How to Remove the Repair Installation Option in Acrobat DC
Question details
The user needs to hide the "Repair Installation" or "Detect and Repair" command from the Help menu in Adobe Acrobat DC.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat DC
- Device & OS
- Windows
- Scenario
- Customizing the software interface to restrict end-users from initiating the built-in repair process.
- Observed behavior
- The "Repair Installation" option is currently visible and accessible to all users under the Help menu.
Ensure you have administrative privileges on your Windows computer, as you will need permission to create and save files within the Program Files installation directory.
Use a Custom JavaScript File to Hide the Repair Option
You can remove the "Detect and Repair" command from the interface by placing a custom JavaScript file into the Acrobat Javascripts folder.
Adobe Acrobat allows interface customization via application-level JavaScript. By executing a simple hide command during startup, the application will drop the specified menu item from the UI.
Open Notepad or your preferred plain text editor on your computer.
Type or paste the following line of code into the blank document: app.hideMenuItem("DetectAndRepair");
Click File > Save As. Name the file "hideRepair.js". Ensure the "Save as type" dropdown is set to "All Files" so it does not save as a .txt document.
Open File Explorer and navigate to the Adobe Acrobat DC Javascripts folder. By default, this is usually located at: C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Acrobat DC\Acrobat\Javascripts\
Move the "hideRepair.js" file into the Javascripts folder. Close and restart Adobe Acrobat DC to apply the changes to the Help menu.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why would an administrator want to remove the Repair Installation option?
IT administrators often hide this option in enterprise or shared environments to prevent end-users from initiating a repair process. Unintended repairs can trigger administrative credential prompts, cause software freezes, or disrupt custom deployment configurations.
Does this JavaScript method work on Adobe Acrobat Reader DC?
Yes, the same JavaScript command works for Adobe Acrobat Reader DC. You simply need to place the hideRepair.js file into the corresponding Reader installation folder, which is typically located at C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Acrobat Reader DC\Reader\Javascripts\.
How do I restore the Repair Installation option to the menu later?
To revert the change and restore the command to the Help menu, navigate back to the Javascripts folder where you saved the hideRepair.js file. Delete or move the file out of the folder, and restart Adobe Acrobat.
