activate adobe acrobat 8 standard [Acrobat 8 is dead]

When transfering my Acrobat 8 standard to a new computer, I thought I had solved the periodic reactivation nagging I used to get from my old installation by following (to the letter) the Adobe instructions re obtaining a new serial number and installing a version (that would not require activation) from the designated alternative server.  However, three weeks after doing this, I got messages on opening Acrobat that my grace period had ended, and that to continue using it I needed to get an e-licence from a link that no longer appears to be operative.

So I thought that the solution offered in thread 2385900 would do the trick, and after uninstalling Acrobat I also deleted ...\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Adobe\Adobe PCD before redownloading the installation file.  But unlike the CS3 experience described in the thread, I got no mid-download request to point to a missing AdobePCD.dll file.  And after seemingly installing Acrobat 8 successfully, when I open it I get an error message "A serious error has been detected and Adobe EPIC_APP cannot continue.  Please reinstall the application and try again."

Does anyone have any advice for resolving this?  I do also have Reader DC on my computer, and I'm wondering whether I also need to uninstall that before deleting the ...\Adobe PCD directory for the procedure described in the thread for CS3 to work for my Acrobat 8 installation.