10 installations+ of Acrobat X Pro stopped working in the same day

[prepressdm]

We have Acrobat X Pro installed on multiple computers on different operating systems (Windows 7 and windows 10 64bit) With either a standalone Acrobat X Pro or one that came with CS5.5 or CS6 that all have stopped working today October 30th, 2017. These computers are on different networks at different locations.

I spoke with another IT professional and he said they have had 14 installations stop working as well so far as of yesterday October 29th, 2017.

I have tried many of the general fixes to no avail. Including uninstalling, running the appropriate removal tool and reinstalling.

Here's the symptoms:

Clicking on acrobat.exe: mouse curser changes for a second and then nothing.

Shift-clicking on Acrobat.exe: starts up, crashes after ten seconds.

After completely removing and reinstalling, I am unable to get it to launch even with holding down shift and running the executable.

Below is the log from AMT.log after such a symptom

Yes, I know this is no longer supported. However, having nationwide issues all on the same day with various installations tells me Adobe did something in regards to their licensing or something that affects Acrobat X Pro.

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  SLCoreService: Query license: type = 3, duration = permanent, remaining = permanent.

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  ALM: _time_: (func: ALM_License_SilentValidate, duration: 0.031 sec)

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  ALM: _info_: ALM_License_SilentValidate return license status: Valid And Activated

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  AMT: License check shows serialized product is already activated.

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  ALM: _info_: Entered ALM_NeedANAG

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  PCDService: No value for key [ADOBEID] in hive [970785689564149183440050] in cache.

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  PCDService: No value for key [ClaimStatus] in hive [970785689564149183440050] in cache.

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  ALM: _info_: Exiting ALM_NeedANAG

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  PCDService: No value for key [AdobeUpdaterCodeV2] in hive [{AC76BA86-1033-F400-7760-000000000005}] in master.

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  PCDService: No value for key [AdobeUpdaterCodeV2] in hive [{AC76BA86-1033-F400-7760-000000000005}] in master.

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  PCDService: No value for key [Updates] in hive [{AC76BA86-1033-F400-7760-000000000005}] in master.

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  PCDService: No value for key [Updates] in hive [{AC76BA86-1033-F400-7760-000000000005}] in master.

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  AUMService: config: No AdobeUpdaterCode found in configuration; AUM will be disabled.

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  ServiceLoader: looking for library C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Acrobat 10.0\Acrobat\updaternotifications.dll

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  ServiceLoader: looking for library C:\Windows\system32\updaternotifications.dll

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  ServiceLoader: Failed to find updaternotifications.dll

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  AUMService: IsUpdaterEnabled call

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  ServiceLoader: Symbol UpdaterNotificationsIsUpdaterEnabled can't be found in library updaternotifications.dll because the library has not been added to the loader

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  AUMService: Could not load function UpdaterNotificationsIsUpdaterEnabled

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  ALM: _info_: Deactivation menu is enabled

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  PCDService: No value for key [ADOBEID] in hive [970785689564149183440050] in cache.

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  AMT: Completed Launch Workflow successfully.

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  AMT: Calling AUM API to create scheduler entry to be used by updater.

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  PCDService: No value for key [AdobeUpdaterCodeV2] in hive [{AC76BA86-1033-F400-7760-000000000005}] in master.

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  PCDService: No value for key [AdobeUpdaterCodeV2] in hive [{AC76BA86-1033-F400-7760-000000000005}] in master.

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  PCDService: No value for key [Updates] in hive [{AC76BA86-1033-F400-7760-000000000005}] in master.

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  PCDService: No value for key [Updates] in hive [{AC76BA86-1033-F400-7760-000000000005}] in master.

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  AUMService: config: No AdobeUpdaterCode found in configuration; AUM will be disabled.

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  ServiceLoader: looking for library C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Acrobat 10.0\Acrobat\updaternotifications.dll

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  ServiceLoader: looking for library C:\Windows\system32\updaternotifications.dll

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  ServiceLoader: Failed to find updaternotifications.dll

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  AUMService: IsUpdaterEnabled call

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  ServiceLoader: Symbol UpdaterNotificationsIsUpdaterEnabled can't be found in library updaternotifications.dll because the library has not been added to the loader

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  AUMService: Could not load function UpdaterNotificationsIsUpdaterEnabled

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  AMT: Updater is not enabled by admin.

