Fix Acrobat Edit and Highlight Tools Not Working After Update
Question details
The user is unable to use the edit and highlight tools in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC after a recent software update.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat Pro DC
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Attempting to edit text or highlight content in a PDF document after an application update.
- Observed behavior
- The edit and highlight tools are unresponsive or unavailable, even after reinstalling the application.
Verify that the PDF document you are trying to edit is not secured with a password, digitally signed, or a flattened scanned image, as these restrict editing capabilities.
Reset Adobe Acrobat Preferences
Corrupted preference files can cause tool malfunctions and are often preserved during a standard reinstall. Resetting them forces the application to create fresh settings.
When an application updates, older preference files may occasionally become incompatible or corrupted. Because a standard uninstallation typically leaves user preferences intact to save personal settings, simply reinstalling Acrobat might not fix the issue.
Ensure that Adobe Acrobat Pro DC is completely closed and not running in the background.
Navigate to the Adobe Acrobat preferences folder on your system. On Windows, this is typically found at 'C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Acrobat\[Version]'. On Mac, go to 'Library/Preferences'.
Move the preferences folder to your desktop as a backup, or delete it entirely.
Open Adobe Acrobat Pro DC again. The application will automatically generate new, default preference files.
Install the Latest Acrobat Build
The update that caused the issue might have a subsequent patch released by Adobe to fix known bugs.
Verify Document-Specific Restrictions
The problem might lie with the specific PDF file rather than the Acrobat application itself.
Edit and Highlight PDFs Easily with WPS Office
If Adobe Acrobat continues to fail or you want a lightweight alternative, WPS Office provides a powerful, built-in PDF editor. You can seamlessly edit text, highlight important sections, and manage your PDF documents without complex settings.
- 1. Open PDF in WPS Office: Launch WPS Office and open your PDF document.
- 2. Use Edit Tools: Click the 'Edit' tab at the top toolbar to modify text, images, or layout directly within the PDF.
- 3. Highlight Text: Navigate to the 'Comment' tab and select the 'Highlight' tool to mark important information.
- 4. Save Your Changes: Click 'Menu' and select 'Save' to preserve your edits and annotations securely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can't I highlight text in a scanned PDF document?
Scanned PDFs are essentially images of text, lacking selectable characters. To highlight or edit them, you must first perform Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to convert the image into selectable text. Both Acrobat and WPS Office offer built-in OCR features.
Does reinstalling Adobe Acrobat automatically reset my settings?
No, a standard reinstallation often preserves your existing user preferences so you don't lose your personalized workspace. If your preference files are corrupted, the issue will persist after reinstalling unless you manually delete or reset them.
How do I know if my PDF is restricted from editing?
You can check document restrictions by opening the PDF, navigating to File > Properties, and selecting the Security tab. This panel will display whether editing, copying, or commenting is allowed by the document creator.
