Disable Digital Signing in Acrobat and Reader

[JohnEEv]

I need to disable users' ability to electronically sign in both Reader and Acrobat from versions 2015 through the present. All are individually installed permanent licenses with no cloud services. This should include both the Fill & Sign and Certificates tools. Can this be done through registry settings?

[ls_rbls]

I am not 100% s8ure but I think that you can do something like that using  the Acrobat Customization Wizard.

You may need to customize a deployment image with the wizard for each licensed version separately and use the Adobe Acrobat Administration Guide.

In addition to that guide you will also need the Adobe Acrobat and Reader Preferences Reference.

Some preferences settings via registry are not lockable and you may need to administer the access or restriction to features via group policy.

[JohnEEv]

That's really not an option. Most of the machines were installed directly from the Internet, so I don't have any .msi files top work with. But the biggest thing is that there are over 50 machines in question. Doing them individually is not very feasible.

[ls_rbls]

If you have over 50 machines and you installed individually then that is the wrong deployment guidance.

And I don't understand how are you not able to have any .msi files.

How were you able to install Acrobat on each machine without an installer file?

When you install from the Internet the .msi file installs in a windows folder. Without the .msi file you can't perform uninstall and reinstalling , or repair an installation.

The licensing that you're describing seems to be an individual subscription for each machine.

So, if that is the case you may have to contact Adobe and see how they can upgrade your current subscriptions to Acrobat for Teams. 

The correct procedure would be to disable the features you're inquiring about  via registry but you need the Acrobat Customization wizard to push the same customized deployment image to all of those machines at once.

Since you asked if it can be done via registry, how else do you think this is done based on the licensing model that your organization adopted?

Yes, it may be done via registry, but What type of answer you were looking for based on the scenario that you described?

[JohnEEv]

The installs occurred over time. Acrobat was purchased with each PC, and the PCs were purchased at different times, hence the varying versions. Each machine came with a card containing a URL and redemption code, which when followed, automatically downloaded and installed the relevant version of Acrobat.

Ultimately, I am looking for registry settings that can disable signing. Those can be pushed via Group Policy to everyone.

[ls_rbls]

Ok, got it.

See the featurelockdown preference "bShowSignMenu"

https://www.adobe.com/devnet-docs/acrobatetk/tools/PrefRef/Windows/index.html

You will also need the Administration guide to perform configurations via GPO:

Specifically see Appendix C: Preference Basics:

https://www.adobe.com/devnet-docs/acrobatetk/tools/AdminGuide/preferences.html#administrator-locking