I think I found the cause of the issue.  In my case, I use the Adobe Customization Wizard XI to create a transform file for installation.  One of the options I have enabled is under Direct Connect.  Under the "Property" table I have the option DISABLE_BROWSER_INTEGRATION set to YES.  I originally set this value because I didn't want PDFs to open within IE in my environment, I wanted it to open in Acrobat.  I found that in version XI, the usual place to control this setting within Acrobat was no longer there.  In previous versions, I would go to Edit > Preferences > Internet and enable/disable the option to "Display PDF in browser".

The workaround that I have done for now is create a separate transform file with the option set to NO.  I uninstall Acrobat and reinstall it with the new transform file.  To prevent PDFs from opening within IE, I have to go into Manage add-ons within IE and disable the "Adobe PDF Reader" add-on.  The problem is that disabling the add-on within IE is profile-specific, which means that if I have multiple users that share the same computer, I will have to change that setting for each user, which is a bit inconvenient.

I was hoping that this setting would be as easy as finding it in the registry somewhere and changing it there, but no such luck for me.  I looked over the registry and didn't see where the key or value was located.  Hopefully someone else with more knowledge than me can solve this puzzle.

[capopetersen]

I just ran into this issue (never used to do this), with Adobe 9.  Anyway, I know this is an old thread but in case anyone else comes here looking for a solution it's surprisingly simple.  Go to the shortcut for Adobe, right click > Properties, in that window go to the "Shortcut" tab and then next to "Run" there should be a drop down menu, select minimized.  Click Apply and you're good to go!  Hopefully this helps someone!

[CVHManchester · Accepted solution]

Thank you. This worked after ca 1/2 hour wasted searching round Adobe's preferences and online "help".

I am configuring a new Win10 computer. Once again Adobe and Microsoft seem to be competing to be the cock of the dung heap. With the userc, like me, being well down the pecking order.

[RKO2016]

i had same problem using a Mac OS 10.11.1.  Any PDF opened with new reader took over full screen.  Adjusting preferences didn't work.  Finally found a corner of screen (upper left), was able to shrink the screen to the size I wanted, and exited Adobe.  Next time in it was the same size I last used.  Give it a try.

[vampirecloud]

I still have the issue, using a Mac OS 10.9.5.  I have to minimize my documents every time I open anything. It opens all my pdf's no matter where they come from in MAXIMIZED view. The app, doesn't even remember the minimized setting even if I don't open any files. It is highly frustrating. I wish I never updated it. I might as well go back to the older version!

[RKO2016]

I’m using OS 10.11.2 now. That may be the difference.

[drLogics]

Had the same problem. Open the PDF file, go to PREFERENCES, select GENERAL on the left and on the right, click RESET ALL WARNINGS then OK. Close Adobe Reader and open the PDF file again, it will give you a warning message. Read it, tick the box to remember your choice then click NO.

Test and open the PDF file again and it will now be UN-MAXIMIZED! Hope this helps.

[nataliem12]

None of the mentioned solutions fixed the problem for me, does any one have another suggestion?

[rc90210]

(editted mulitple times to pass expletive posting test - thanks for wasting more of my productive time Adobe)

Here we are in March 2023 and still no solution. Changing preferences - Documents - "Restore last view settings when reopening documents" does not prevent Acrobat opening in full screen mode. Likewise, File - Properties - Initial View - "Resize window to inital page" is a per document setting and not an applicaiton wide setting.

Even if I set Acrobat to open new docs within the same running instance of Acrobat (click Window to view all the documents), it still forces full screen as soon as I open a new document.    

This question was asked 10 years ago and it beggars belief that Adobe doesn't give a piece of faeces or is incapable of appreciating that Acrobat users don't use the product by choice but rather due to necessity & prefer to get paid work done rather than endure the constant productivity losses and interuption to workflow due to Adobe's faecal smeared, poorly designed and always buggy products. 

Finally, if anyone who administers these community threads is reading, the following post marked as the "correct answer" isn't a frucking answer. Its 100% correct but it still isn't an answer:

 "Correct answer by CVHManchester Participant ,  Jun 07, 2016

Thank you. This worked after ca 1/2 hour wasted searching round Adobe's preferences and online "help".

I am configuring a new Win10 computer. Once again Adobe and Microsoft seem to be competing to be the *ock (WORD CAUGHT BY ADOBE FILTER - "rhymes with 'dock' starts with 'C') of the dung heap. With the userc, like me, being well down the pecking order."

On reflection, I think CVHManchester actually did provide the answer.  

I think the answer is to change default app for PDF to something that works - e.g. Foxit Reader.  Problem is I've done that  in Windows - default App by filetype - and yet Acrobat still opens Excel hyperlinks in a full fracking screen.

PS Adobe, Community developers - how about giving us more than 4 frucking lines of text to compose a reply in? Zooming in and out just changes the size of the page and this ridiculously small text box. 

PPS - as always with Adobe, the correct question is "are they fools or knaves"?