How to Remove All First Run Prompts for Adobe Reader DC

[N74JW]

Hi,

I'm deploying Windows 10 images this summer to classroom and lab computers. Unlike every other modern operating system available today, Windows 10 does not offer native PDF capability. We're specifically rolling-out the LTSB version of Windows 10 for privacy concerns, which does not include the Edge web browser. As a result of this, I have built Adobe Reader DC into the image along with many other software titles.

Each time a user logs into Windows, they're doing so for the first time. Per policy, all user profiles stored on public computers must be removed at the end of that user's session. Everyone who uses these PCs is doing so for the first time. As a result, when Reader is opened, the user is bombarded with an onslaught of first-run dialogs and prompts that exceeds all patients. There are those for choosing the default PDF handler, determine the accessibility settings, and the UI's color scheme. All of these items placed into a first-run experience are asinine for a user profile that would persist on the file system, let alone for one that is created and removed every time someone logs into Windows.

When I created the image, I answered ALL of these first-run questions for the default user's profile prior to copying that profile with sysprep. To help ensure these insidious little annoyances do not appear ever again, I added the ADMX GPO template files to our central store in our domain, and configured the desired settings. To silence the PDF handler question, that STILL appears, I created a custom registry key and deployed it with a GPO to prevent this question from ever being asked again. ALL of these steps were for naught. Despite the customized default user profile, the GPO, and the registry changes, users are still spending close to five minutes answering Reader's inane first-run questions. Despite all of that, they still want Reader as their PDF viewer on Windows.

Aside from ranting, my question is there a resource, tutorial, website that details how to fix all of this? My users and I just need Reader to open when selected, or open when a PDF is double-clicked, no questions asked. I am positive that I am not the only one in this situation. If it makes any difference I use MDT 2013 U2 to deploy the images and IBM BigFix to manage patches for Adobe Reader DC and other products. I appreciate any advice or information anyone might have on this subject and apologize for the rant.

Thank you

[Test Screen Name]

Are you looking at the Enterprise Deployment Toolkit? Some at least should be in there.

[N74JW]

Presumably, but Reader has already been deployed to the computers. I just need it to stop record-breaking attempts for the most first-run prompts from any piece of commercial software.

Thanks!

[Steve Cordero · Accepted solution]

Ideally you would have used the Adobe Customization Wizard DC to disable all of this before hand but you can find a lot of the registry entry preferences in the ETK Preference Reference that can disable most of these items. 

Preference Reference for Acrobat and Adobe Reader

Granted it will take time to find all of the items that you want to disable and then you will need to run a script to make the registry entries but that might be easier than re-deploying. Then again, Test Screen Name may be correct and that might be the least painful in the long run.  It's your decision ultimately.

[Test Screen Name]

Still, that's the documentation. Maybe you can retrofit it, maybe redeploying is needed.

[try67]

[Question moved to the more relevant Enterprise Deployment (Acrobat and Reader) forum]