• Global community
    • Language:
      • Deutsch
      • English
      • Español
      • Français
      • Português
  • 日本語コミュニティ
    Dedicated community for Japanese speakers
  • 한국 커뮤니티
    Dedicated community for Korean speakers
Exit
0

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

Community Beginner ,
Jul 23, 2015 Jul 23, 2015

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

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.

Views

46.0K

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines

correct answers 1 Correct answer

Community Expert , Jul 23, 2015 Jul 23, 2015

‌Uninstall Acrobat Reader DC and repair Adobe Acrobat.

Votes

Translate

Translate
Jul 23, 2015 Jul 23, 2015

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Hi blind1st,

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

default.jpg

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

default2.jpg

  • Click OK to confirm.

Let me know if the issue persist.

Regards,

Aadesh

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Beginner ,
Jul 24, 2015 Jul 24, 2015

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

One of the problems I'm seeing is that Acrobat Professional does not appear

in my checklist for default programs; only Acrobat DC. This is not the

default program I want.

Acrobat Professional (8.1) only appears in prompt menus, so I can select it

as the default by right clicking and selecting Acrobat from a .pfg file,

but has been replaced by DC in all other instances, conversely Acrobat DC

does appear in both the default menu as well as the prompt menu (right

clicking from a file). All the same, selecting Acrobat Professional (8.1)

doesn't stick, it always returns to Acrobat DC.

It's likely that DC is being recognized as the updated version of all Adobe

Acrobat programs and it is not properly distinguished from Acrobat DC, as

Acrobat DC is the default protocol for ACROBAT, that parameter may override

all defaults; setting protocol ordering is substantially beyond my

knowledge of programming, but as I cannot change this default; I'm making

an assumption that this protocol may be preventing Acrobat Professional

from appearing in the default menu as well as maintaining defaults, but we

all know how assuming turns out.

Do you know anything about that end of things?

On Thu, Jul 23, 2015 at 10:55 AM, aadeshs76610910 <forums_noreply@adobe.com>

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Guest
Jan 18, 2018 Jan 18, 2018

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

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.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Expert ,
Jan 18, 2018 Jan 18, 2018

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

When you have Adobe Acrobat you don't need Acrobat Reader.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Guest
Jan 18, 2018 Jan 18, 2018

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Bernd - that's exactly right!! So why does Adobe DC reader barge in and insist on being default for pdfs even AFTER I have told my system I prefer the Acrobat?

But OK. I have also uninstalled DC reader only to have it mysteriously return to my system a day or two later and re-annoy me. This may be because I am in a corporate environment which pushes programs to people. However I use the word "may" intentionally. My experience with the nasty, brutish DC reader means that I am now just as inclined to think that Adobe is pushing DC to me when I try to use my Acrobat.

Adobe should allow me to opt out of the DC reader default push. By not respecting my decision on my system Adobe is making me hate DC every single time I have to take one or two more steps to open a pdf with Acrobat.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
New Here ,
Jan 20, 2018 Jan 20, 2018

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

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!

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
New Here ,
Nov 13, 2018 Nov 13, 2018

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Thanks thanks thanks very much.

Had tried everything and absolutely noting worked.

Was now thinking of going and buying the latest version of Adobe Pro to overcome the Reader DC version.

Your suggestion worked.

Cant thank you enough!!!

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
New Here ,
Sep 14, 2020 Sep 14, 2020

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

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

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Expert ,
Sep 15, 2020 Sep 15, 2020

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

It didn't exist in that ancient version. You'll need to do it manually via the OS.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
LEGEND ,
Jan 18, 2018 Jan 18, 2018

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

I’m a bit confused. There is Acrobat Reader DC (free), and Acrobat Pro DC (subscription).  (As well as Actobat Pro 2017, permanganate license). So when you talk about “full Acrobat”, “DC program”, “DC reader” if isn‘t clear what you mean. And you talk about “DC Reader default push”. Adobe doesn’t push Acrobat Reader unless you choose to, it would make no sense for people with paid-for Acrobat. If Reader DC keeps turning up, this isn’t Adobe’s Policy. If it mysteriously reappears my first instinct is that your IT Department are going it, but a strangely broken updater may also be to blame. Talk to IT first though, perhaps they keep an opt-out list.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Expert ,
Jul 23, 2015 Jul 23, 2015

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

‌Uninstall Acrobat Reader DC and repair Adobe Acrobat.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
New Here ,
Jun 21, 2019 Jun 21, 2019

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

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.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
LEGEND ,
Jun 21, 2019 Jun 21, 2019

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

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.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
New Here ,
Aug 05, 2021 Aug 05, 2021

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

LATEST

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.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines