Tabbed view in Adobe Acrobat Pro, Standard, and Reader DC is a mixed bag. On the one hand, it offers some convenience with ways to manage multiple PDFs in a single window. On the other hand, it's frustrating to want to view files side-by-side or split between multiple monitors.
SummarySwipe out of windowUse built-in settingEdit registry keyThat's it
There is no obvious way to open PDFs in separate windows. Come on, Adobe! An "Open in new window" option won't hurt. However, there are a few methods you can use to get the functionality you want quite easily – you just need to know how.
The first method is simple to perform, but does not immediately launch your documents in a new window. After opening a few PDF files, click and drag a PDF tab out of the Acrobat Pro, Standard, or Reader DC window.
And There you go ! This should cause the PDF to automatically open in a separate window. You should be fairly familiar with the process if you've played around with browser tabs on Chrome or Firefox.
Note: Any PDF files you open should always launch as tabs in the currently active Acrobat window. If necessary, drag them to launch them in their respective windows. But while dragging tabs is useful for one-off cases, it all gets a bit cumbersome when dealing with dozens of PDF files on a regular basis. If you want everything to happen automatically, keep reading.
It should come as a surprise, but all versions of Acrobat DC have a built-in setting that lets you get rid of tabs altogether. But where is he ? I understand that checkboxes and other configurations can be overwhelming. So let's do it quickly.
Start by clicking on Edit in the menu bar. In the pop-up menu that appears, select Preferences.
In the Preferences pane, click the General side tab, then uncheck the box next to "Open documents as new tabs in the same window".
Then click OK and relaunch the application for the change to take effect.
Now you won't see the dedicated tab area below the menu bar – as a bonus, this also translates to more screen real estate for you. PDF files should now launch in separate windows.
Note: To re-enable tabs, simply check the "Open documents as new tabs in the same window" option in the Preferences pane and relaunch the application.Another way to get rid of the tabbed view in Acrobat Pro, Standard, and Reader DC is to make a simple system registry edit. While the built-in setting is all you need to make those pesky tabs go away, check out the following steps if you want to impress your friends with some technical prowess!
Note: Save your work and exit all running instances of Acrobat Pro, Standard, or Reader DC before continuing.Step 1: Start by launching the Registry Editor. To do this, press Windows-R to load the Run dialog box, type regedit in the search bar, then click OK.
Step 2: Depending on your version of Acrobat DC, copy and paste the appropriate path into the address bar at the top of the Registry Editor window and press Enter:
Adobe Acrobat Pro and Standard
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareAdobeAdobe AcrobatDCAVGeneral
Adobe Acrobat Reader DC
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareAdobeAcrobat ReaderDCAVGeneral
Step 3: In the list of registry keys that appear on the right side of the window, right-click bSDIMode and select Edit.
Step 4: Insert 1 in the box under Value data, then click OK.
Step 5: Open the File menu, then click Exit to close Registry Editor.
Launch Acrobat DC and you should find it completely devoid of tabs. Also, your PDFs will open in separate windows after this setting.
Note: To re-enable tabs later, return to Registry Editor, and edit the bSDIMode registry key with the value "0".Tabs are useful, but they can also be a drag on productivity. But you just learned how to get rid of it. Now you can work on your documents without having to worry about switching between tabs continuously.
Either way, Adobe should have offered ways to open PDFs separately from the get-go. This would have added some versatility and kept people from tearing their hair out while dealing with multiple PDFs.
