clicking pdf opens Reader instead of Pro

[kd6kfa]

I have Adobe Acrobat 8 Professional and have used it just fine for a long time (Win 8.1) so no need (or $) to upgrade. Recently, for reasons that don't matter, I had to install Adobe Acrobat Reader DC.Now, whenever I click on a PDF file, it opens with Reader instead of Pro.

In Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Default Programs\Set Associations, the default for pdf Description is Adobe Acrobat Document and the Current Default is Adobe Acrobat Reader DC.

I click on Change program and see "Keep using Adobe Acrobat 8". Another choice is Adobe Acrobat Reader DC. But there is no choice for Adobe Acrobat 8 Professional. Choosing "Keep using Adobe Acrobat 8" does nothing, it still opens Reader.

I can right click and choose "open with" Adobe Acrobat 8 and it opens up Pro, but I need to just click to open, not that extra step. And that only happens if the pdf is already on my computer. Doesn't work with pdf links on the internet.

So, short of uninstalling Reader, how do I fix this? And, out of curiosity, why is it happening in the first place?

Thanks, Kathryn

[try67 · Accepted solution]

These two versions are not compatible with each other. If you have Acrobat

Dc and Reader DC you can do it, but with these versions there's too much of

a disparity so it's anyone's guess which one will get associated with the

PDF file-type.

[kd6kfa]

Will I run into issues if I uninstall Reader? IOW, will Pro 8 still work without a re-install?

I had installed Reader because a certain website (*) persisted in trying to open PDF statements using PDF Architect even though I hadn't had that on my machine for a year or more. I had to install Reader to get rid of that. Maybe now, if I uninstall Reader, it will then start using Pro - I hope.

(*) it also insisted on the use of IE to make payments, they won't allow payments to be made with Firefox

[try67]

Hard to say. Acrobat 8 is very old and I don't think it's compatible with

your OS. You can always try...

[kd6kfa]

I crossed my fingers and uninstalled Reader. Yeah! Pro still works, and that particular website now opens the statements with Pro! Thanks a bunch.