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  AMT: Checking client features against cache.

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  AMT: Feature Acrobat 10.0 is licensed (was licensed).

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  AMT: Feature Acrobat_Viewer 10.0 is unlicensed (was unlicensed).

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  AMT: Feature Acrobat_Distiller 10.0 is licensed (was licensed).

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  AMT: Feature Shared_Designer 10.0 is unlicensed (was unlicensed).

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  AMT: Feature Acrobat_DeepExploration 10.0 is unlicensed (was unlicensed).

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  AMT: Feature Acrobat_Presenter 10.0 is unlicensed (was unlicensed).

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  AMT: Feature AMT_ALLOW_DRAGDROP_INSTALL 3.0 is unlicensed (was unlicensed).

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  AMT: Validating client product info against cache.

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  AMT: Starting Data Collection for SWTag_Init()

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  AMT: DoISOTagging() productCanonicalLEID = AcrobatPro-AS1-Win-GM;outMappedLEID =  AcrobatPro-AS1-Win-GM, unused = AcrobatPro-AS1-Win-GM

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  AMT: DoISOTagging() productPayloadCode = {AC76BA86-1033-F400-7760-000000000005};driverPayloadCode =  {AC76BA86-1033-F400-7760-000000000005}

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  AMT: SWTag_Init() Tags Arguments Acrobat X Pro; AcrobatPro-AS1-Win-GM; MUL

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  AMT: DoISOTagging() License Status = activated

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  AMT: DoISOTagging() Tags 970785689564149183440050; 10.0; VOLUME

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  AMT: DoISOTagging() Product Version 10; 0

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  AMT: AMT: Product License PreValidated.

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  AMT: Prevalidate indicates license is good and no UI required.

2017-10-30 11:43:10 [1696]  performance: PreValidate thread took 44.985409 ms

2017-10-30 11:44:24 [1696]  PCDService: No value for key [AdobeUpdaterCodeV2] in hive [{AC76BA86-1033-F400-7760-000000000005}] in master.

2017-10-30 11:44:24 [1696]  PCDService: No value for key [AdobeUpdaterCodeV2] in hive [{AC76BA86-1033-F400-7760-000000000005}] in master.

2017-10-30 11:44:24 [1696]  PCDService: No value for key [Updates] in hive [{AC76BA86-1033-F400-7760-000000000005}] in master.

2017-10-30 11:44:24 [1696]  PCDService: No value for key [Updates] in hive [{AC76BA86-1033-F400-7760-000000000005}] in master.

2017-10-30 11:44:24 [1696]  AUMService: config: No AdobeUpdaterCode found in configuration; AUM will be disabled.

2017-10-30 11:44:24 [1696]  ServiceLoader: looking for library C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Acrobat 10.0\Acrobat\updaternotifications.dll

2017-10-30 11:44:24 [1696]  ServiceLoader: looking for library C:\Windows\system32\updaternotifications.dll

2017-10-30 11:44:24 [1696]  ServiceLoader: Failed to find updaternotifications.dll

2017-10-30 11:44:24 [1696]  ALMService: Terminating

2017-10-30 11:44:24 [1696]  SLCoreService: Shutting down SLCore 1.5 Release (build 1.5.21.224873).

2017-10-30 11:44:24 [1696]  SLCoreService: Service destruction took 0.9 ms and succeed.

2017-10-30 11:44:24 [1696]  ALM: _info_: End ALM

2017-10-30 11:44:24 [1696]  performance: AMTReleaseProductLicense took 3.536109 ms

2017-10-30 11:44:24 [1696]  AMT: END SESSION.

[try67]

Are you aware that Acrobat X is not supported, and not compatible with Windows 10?

[prepressdm]

Yes, and Yes (mentioned in my post my understanding and thoughts on that).

