How to Add Adobe Acrobat Tabs to Office 2013 on Windows 7
Question details
The user needs to enable or restore the Adobe Acrobat tabs in Microsoft Office 2013 applications like Word, Excel, and Outlook.
- Product
- Microsoft Office 2013, Adobe Acrobat
- Device & OS
- Windows 7
- Scenario
- Trying to access Adobe Acrobat PDFMaker features directly within the Office 2013 application ribbon.
- Observed behavior
- The Adobe Acrobat tabs are missing from the Office 2013 ribbon and need to be enabled or repaired.
Ensure that you have administrative privileges on your Windows 7 computer, and verify that your installed version of Adobe Acrobat is officially compatible with Microsoft Office 2013.
Enable the Acrobat PDFMaker COM Add-in
This is the standard method to activate the Acrobat tab if it has been automatically disabled by the Office application.
Microsoft Office sometimes disables third-party add-ins if it detects a slow startup or crash. You can manually re-enable the PDFMaker add-in directly from the application's settings.
Launch your Office application (such as Word or Excel) and navigate to File > Options.
In the Options dialog window, click on Add-ins from the left-hand sidebar.
At the bottom of the window, ensure the Manage dropdown is set to COM Add-ins, then click the Go button.
Check the box next to Acrobat PDFMaker Office COM Addin in the list and click OK to apply the changes.
Repair the Adobe Acrobat Installation
Use this method if the PDFMaker add-in is completely missing from the COM Add-ins list in Office.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the Acrobat tab missing from my Word 2013 ribbon?
The Acrobat tab is powered by the Acrobat PDFMaker COM Add-in. If Word 2013 crashes or experiences a conflict, it may automatically disable this add-in to maintain stability. You can easily re-enable it via File > Options > Add-ins.
What if Adobe PDFMaker is not listed in the COM Add-ins menu?
If it is completely missing from the list, the integration likely wasn't installed correctly or registry keys were corrupted. Running a repair from the Adobe Acrobat Help menu usually restores the missing add-in files to Office 2013.
Does Acrobat X or XI support Office 2013 on Windows 7?
Adobe Acrobat XI fully supports Office 2013. However, older versions like Acrobat X are not fully compatible with Office 2013, which can prevent the PDFMaker tab from appearing or functioning correctly.
Can I force Word 2013 to keep the Acrobat add-in enabled?
If Office keeps disabling the add-in automatically, it might be flagged as a performance issue. You can bypass this by going to File > Info > Manage COM Add-ins (or Slow and Disabled Add-ins) and selecting 'Always enable this add-in'.
