Why Adobe Acrobat Installation Takes So Long and Changes Microsoft Office Settings
Question details
The user is inquiring about the lengthy installation process of Adobe Acrobat and why it automatically modifies Microsoft Office and Windows Explorer settings.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Installing Adobe Acrobat on a Windows computer that has Microsoft Office installed.
- Observed behavior
- The installation process takes a considerable amount of time and adds background integrations and context-menu settings to Microsoft Office and Windows Explorer.
Ensure that you have downloaded the official Adobe Acrobat installer directly from the Adobe website to avoid malicious software, and close all Microsoft Office applications before beginning the installation.
Allow Installation and Manage Acrobat Office Integrations
Understand the purpose of these system changes and how to manage the newly added Microsoft Office and Windows Explorer integrations.
Adobe Acrobat has included Microsoft Office and Windows Explorer integrations for approximately 20 years. These changes are intentional and necessary for features like seamless PDF creation, file conversion, and right-click context menu actions.
The installation takes a significant amount of time because it must register multiple add-ins, context menu items, and background services across various system components.
Wait for the Acrobat installation progress bar to finish completely. Do not interrupt the process, as doing so can cause registry errors or broken Office add-ins.
Open Microsoft Word or Excel, navigate to 'File' > 'Options' > 'Add-ins' to view the newly installed Acrobat PDFMaker COM Add-in.
If you prefer that Acrobat does not integrate with Office, select 'COM Add-ins' from the Manage drop-down at the bottom of the Add-ins window, click 'Go', and uncheck the 'Acrobat PDFMaker Office COM Addin'.
Try WPS Office with Built-in PDF Tools
Tired of heavy software installations and complex add-ins slowing down your computer? WPS Office is a lightweight, free alternative to Microsoft Office that includes a powerful built-in PDF editor. You can create, edit, convert, and merge PDFs without needing to install lengthy, resource-heavy third-party applications like Adobe Acrobat.
- 1. Download the installer: Visit the official WPS website and download the lightweight WPS Office installer.
- 2. Run the quick installation: Execute the downloaded file and follow the fast, straightforward on-screen instructions to complete the setup.
- 3. Use built-in PDF tools: Open your documents in WPS Office and access the 'PDF' tab directly to view, edit, or convert files without external add-ins.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I install Adobe Acrobat without the Microsoft Office add-ins?
Yes, during a custom installation of Acrobat, you can expand the 'Create Adobe PDF' feature tree and set the Microsoft Office plugins to 'This feature will not be available'. IT admins can also disable them prior to deployment using the Adobe Customization Wizard.
Why is Microsoft Word running slowly after installing Adobe Acrobat?
The Acrobat PDFMaker add-in loads automatically when you start Microsoft Word, which can increase the application's startup time and consume additional memory. You can manually disable this add-in in Word's Add-ins options if you experience significant performance issues.
Is it safe that Acrobat changes my Windows Explorer context menus?
Yes, it is completely safe. Acrobat adds options like 'Convert to Adobe PDF' to your right-click menu in Windows Explorer for your convenience. This is a standard integration feature that has been part of the Adobe Acrobat software for decades.
