Restoring PDF icon to .pdf files after removing Reader

[Dov Isaacs]

Bernie,

Looks like you found one of the nasty side effects of concurrent installations and then trying
to repair the damage.

For better or worse, many applications don't simply associate a program with a suffix, but
register what is known as a "shell extension" into the Windows registry. Your uninstallation
of Reader 8.1 probably clobbered the shell extension for PDF (you can have only one of those)
and the result is the mess you saw.

Two possible fixups:

The simple one is to run Acrobat and go to Help=>Repair Acrobat Installation. That will trigger
the installer to try to assure that everything is kosher with your configuration including the
registry entries and all files associated with installation of Acrobat.

If that doesn't work, get the 2x4 with a nail in the end. As much as I hate this solution, here
it goes. Totally and utterly uninstall Acrobat 9.x. Reboot. Install Acrobat 9. That should fix
the problem. (I hate suffering from "Reinstallzheimers Disease!")

Also note that you should let Acrobat update your system to Acrobat 9.3.3 to fix a large number
of bugs and close some nasty security issues.

Good luck and good night!

	- Dov


> -----Original Message-----
> From: framers-bounces at lists.frameusers.com [mailto:framers-bounces at lists.frameusers.com] On Behalf Of
> Meyer, Bernard
> Sent: Monday, July 26, 2010 12:50 PM
> To: framers at lists.frameusers.com
> Subject: Restoring PDF icon to .pdf files after removing Reader
> 
> Hello, All.
> After reading the recent thread on multiple versions of Acrobat on the same machine, I removed the
> Acrobat Reader (it was v8.1, I believe), leaving only the installation of the full Acrobat tool
> installed. However, apparently, the .PDF extension know longer "knew" what application it was
> associated with, and so displayed the MS default icon. When I double-clicked such a .pdf file, it
> naturally asked what application to associate it with. I picked Adobe Acrobat (v 9.1), and checked the
> box to always use this app.  So far, so good. When I click on a .pdf file, it opens Acrobat. HOWEVER,
> the files still look as if they don't know what app they are associated with, because they still show
> the MS default icon, not the Acrobat icon. It's not a showstopper by any means, but it would be nice
> to get the right icon back.
> Thanks. I've gleaned lots of useful tips from this list, and (if a personal remark is allowed)
> appreciate the thorough, measured, and sometimes gently humorous way, Dov makes his remarks.
> 
> Bernie Meyer