How to Permanently Disable the Acrobat Add-In in Word 2010
Question details
The user wants to permanently disable the Acrobat PDFMaker COM Add-in in Microsoft Word 2010, as it keeps re-enabling itself after being deactivated.
- Product
- Microsoft Word 2010
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Trying to remove or disable an unwanted COM add-in that persists across application restarts.
- Observed behavior
- The Acrobat PDFMaker add-in automatically re-enables itself every time Microsoft Word is closed and reopened, despite being unchecked in the COM Add-ins menu.
Ensure you have administrative privileges on your computer, as making permanent changes to COM Add-ins or modifying Office startup behaviors often requires admin rights.
Disable the Add-In by Running Word as Administrator
Microsoft Word often needs administrative permissions to permanently save changes made to COM Add-ins in the Windows Registry.
If you disable an add-in but it returns the next time you open Word, the application likely did not have the required permissions to write the changes to your system registry. Running Word as an administrator before making the change usually resolves this.
Close Microsoft Word completely. Click on the Windows Start menu, search for Microsoft Word 2010, right-click the application icon, and select 'Run as administrator'.
With Word running as administrator, navigate to the 'File' tab in the top left corner and click on 'Options'.
In the Word Options window, select 'Add-ins' from the left sidebar. At the bottom of the window, ensure the Manage dropdown is set to 'COM Add-ins' and click the 'Go...' button.
In the COM Add-ins dialog box, locate the 'Acrobat PDFMaker Office COM Add-in' and clear the check box next to it. Click 'OK' to save your changes.
Close Microsoft Word and reopen it normally to verify that the Acrobat add-in remains disabled.
Remove the Add-In from Office Startup Locations
If changing the COM Add-in settings fails, you may need to manually remove the add-in template from the Word Startup folder.
Switch to WPS Office for a Clean and Fast Editing Experience
If Microsoft Word's add-ins are causing slow performance, crashes, or persistent issues, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, highly compatible alternative without the clutter of unwanted third-party extensions.
- 1. Download and Install: Visit the official WPS Office website to download the free installation package and follow the on-screen prompts.
- 2. Open Your Documents: Launch WPS Writer and simply click 'Open' to select your existing Microsoft Word (.docx) files.
- 3. Work Without Interruptions: Enjoy a fast, seamless editing experience without dealing with intrusive add-ins or configuration errors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the Acrobat add-in keep re-enabling in Word?
This usually happens because Microsoft Word was not run with administrative privileges when you originally disabled the add-in. Without admin rights, Word cannot permanently save the changes to the Windows Registry, causing the add-in to reload upon restart.
Can I completely uninstall the Acrobat PDFMaker add-in?
Yes. You can prevent it from ever loading by modifying your Adobe Acrobat installation. Go to Windows Control Panel > Programs and Features, select Adobe Acrobat, click 'Change', and disable the 'Create PDF' integration specifically for Microsoft Office.
Does disabling the PDFMaker add-in prevent me from saving Word files as PDFs?
No, you can still easily save your documents as PDFs. Microsoft Word 2010 and later versions have a built-in 'Save As PDF' feature under the File menu that works completely independent of the Adobe add-in.
