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parallelidentity
Participant
September 4, 2016
Question

How can I configure Acrobat scans to NOT append to an existing file by default?

  • September 4, 2016
  • 10 replies
  • 5938 views

I am using Acrobat Pro DC, fully up to date. Whenever I scan a document using File | Create | PDF from Scanner, the settings default to append the scan to an existing file. That's rarely what I want to do. (When I want to append a scan to an existing file, I use the Insert Pages tool.) It's not a major problem to uncheck the "Append" box, but it's a repeated nuisance, especially if I forget and I wind up with new pages added to a document that have to either be extracted or deleted and re-scanned.

I've seen the issue a number of times in the forums, but it's always for the opposite problem. Getting append to be the default is an issue that has, apparently, been solved too well.

This topic has been closed for replies.

10 replies

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AlexJQ
Participant
August 7, 2022

6 years since this was posted.  Still irritating users.  This is why Adobe needs plenty of strong competition.

S
slncpa
Participant
September 5, 2022

I am searching for the same answer.  It's incredible that this has not been resolved.   Plenty of other settings that I am willing to be 99% of users don't use, but this one doesn't exist.

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parallelidentityAuthor
Participant
November 20, 2023

I'm the one who wrote the initial post seven years ago, and I see that my co-complainers haven't complained in the last year or so. Having had a couple of very annoying encounters recently with the faulty default setting, I think it's time to rouse our supporters to again request ("demand" is such a negative word in this context) that someone fix this easily fixable (but irritatingly inconvenient) bug. And, by any definition of the word, it is a bug. Leaving out something so simple and basic is pretty amazing in this day and age. It's so simple and basic that it's almost embarrassing to call it a feature. And leaving it out certainly doesn't qualify as a feature. Did someone intentionally make this an unchangeable default? I hope no one at Adobe is that incompetent (or nasty). Does anyone's reputation or career rest on the maintenance of this inconvenient silliness?  If so, they need to get a public relations manager or and/or a new career.

 

I'm wasting a lot of time here, just like I do on a regular basis because of this silly, useless, poorly designed, indefensible, bit of non-programming. Adobe invented the PDF, but that doesn't mean they're not subject to criticism, and it doesn't mean they can rest on their laurels. Being on top of the software world just makes you a a more visible target for the next generation of developers. Is Adobe (the software) like adobe (the building material)? Is everything baked in and unchangeable? That's going to be a problem down the road. This particular issue is not going to destroy Adobe, but the attitude behind it might. Get your act together, or someone is going to eat your lunch (and dinner, and the next day's breakfast).

 

Thank you for letting me vent. This was almost fun. Certainly more fun than fixing the mistake I made this morning because of the mistake Adobe made way back when and refuses to correct.

    C
    Claudia5C87
    Participant
    November 24, 2020

    Here, here! Same issue. Over 4 years to not address an issue? Why can't the user decide what the default is? I also do not want to constantly append - just the opposite in fact!

      D
      default95r029773ri0
      Participant
      October 6, 2021

      Working in an accounting office it is a Major Issue! Miss the append just one time and a client has just received

      another client's income tax file.

      Fix it please!

        J
        JEAN-PHILIPPE15A8
        Participant
        February 11, 2022

        HI,

        Why are you guys ignoring the wishes of your users? This minor fix would make so many peoples lives less stressful. Five and a half years on since the original post is not good.

        Please give us the option to change the default.

        U
        UncleRicky58
        Participant
        November 10, 2020

        Wow. FOUR YEARS since parallelidentity's original post and still this issue remains. I, too, find it incredibly annoying. Why did anybody think making "append to existing file" the unchangeable default was a good idea? Is there ANY CHANCE we'll get this fixed any time soon? I'm beginning to doubt it.

          U
          UptownKeith
          Participant
          September 17, 2020

          Hello from August 2020! We would still like this default option turned off

            cmwark
            cmwark
            Participant
            June 21, 2019

            Also very annoyed by this "feature."  Who thinks that when scanning a pile of unrelated documents it would be a good idea to save them all as a single pdf by default.  Guess that works if you name your documents Pile1, Pile2, etc...  Absolutely needs to be configurable.

              C
              chrisc21823138
              Participant
              June 10, 2019

              Having the same problem. The default setting of "append to existing file" makes no sense. Please prioritize this to allow users to set their own default!!

                S
                Sam 1234
                Participating Frequently
                May 24, 2019

                I have the exact same problem and I'm using Adobe Acrobat Pro DC.

                The issue is still not fixed.

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                  parallelidentityAuthor
                  Participant
                  December 25, 2018

                  This question has been marked "Assumed Answered," but my question can only be considered "answered" if the answer is that this is an issue about which Acrobat does not intend to do anything. I posted my original question more than two years ago. I was told it was not a priority. Obviously, that was true. But doesn't anyone who maintains this software actually use it? Don't they recognize the inconvenience? Don't they realize that, if you want to append a scan to an existing document, there's a far more logical way to do it using the "Insert Pages" command on the "Organize Pages" toolbar. Why am I constantly updating this software if something as basic as this can't be fixed. And I'm not asking Acrobat to deprive others of the ability to use "Append to Existing File" as a default; I just want the ability to change the default for myself. If someone wants to append but inadvertently creates a new file, it's easy enough to add the new pages into the old document. If new pages are inadvertently added to an existing document, it can be a much more difficult fix, and some problems (like a new modification date) may not be fixable at all. Help us out here, Adobe.

                    D
                    Dave.Cox
                    Known Participant
                    March 8, 2018

                    This setting is a real irritant for me. I think you need to make it a priority, and soon.

                    Thanks,

                    Dave Cox

                      Lovekesh Garg
                      Adobe Employee
                      Lovekesh Garg
                      Adobe Employee
                      October 13, 2016

                      Hi Martin,

                      As of now append is default option if any file is opened. You have to change it manually if you want.

                      I have raised this concern. We will surely look into this and resolve it after prioritizing.

                      Thanks.

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                        parallelidentityAuthor
                        Participant
                        October 26, 2016

                        Thanks. Is there any way for me to be notified if the there's been a modification, or will I just notice the change in the application?

                          Lovekesh Garg
                          Adobe Employee
                          Lovekesh Garg
                          Adobe Employee
                          October 27, 2016

                          Whenever a new update is release, all the major changes are listed down in release notes.

                          Also we try our best to notice the customer individually(if issue is for a limited set of users). I have mentioned your details in the bug itself, so that we can intimate you once this update is available.

                          Thanks.

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