Reader XI: Removing Tools|Sign|Comment from Menu and Toolbar

[packer_country_usa]

Has anyone been able to accomplish this? This is a rather annoying 'feature' of Reader XI

[lrosenth]

No there is not. It's a core part of the UI, just like the menu bar, tool bar, etc.

Why would you want to remove them?

[packer_country_usa]

Because I do not want my users to be redirected out to the Internet via the PDF...

In the Tools, they may think that they can convert a PDF, but will be prompted for an paid Adobe account...

Same with emailing a PDF over the Internet with a paid Adobe EchoSign account...

Comments are fine... I believe in version X this was able to be removed....

[lrosenth]

We have an Enterprise customization solution (<http://www.adobe.com/devnet-docs/acrobatetk/index.html>) that supports some level of customization for deployed copied of Reader. If that's helpful, great!

[packer_country_usa]

I have used the Adobe Customization Wizard XI and these changes did not work...

I also have tried to delete the desktop shortcut through the wizard and that did not work...

I also have selected to change the EULA through the wizard and that did not work....

I have made all modifications I need through a seperate script.

I have two test machines and installed a fresh install and my install with an MST and they both turned out exactly the same...

[Test Screen Name]

I recommend you try the Acrobat Enterprise Deployment forum, different group of experts there.

[Yathll]

@test screen name. That is too complicated for me. There are plenty of other pdf reader, if adobe does not want to give users options to customize the toolbar.

[Test Screen Name]

Posting your message in a different forum is too complicated? Well, you know best.

[Yathll]

@Iroseth I am using a tablet pc with acrobat XI (11.0.2). I want to remove Tools|Sign|Comment from Toolbar because in portrait mode Tools|Sign|Comment takes up all of the space. I like to read in portrait mode because I can see the whole page. The adobe programmer designed touch toggle mode for touch screen, but it makes stuff worst with Tools|Sign|Comment taking up all of the space and no room for basic button such as hand tool, select tool, or save.

Why can't adobe make as simple button/menu tick mark, that allow the user to remove the annoying Tools|Sign|Comment from the Toolbar? Why?

Please fix this issue if you want people with touch screen to use your product.

[lrosenth]

If you hid them, how would you access their functionality??

[ricruss]

My First post here, and to be truthful this single thread firmed my experience between both the UI and the "customer service" i have received from Adobe.

It was quite motivating to learn something new.

"Why would you want to remove them?"

Most likely the same reason me and my company do, we do not want them, we are to small to afford this "service" and it causes unnecessary congestion on the tool bar that leads to confusion to some of its users. Believe it or not, there are still people who do not have a Post doc PHD in computing.  besides when did the burden of usability/functionality lie with the customer and not the OEM?

The user should be able to customize its tool as he or she sees fit without having to bow to corporate marketing gimmicks. which is what this is. parse it how you will.

"@Vadim – while you may find these “Tools” to not be useful, the fact is that MANY users out there have chosen to purchase that functionality."

i would say in my experience by far adobe reader has been used by the everyday user over paid accounts.  or do you suggest otherwise? i have seen the reader on almost every PC / Mac i have ever used but seen a rarely see a full install of any adobe product and then only on corporate PCs.  i am firm in my experience being more normal than not.  as such this comment from a staff member is akin to a troll comment to a genuine concern from a legitimate user.

and finally in spite of the direct requests to the contrary

"Hide and showing elements in a UI is not a good idea as it confuses users why something is there sometimes and not others.  Having the elements dim/disable is considerd the proper and correct UI model."

This is the result of the bigger corporate market dictating what the everyday user finds convenient.  Zune, Windows 8 anyone? bueller?

regardless methinks it is futility to expect a corporate monstrosity such as Adobe to respond to the smaller user much less the everyday user. 

A once beautiful marriage is now a trial separation. 

As such  and as suggested by a previous commenter we have opted for an open source reader.

