Press Windows key + R, type regedit, and select OK.
Last updated on
Sep 30, 2026
Learn how to disable the Save As dialog box and the automatic PDF preview when you print using the Adobe PDF printer on Windows.
When you use the Adobe PDF option to print, the Save As dialog box asks you to name the file, and the new PDF can open in Acrobat after printing. This may interrupt automated or high-volume workflows. You can turn off both behaviors and choose where your PDFs are saved.
Before you begin
- Identify your Acrobat track. Open C:\Program Files\Adobe and check the Acrobat folder name, for example, Acrobat DC. Use that name wherever <TRACK> appears in the steps below (for example, DC).
- Make sure you're signed in to Windows as an administrator.
Note
These steps edit the Windows registry and require administrator rights. Back up the registry before you make changes. You can also deploy the same values with Group Policy or your organization's device management tool.
Turn off the Save As dialog box and viewer launch
Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Adobe\Acrobat Distiller\<TRACK>\Preferences.
Right-click in the right pane, select New > Binary Value, and name it SilentAdobePDFPrintToTemp. Double-click it, enter 01, and select OK.
Tip
By default, your PDFs are saved in a subfolder of the %TEMP% folder. To choose a different folder, create a String Value in this key named SilentAdobePDFPrintFolder and enter the folder path, for example C:\PDFOutput. You can use variables like %USERPROFILE% so one setting works for everyone who signs in to the computer.
Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat\<TRACK>\FeatureLockDown\cAdobePDFPrinter.
Note
If a key doesn't exist, right-click the parent key, select New > Key, and enter the missing name.
Right-click in the right pane, select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value, and name it bPromptForFileName. Make sure the value is 0, then select OK.
Repeat the step above to create a second DWORD value named bLaunchAcrobat, and set it to 0.
Close Registry Editor, then restart your computer or sign out and back in.
Test by printing any document to Adobe PDF. The Save PDF File As dialog box shouldn't appear, the PDF shouldn't open, and the file should be saved in your output folder.
Note
If you use Combine Files, turn on EnableFileDeletion to have the PDFs you printed deleted automatically once the combine finishes.
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