6 Replies Latest reply: Sep 13, 2014 7:57 PM by Bill@VT RSS

    Adobe Acrobat 9.0 Pro crashes at start up: Runtime Error—please help

    carl_hart Community Member

      I have Adobe CS4 installed on my Windows 7 PC. In addition, I have Adobe Reader XI and InDesign 6 installed. If I remember correctly, after I installed Adobe Reader XI, I uninstalled the version of the Reader which came with CS4.

       

      So here’s my problem: When I try to download a PDF that has been sent to me in an email or open one that already exists on my computer, this happens:

       

      Runtime Error!

      Program: C…

      The application has requested the Runtime to terminate it in an unusual way.

       

      When I click OK, I get this:

       

      Adobe Acrobat 9.0 has stopped working.

       

      If I try to Adobe Acrobat 9.0 Pro from my start menu, the same thing happens.

       

      This makes no sense to me because

      1. I don’t have the knowledge to figure this out. I have no idea what Runtime is.
      2. Prior to a computer meltdown a couple of months ago and a complete reinstallation of everything, these very same programs all worked just fine.
      3. I don’t understand why, when I try to open an emailed PDF, they don’t automatically open in Adobe Reader XI rather than Adobe Acrobat. Isn’t the general idea that people be able to open and view sent PDFs which they have been sent, which is what the Reader is for, and not usually edit them, which is what Adobe Acrobat is for?
      4. If, instead of trying to open the emailed PDFs, I save them to my computer, I can launch Adobe Reader XI and open them from within that program without any problem. That’s OK if I just need to view the PDF, but I need to be able to edit PDFs too, so I must get Adobe Acrobat 9.0 to work.

       

      Would reinstalling Adobe Acrobat 9.0 Pro help? Is there a way to reinstall that program only from the installation disks or would have to reinstall CS4 entirely?

       

      I cannot open Adobe Acrobat 9.0 at all, so any solutions which must be done with the program open are not possible.

       

      I would really appreciate some help.

        • 1. Re: Adobe Acrobat 9.0 Pro crashes at start up: Runtime Error—please help
          Bill@VT CommunityMVP

          Try going to Start>Control Panel>Programs & Features. Select Acrobat 9 and run a repair. If it opens after that, go to Help>Updates to be sure you are current. It may be some MS programs did not get installed correctly when you reinstalled. Did you do the OS updates after the reinstall?

           

          As far as Reader opening, you have to tell Windows to use reader and not Acrobat. You should be able to do this by selecting any PDF in Explorer and right clicking to get Open With. Then select Reader and be sure the always use this program check box has been selected.

          • 2. Re: Adobe Acrobat 9.0 Pro crashes at start up: Runtime Error—please help
            carl_hart Community Member

            Thanks for answering. There is no individual listing in Programs & Features for Adobe Acrobat 9.0 Pro or any of the other CS4 program--only one for Adobe Creative Suite 4 Design Premium, and there is no "repair" option for that. Yes, I'm up-to-date with all updates. Everything works fine (except, of course, Windows Explorer and Internet Explore crash all the time just as they did before I reinstalled everything). I can't say I use the other CS4 programs, but Photoshop from CS4 works fine as does InDesign 6.

            • 3. Re: Adobe Acrobat 9.0 Pro crashes at start up: Runtime Error—please help
              carl_hart Community Member

              It turns out that in the split second between Acrobat 9.0 Pro opening and the appearance of the runtime error message and the program crash that comes with it, it's possible to click on Help>Repair Acrobat Installation. I did that, and after the repair was finished exactly the same thing happens. So much for repairing. What next? Do I have to pay for a newer version of Acrobat? I don't feel that I should have to. The one I have should work as it did before.

              • 4. Re: Adobe Acrobat 9.0 Pro crashes at start up: Runtime Error—please help
                carl_hart Community Member

                Apparently this problem is one of the great mysteries of mankind. No one at Adobe and no participant in this forum seems to have a clue. What I see elsewhere on the internet is either useless or very technical and way over my head, and even then, it doesn't seem to describe real solutions but convoluted workarounds.

                 

                Acrobat 9.0 Pro should work on a Windows 7 computer. It used to work on mine until a couple of months ago when I had to wipeout my computer and reinstall everything. All my other Adobe software is working fine, including Acrobat Reader XI. If this problem really is insoluble, can anyone tell me if reinstalling the entire CS4 suite might work? I have no individual Acrobat 9.0 Pro entry in Programs and Features--only one for Adobe CS4 Design Premium.

                 

                If I have to pay money, which I shouldn't have to, to buy the latest version of Acrobat, can I be sure it will work?

                 

                Does ANYONE have a clue?

                • 5. Re: Adobe Acrobat 9.0 Pro crashes at start up: Runtime Error—please help
                  carl_hart Community Member

                  SOLVED!

                   

                  Resetting Internet Explorer didn't work, Reinstalling Acrobat 9.0 Pro didn't work, but changing a registry key did.

                   

                  Here's where I found the solution:

                   

                  Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime Library error opening PDF files - Microsoft Community

                   

                  Here is the relevant post, but before you try it, read my note below:

                   

                  Hi,

                  This is known issue with Acrobat for several versions now, Adobe's current fix is just to update their software: http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/404/kb404597.html

                  The problem is with the application data being misdirected.

                  "The affected user has a redirected Application Data folder and as a result the network path containing the Application Data uses a UNC path that begins with \\. This UNC path causes Acrobat 9.0 or Adobe Reader 9.0 to incorrectly parse the Application Data path and give the error message."

                  A potential Solution would be to go into the registry. Left Click type "regedit" and right click and run the program with "run as administrator". Go to Hkey_Current_User\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Current Version\Explorer\User Shell Folders and make sure see where "AppData" is pointing. If it is pointing to "%UserProfile%/Application Data" change it to point to "%UserProfile%/AppData/Roaming".

                   

                  BUT, be careful about one thing: This poster seems to have accidentally used forward slashes when he should have use back slashes. Look at the very last line of his post where he advises "If it is pointing to "%UserProfile%/Application Data" change it to point to "%UserProfile%/AppData/Roaming". You'll find, or at least I did, that this key has a back slash, not a forward slash, so changing what I found: "%UserProfile%\Application Data" to "%UserProfile%\AppData\Roaming" worked and now Acrobat 9.0 works fine.

                  • 6. Re: Adobe Acrobat 9.0 Pro crashes at start up: Runtime Error—please help
                    Bill@VT CommunityMVP

                    Thanks for letting know what worked for you.