It preforms faster, is far more customizable and does not force the user to the adobe.com pay to use matrix.

[GEOFF4444]

BECAUSE I WANT TO OPEN A DOCUMENT AND READ IT!

[Guest]

That's very easy!

Turn off Acrobat Reader, then go to your Acrobat Reader installation folder and delete two files from Reader/Services there.

I have actually forgotten the file names, but you don't need to delete "Services.cfg".

Restart Reader, and the annoying buttons are gone forever!

lrosenth, some people use Acrobat Reader as just a reader, no offence!

[SimpleUser4738]

@Angry_Users. Thanks a lot. Your solution was very helpful. It took a while for me to figure out the location (C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Reader 11.0\Reader\Services).

The name of the files are: DEXEchoSign.spi and DEXShare.spi

After deleting the files, restarting Adobe and clicking on the Tools, and Sign buttons, they dissapeared. Next time I started Adobe they were totally gone.

However the Comment button does not go away. This is still much better than before. Adobe is a little more user friendly now.

@Irosenth -  Just think how ANNOYING in would be if you web browser did not allow you to hide the history, and favourite bars. Are they helpful, yes. Do you need them every second, no.

Similarly for Reader - preferance for Screen real estate is given to Tools, sign, comment, rather than selection tool, hand tool, and zoom buttons which become hidden in portrat mode or when screen is minimized/halved. How often do I uses the selection tool buttons/ and tool and other buttons - 50 times in an hour. How ofter do I use Tools, sign, comment -  Never.

[try67]

So just click their names and they'll be gone (the panels, that is, not the buttons)...

[Yathll]

@Gilad D - I am aware that clicking on the button makes that panel go away. However there is no way the useless buttons go away using Reader. (The only way is to delete DEXEchoSign.spi and DEXShare.spi, and even then the Comment button is impossible to remove.)

If adobe allows us to add and remove othe buttons as we want such as seletion tool, hand tool, zoom, and other why not the 3 stupid button (Tools|Sign|Comment). Why is it that the 3 stupid buttons are given priority over buttons like essentials like next page when there is less space?

[try67]

The Sign pane and button can be removed using a registry tweak. See here:

http://try67.blogspot.com/2013/05/acrobatreader-disable-sign-pane.html

[Yathll]

@Gilad D - The link above only deletes the sign button and pane however is still does not get rid of the Comment button.

[try67]

That's what I said...

[bajajab]

Thank you very much for posting this...I have been searching for a month on how to get rid of the annoying tool bar on the right that takes 1/2 of the page

[barbarag41429168]

OMG, THANK YOU!!  This has been annoying me FOREVER.  When I open a PDF to read it I just want to READ it.  I don't want the Tools to open automatically.  If I want the Tools I will open the Tools!  Geez Adobe, can't you fix this stupid issue?

[chrisgcaldwell]

SimpleUser4738 wrote:

@Angry_Users. Thanks a lot. Your solution was very helpful. It took a while for me to figure out the location (C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Reader 11.0\Reader\Services).

The name of the files are: DEXEchoSign.spi and DEXShare.spi

After deleting the files, restarting Adobe and clicking on the Tools, and Sign buttons, they dissapeared. Next time I started Adobe they were totally gone.

This worked perfectly, thanks for tracking down those files.  After also disabling the "auto-authenticate signatures" option my Reader now opens quickly... finally!

Thanks again

[joeyjoejums]

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I use Adobe Reader on a tablet with limited screen real estate (duh). I fill out a blank form several times, every single day. It was so annoying having to close tools.......ARGH!!!

[JoeDaddyZZZ]

http://blogs.adobe.com/acrolaw/2011/03/customizing-toolbars-in-acrobat-x-2/

Simple hide toolbar switch described in above link.  Mostly F8 will toggle the bars.

JoeDaddyZZZ

[hasanf96278326]

Yeh, F8 works perfectly. Press F8 two three times.