How to Fix PDF Printing Problems in an RDS Environment
Question details
Users need to correct PDF printing associations in an RDS or terminal services environment so that basic print commands utilize Adobe Reader instead of Acrobat Pro.
- Product
- Windows Server RDS
- Device & OS
- Windows Server
- Scenario
- Using right-click printing, drag-and-drop printing, or Outlook Quick Print for PDF files in a shared server environment.
- Observed behavior
- The print actions unexpectedly launch Acrobat Pro instead of Adobe Reader, which often interrupts the printing process by displaying a Pro sign-in prompt.
Ensure you have administrative privileges on the RDS server to safely modify the Windows registry and update default system-wide file associations.
Update Registry Entries for PDF Print Commands
Modify the Windows registry to ensure that specific shell commands like Quick Print and Print route to Adobe Reader.
In an RDS environment where both Adobe Reader and Acrobat Pro are installed, Windows may incorrectly map the print shell commands to the Pro version. Correcting the registry keys will force the OS to use Reader for these actions.
Press Win + R, type 'regedit' into the Run dialog, and press Enter to launch the Registry Editor as an administrator.
Navigate to 'HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.pdf' and check its default value (usually 'AcroExch.Document'). Then navigate to 'HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AcroExch.Document\shell'.
Search for the 'Quick Print' and 'Print' subkeys. Check the 'command' default string value.
Change the executable path in the command string from 'Acrobat.exe' to 'AcroRd32.exe' (or your specific Reader executable path), ensuring the correct parameters like '/p /h' remain intact.
Reconfigure Windows Default Apps
Reset the default PDF handler in Windows settings to prevent Acrobat Pro from hijacking standard viewing and printing tasks.
Use WPS Office for Hassle-Free PDF Printing
Avoid complex registry fixes and licensing conflicts in RDS environments by switching to WPS Office. It includes a built-in, lightweight PDF reader that integrates seamlessly with Windows, allowing you to view and print PDFs without unexpected sign-in prompts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Outlook Quick Print open Acrobat Pro instead of Adobe Reader?
This occurs because the Windows registry mapping for the 'Quick Print' shell command gets hijacked or defaulted to the Acrobat Pro executable during installation, rather than staying assigned to the free Adobe Reader.
Can I use both Adobe Reader and Acrobat Pro in the same RDS environment?
Yes, you can run both simultaneously. However, you must carefully configure the registry and default file associations so that basic reading and printing default to Reader, while specific tasks like PDF conversion remain associated with Acrobat Pro.
How do I apply these registry fixes to all users on the RDS server?
Instead of modifying the registry manually for every user, you can deploy the corrected registry keys using Group Policy Preferences (GPP). This ensures the proper Quick Print and PDF associations are applied automatically to all user profiles upon logging in.
