When I download and run the Adobe Acrobat Reader installer, it installs Adobe Acrobat instead

Question

When I download and run the Adobe Acrobat Reader installer, it ends up installing Adobe Acrobat and forces me to either start a free trial or buy a subscription. I only want Reader. I've tried uninstalling & reinstalling a few times with no luck. I've also tried contacting my school IT and they couldn't figure it out. Looking for help.

creative explorer · Answer

@said_4718 By any chance did you have Adobe Acrobat installed previously? If so, that's likely it. Even after uninstalling, old Adobe files, registry entries, or license tokens can remain, tricking the new installer into thinking it needs to complete a previous (Acrobat Pro) installation or reactivate a trial. I would download Adobe Cleaner Tool, run this tool after you have uninstalled both Acrobat and Reader via the standard Windows/macOS control panel/settings. This will aggressively scrub your system of all lingering Adobe PDF-related files, ensuring a truly clean slate. Make sure you delete the trash to fully remove any past and old Acrobat files. Then go Adobe, and download a fresh install,
https://get.adobe.com/ca/reader/otherversions

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