[BUG & Question] DC Version 2015.007.20033 - Event ID 16 & AMAZON

[dprout69]

1) Every time the program closes it is entering Event ID 16 into the windows event log with the following message:

"The description for Event ID 16 from source Adobe Reader cannot be found. Either the component that raises this event is not installed on your local computer or the installation is corrupted. You can install or repair the component on the local computer.

If the event originated on another computer, the display information had to be saved with the event.

The following information was included with the event:"

2) What is rdrcef.exe and why is it continuously trying to contact amazon?

C:\program files (x86)\adobe\acrobat reader dc\reader\acrocef\rdrcef.exe

[dprout69]

So no one at Adobe knows why this latest version is connecting to Amazon continuously?  I mean let me guess, it has to do with sales and invading my privacy, but Id still like the official answer...

[Bernd Alheit]

The document cloud is hosted on amazonaws.com. May be that you see this.

[c627627]

...and if we don't want Amazon servers (or any third party location) to have any contact with our files, how do we do that?

[dprout69]

Bottom line... how can we disable the cloud aspect?  Ill go back to the previous version via a system image if this is the direction adobe is headed.  I want to do what I want to do on my computer, not have all my stuff floating everywhere around the globe and have every piece of software selling my "usage" all over the place.  I just want adobe reader to read documents... that's it.

And before anyone says... we would never sell your stuff...  no you wont sell certain things... but Company A sells things other than those certain things to Company B and B sells other things to C and then C sells those missing certain things back to A and before you know it someone is buying a car under my name in Toledo because I opened a PDF document in Florida.

Is there a link to older versions to download?

[c627627]

Can you post the text of a registry file that would disable updates on both DC 2015 and 11 versions please. Here's a link to the version 11 install exe: http://ardownload.adobe.com/pub/adobe/reader/win/11.x/11.0.10/en_US/AdbeRdr11010_en_US.exe

Updates to Reader versions have always been here: http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/product.jsp?product=10&platform=Windows

I was using Comodo Firewall freeware to simply block the rdrcef.exe from accessing the internet: http://download.comodo.com/cis/download/installs/4010/standalone/cfw_installer.exe ...but was hoping for a settings or a registry fix that would not require a hard block of rdrcef.exe

[Guest]

Bottom line... how can we disable the cloud aspect?

Close Adobe Reader DC.

Create an empty file named e.g. DC_off.reg and copy the following lines into the newly created file:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\DC\FeatureLockDown\cServices]

"bToggleAdobeDocumentServices"=dword:00000001

"bToggleAdobeSign"=dword:00000001

"bTogglePrefSync"=dword:00000001

"bUpdater"=dword:00000000

Import this registry file by double clicking it.

Restart Adobe Reader DC.

Now everything dealing with the cloud aspect is gone.

[c627627]

Regarding the above registry edit that is supposed to result in "Now everything dealing with the cloud aspect is gone.":

1. After installed this program to clearly display all data going out: Fiddler4

2. After editing registry which is supposed to remove cloud connections, the program still shows rdrcef.exe is connecting to cloud services, sending data out.

[dprout69]

DC is now just spyware... just go back to 11 or find another PDF reader.  Adobe mucked this one up IMHO

[c627627]

Thank you for starting this thread. I hope we can figure out how and where to disable this in options or registry rather than hard-blocking that exe using Firewall software. Thanks for posting its location.

Can you also please post how you determined it was only contacting Amazon?

[dprout69]

I use Windows Firewall Control and I have my outbound blocking on.  Normally when a program opens you may get an individual pop up saying so, you close it and done.  I opened up the new Adobe however and this thing is continuously trying to get out.  I opened up the connection log and the only address it's going to per WHOIS is amazon.

[dprout69]

They've obviously changed tactics and strategy on this software a bit...

1) They have this connecting to amazon

2) They have taken out the update options from preferences and now it just always updates regardless of what you want

3) They have a usage option on by default that is auto sending your info to "the cloud"

[c627627]

OK. So step 1 is to block

C:\Program files (x86)\adobe\acrobat reader dc\reader\acrocef\rdrcef.exe

correct?

Step 2 is to go to

Edit > Preferences... > Usage Information > UNCHECK sharing 'anonymous' information.

Step 2 doesn't sound like it would resolve cloud uploading entirely though, does it?

Finally, having the option, just the option, to disable updates is important, I absolutely agree with you, so we can control when some of the machines get updated... but the problem with that is how do you block Adobe Reader exe files from updating and not block them from getting pdf pages from the web?

[c627627]

For the record:

While it is important for this program to get updated continuously due to obvious security concerns, Adobe appears to have made updating mandatory, taking away our choice between security and stability. Before 2015 DC version just came out, I know for a fact that some version 11 releases, like 11.0.9 was buggy (on some systems I've seen) and I did not install it on certain machines with unimportant disposable content on which we need STABILITY more than security, on which we only install updates which have been confirmed as stable on our systems.

So if anyone figures out how to disable automatic updates only, please post.

[dprout69]

Here are the registry entries to disable auto update

Windows Updates

[dprout69]

Wow and what's this one about?

bToggleWebConnectors = Disable/Enable 3rd party connectors... really?  Has this software now become spyware?

[Guest]

BTW,

1) Every time the program closes it is entering Event ID 16 into the windows event log with the following message:

"The description for Event ID 16 from source Adobe Reader cannot be found. Either the component that raises this event

is not installed on your local computer or the installation is corrupted. You can install or repair the component

on the local computer.

If the event originated on another computer, the display information had to be saved with the event.

The following information was included with the event:"

I can confirm this.

We get this message on all of our computers after I rolled out Adobe Reader DC yesterday.

I would appreciate a fast bugfix release for this.

[n8turepix]

Happens to me too:

-

System

- Provider [ Name] Adobe Reader

- EventID 16 [ Qualifiers] 49168

Level 2

Task 16

Keywords 0x80000000000000

- TimeCreated [ SystemTime] 2015-04-30T04:20:26.000000000Z

EventRecordID 9673

Channel Application

Computer

Security

EventData