We have quite a few on windows 7 that are not working as well.

over 10 installations all stop working (which have been working just find up to Friday the 27th) within 8 hours and more stop working throughout the day. I'm guessing the next time the program checks the license server it stops working.

This, and the 14+ installations at various other companies who have nothing to do with each other tell me it's a fairly obvious and with great probability that Adobe did something to their license server making these "non supported" programs cease function.

I've tried the uninstall, wipe with the removal tool as well as manually removing all pieces I can find and it doesn't work.

If I go to safe mode, (the one pc I'm troubleshooting) seems to work. So does it not run something during safemode? Does it not check for licensing or something else?

[dsokal]

Hello PrePressDM,

I agree that it appears as if something is being done intentionally. My theory is that when you are connected to the internet, Adobe uses its connection with your workstation to cause its product to crash. I wonder if this is a violation of their license agreement, privacy laws, consumer protection regulations, etc? I don't plan to sue Adobe in order to find out if they are playing games. Too much effort. However, I hope they pay attention to this forum and understand that their customers are not fully convinced of their commitment to serving our needs.

[billg17257765]

I am having the same problem.  Today Acrobat XI pro is not working and crashes upon opening.   I un-installed and used the cleaner tool and also rename the directories I read about in other file.  Have reinstalled and it is still not working

[dsokal]

Is it possible that Adobe is intentionally causing its own product to crash? I have been able to use Acrobat X Pro, purchased with a verified license as part of Adobe Creative Suite 6 Design & Web Premium since March 2013. I believe it started to have problems, including not opening altogether, or opening and then suddenly closing after several seconds, after I upgraded to Windows 10 from 7 in January of 2019. Since I also had a CC subscription (I continue to use CS6 because it works much better on my equipment), I upgraded to the latest version of Adobe DC. When my subscription ran out in November, I attempted to repair Acrobat X Pro. At this point it would only open for about 10 to 20 seconds and then suddenly close after an error would appear: "Adobe Acrobat has stopped working. A problem caused the program to stop working correctly. Windows will close the program and notify you if a solution is available." I spent half of yesterday working with Adobe technicians via chat, who directed me to reinstall CS6 using files downloaded from Adobe servers. The first technician directed me to these links:

http://trials.adobe.com/AdobeProducts/legacy/99CABBAC-C975-4A06-8D99-064C6871EE80/DSST/CS6/win32/Des...

http://trials.adobe.com/AdobeProducts/legacy/99CABBAC-C975-4A06-8D99-064C6871EE80/DSST/CS6/win32/Des...

The result of reinstalling CS6 from these files was a failure. Acrobat X continued to behave exactly the same as with the previous installation.

The second technician directed me to these files:

http://trials.adobe.com/AdobeProducts/legacy/99CABBAC-C975-4A06-8D99-064C6871EE80/DSST/CS6/win32/Des...

http://trials.adobe.com/AdobeProducts/legacy/99CABBAC-C975-4A06-8D99-064C6871EE80/DSST/CS6/win32/Des...

The result was exactly the same as with the first files downloaded.

The third technician told me that since the above attempts were unsuccessful, my only option was to purchase the subscription for $15/month. If I use this prodcut for another 20 years, this will cost me $3600 dollars. I don't see the value, do you?

To test my theory that Adobe was intentionally crashing their own product, I disconnected from the internet. Acrobat X Pro worked fine! While it is possible that this error is an unintentional consequence of an incompatibility in the original design of Acrobat X Pro with Windows 10, that is only triggered when Windows is connected to the internet, I am skeptical of this explanation … what do you think?

If you are still using Acrobat X Pro under Windows 7, have you had this problem? Judging by the comments above, made in October of 2017, it appears to me that this "bug" has been experienced with earlier versions of Windows as well. It could be that Windows 7 made an update in October of 2017 that caused the program to crash?

Anyway, I understand that Acrobat X is no longer supported, and appreciate the support that I was given yesterday, but I am curious given the nature of this problem. Let me know if you have had similar experiences. While Adobe provides excellents products, I have questions about their methods of driving users to upgrade to much more costly versions of their software. This is not a problem with Adobe alone, but more or less universal given that nearly all tech companies have moved to the subscription model.