How to Restore PDF Commenting and Strikethrough Tools in Acrobat Pro 2017
Question details
User needs to restore inactive PDF commenting tools, such as strikethrough and line-through annotations, which stopped functioning after selecting a do-not-show-again warning.
- Product
- Acrobat Pro 2017
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Reviewing and annotating a PDF document where specific text markup tools are required.
- Observed behavior
- Commenting tools like strikethrough and line-through annotations are unresponsive or disabled, while the highlighting tool continues to work normally.
Ensure you have saved your current PDF document and close any active editing sessions before modifying application preferences to avoid unsaved changes.
Reset All Warnings in Acrobat Preferences
This solution restores previously dismissed warning dialogs, allowing you to correctly address document settings like OCR that might be disabling text-specific commenting tools.
Often, dismissing a warning about running OCR on a scanned document can inadvertently lock out text-specific tools like strikethrough because the software hasn't recognized the text layers. Resetting the warnings brings these prompts back so you can handle them properly.
Launch Acrobat Pro 2017, click on the 'Edit' menu at the top left of the screen (or 'Acrobat' menu on Mac), and select 'Preferences'.
In the Preferences dialog box, select 'General' from the Categories list on the left side.
Locate and click the 'Reset All Warnings' button within the General preferences pane. Click 'OK' to save your changes.
Close the Preferences window, reopen your PDF document, and carefully read any new warning dialogs. Pay special attention to OCR prompts or document restriction settings that may affect annotation tools.
Edit and Annotate PDFs Seamlessly with WPS Office
If you are experiencing persistent issues with your current PDF software, try WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, free, and intuitive PDF editor that makes commenting, highlighting, and editing hassle-free, alongside a complete suite for your word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation needs.
- 1. Open your PDF in WPS Office: Launch WPS Office and click on 'Open' from the home screen to load your PDF document.
- 2. Access the Comment Tools: Navigate to the 'Comment' tab located at the top ribbon to view all available annotation options.
- 3. Apply Strikethrough or Highlights: Select the text you want to annotate, then click the 'Strikethrough' or 'Highlight' icon to apply the formatting instantly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the highlight tool work but not the strikethrough tool?
Strikethrough tools require selectable text layers to function correctly. If the document is a scanned image and OCR (Optical Character Recognition) has not been performed, the software can apply a freehand or area highlight but cannot detect exact characters to apply a text strikethrough.
Can security settings prevent me from using PDF commenting tools?
Yes. If the author of the PDF has restricted document editing or commenting through password protection or permissions, annotation tools will be greyed out or completely disabled.
How do I run OCR to make the strikethrough tool work on scanned PDFs?
You can use the 'Enhance Scans' or 'Scan & OCR' tool in your PDF editor to recognize text. Once the text is successfully recognized and becomes selectable, the strikethrough and underline tools will function normally.
