Fix 2. Disabling the Adobe Acrobat Add-in on All Office Products
One potential cause of the “Acrobat failed to send a DDE command” error is conflicts between Adobe Acrobat and Microsoft Office applications, specifically the PDFMaker Add-in. Disabling this add-in across all Office products, like Word , Excel , and PowerPoint , can resolve the issue.
Step 1: Finding the Add-in Setting
Start by opening a Microsoft Office application and clicking “File ” then “Options ”. Find “Add-ins ” on the left and next to “Manage COM Add-ins ”, click “Go ”.
Step 2: Disable the PDFMaker Addin
In the new window that opens, locate the PDFMaker add-in and make sure it's unchecked, then click “Ok.”
Fix 3. Quit and Restart Adobe Acrobat
Sometimes, a temporary glitch can cause the “Acrobat failed to send a DDE command” error. Closing and restarting the Adobe Acrobat application can clear the issue without resorting to more advanced fixes.
Step 1: Opening Task Manager
Right-click your taskbar at the bottom of your screen and select “Task Manager ” or press “CTRL+ALT+DEL ” on your keyboard.
Step 2: Closing the Adobe Acrobat Application
Make sure the “Processes ” tab is selected. Then, find the “Adobe Acrobat ” application in the list. Once selected, click “End task ” to close the Acrobat software completely.
Fix 4. Repair Acrobat Installation
Over time, the installation files associated with Acrobat may become corrupted or misconfigured, causing the “Acrobat failed to send a DDE command” error. Fortunately, Acrobat includes a built-in repair feature to resolve this.
Step 1: Finding the Repair Installation Feature
Open Acrobat, select "Menu " then choose “Help ” and "Repair Installation." Click yes and follow the on-screen prompts to repair Acrobat.
Step 2: Relaunching Acrobat After Repairing
Once the repair has finished, relaunch Adobe Acrobat and check if the error is still present.
Fix 5: Reinstall Adobe Acrobat
Another common cause of Acrobat errors is software corruption or a conflict with your application version. A fresh installation of the software can be an effective solution.
Step 1: Finding Programs
Start by typing “Program ” in the search bar on your taskbar and selecting “Add or remove programs.”
Step 2: Uninstall Adobe Acrobat
You can quickly find Adobe Acrobat in the list of applications by using the search bar. Next, click “Uninstall ” and follow the prompts.
Step 3: Restart and Redownload
After uninstalling Acrobat, restart your computer, and then go to Adobe’s website and redownload the latest version.
Fix 6: Edit Registry
If none of the above fixes resolved your difficulties with the “Acrobat failed to send a DDE command” error, the problem may be due to a registry entry related to Acrobat. Editing the Windows Registry can sometimes fix deep-rooted issues.
Step 1: Opening the Registry Editor
Press “Windows + R ” on your keyboard to open the “Run ” window. Type in “regedit ” and hit “Ok.”
Step 2: Editing the Acrobat Registry
Navigate to “HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\acrobat\shell\open\ddeexec\application ”. Now edit the “AcroViewA## ” by changing the value data to “AcroViewR## ” and clicking “Ok ” to save the changes.
Final Thoughts on the “Acrobat Failed to Send a DDE Command” Error
In summary, the “Acrobat failed to send a DDE command ” error can disrupt your productivity, but there are several solutions, as we’ve addressed in this article. By following the fixes we’ve covered above, from disabling add-ins to repairing Acrobat or editing the registry, you can troubleshoot and resolve your complications with Adobe Acrobat.
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