Acrobate Pro XI Stops Working Windows 8.1

There is no such thing as “lifetime support” for Acrobat Pro 2017. It is a perpetual license but that does not mean support beyond two releases out, typically no more than about five years at most from when the software was initially released. I am very sorry if anyone from Adobe misled you by using the words “lifetime support” or implied same. It simply is not true!

In terms of software support, I know of absolutely no software issued by any company that includes “lifetime support” whatever that even means. In recent times, the underlying operating systems and device drivers have changed so much that major changes and in some cases re-architecting of software products are necessary for a product to continue to work. You wouldn't expect your automobile manufacturer to have given you a free new engine for your 1950's car when laws in the 1980's eliminated leaded gasoline or for your television manufacturer to give you a free update to support the new digital television standards when the old analog standards were abandoned, would you. The same is true for software.

Although Adobe still does provide perpetual licenses (with time-limited support) on some of the software products, including Acrobat Pro, most Adobe products are moving to a subscription basis (monthly payments) where updates are provided on a regular basis to accommodate OS and other changes as they occur with ongoing support as long as your subscription in active.