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I am having to read through a MASSIVE (1000+ page) PDF specification in Adobe Reader. It has always bugged me that if you scroll to the edge of a page, the Reader automatically jumps to the top of the next page.

Is there a way to cut this functionality off so that as I'm scrolling, the bottom of the current page has a minimal space, and the next page continually scrolls into view, rather to jump in and take over the full display area?

I know that Microsoft Word can behave this way. Is there a setting in Adobe Reader 10, or higher, that I can change that will allow continuous document scrolling?

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    In new Adobe Reader click on [Menu] -> View -> Page Display -> Enable Scrolling Sep 25, 2023 at 6:10

9 Answers 9

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For Adobe Reader X, XI:

To make continuous scrolling the default behavior:

Edit » Preferences » Accessibility » Always use Page Layout Style. Check Single Page Continuous.

To only do this for the current session:

Go to View » Page Display and check the option Enable Scrolling (this is only a one-time fix and will be reset the next time you open Adobe).


For Adobe Reader 9:

Go to View » Page Display and check the option Single Page Continuous.

They see me scrollin', they hatin'

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    This setting is initialized from the PDF file. You'll rapidly become accustomed to doing this every time you open the offending document... At least in Reader X there is a toolbar button whose tool tip reads "Fit to window width and enable scrolling" located to the right of center of the tool bar items that does what it says on the tin.
    – RBerteig
    Aug 17, 2011 at 0:53
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    Absolutely incredible that this isn't the default configuration...
    – bpcookson
    Oct 13, 2016 at 17:43
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    Works on Reader XI also. I was about ready to lynch whoever did the manual I was reading. Jul 21, 2017 at 2:37
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    This solution led me to another solution for a problem annoying me -- the default zoom. Turn off the zoom override here, and use the one under Page Display. Much appreciated for the quality answer!! Note: both of these are still relevant answers in 2017 for Acrobat Reader
    – user769452
    Nov 24, 2017 at 3:56
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    The default behaviour fix worked for me, but I had to open & close the file for it to take effect. I suppose it would have worked right away if I made both suggested changes, however.
    – Danneyland
    Jun 12, 2020 at 18:42
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Everything they said was fine but when you close and open Adobe Reader again, it goes back to single page viewing and that's annoying.

It's better to make it the default by doing this:

Edit » Preferences » Accessibility » Always use Page Layout Style. Check Single Page Continuous.

This helped me much more than having to keep switching it.

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    This is the real gem amongst these answers. Other methods of setting the default view, such as suggested by @sblair don't work.
    – Amr Bekhit
    Nov 6, 2012 at 9:31
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    love it. Make it default is my fav choice.
    – Dio Phung
    Feb 9, 2014 at 10:46
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For continous scrolling on full screen perform the following steps:

  • Go Fullscreen: CtrlL

  • Enable AutoScroll: CtrlShiftH

  • Disable AutoScroll: CtrlShiftH

Now you can scroll with the normal arrow keys.

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    This is only the solution that solved my problem. Thanks
    – CroCo
    Oct 27, 2014 at 20:17
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    I was actually looking exactly for autoscroll in fullscreen, thanks for noting this...
    – sdaau
    Jun 18, 2015 at 2:38
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    Still works as of Adobe Acrobat Reader DC 15/2015. Still entirely unobvious :)
    – genpfault
    Aug 8, 2015 at 5:57
  • Perfect! Impossible to guess! Nov 14, 2016 at 16:36
  • I would call this a bug or exploit and it works for me in Reader XI but only while full screen is active. Instead I found that using the Touch mode solves this whole issue for me. Using "scroll mode" and "touch mode" at the same time prevents navigation from jumping at the end of a page. But the toolbar will look different...
    – Micka
    Dec 6, 2016 at 17:05
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You need to enable scrolling. In Adobe Reader X, there might be a button for this on the toolbar. If it's not there, you can choose to show the button by right clicking on the toolbar and selecting Enable Scrolling from the Page Display option.

You can make this the default view from Edit > Preferences... > Page Display > Page Layout. Set this to Single Page Continuous.

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In Adobe Reader open the View menu and in the Page Display sub-menu choose Single Page Continuous.

Alternatively, you can use you keyboard by pressing the below keys in the displayed order:

alt, V, P, C

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  1. View » Page Display » Enable Scrolling

  2. CtrlL for full screen. This will change the cursor to the "hand" and the keyboard arrows will now scroll partial pages.

  3. Esc – This gets out of full screen mode. The "hand" cursor and partial page scroll is still available.

  4. Esc – This changes the cursor to the "I" bar and resumes the default scrolling.

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For version 2021

View -> Page Display -> Enable Scrolling

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I think the best way to get rid of this annoying mode is choose another reader. I use pdf-xchange which let me chose single-page continuous mode, and un-check "respect to original view mode", so all PDF file opened in continuous mode.

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The only way to make the scrolling choice permanent is from the Edit/Accessibility option. Edit/Preferences is not working. Can someone in Adobe fix this ?

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    I'm curious. Isn't this the same answer as Lillys? Correct me if I'm wrong
    – nixda
    Jan 4, 2013 at 19:19

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