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Question

Difficulty Installing Acrobat 8

Forum|Forum|2 years ago
May 30, 2023
3 replies
7769 views

I just replaced a dead Windows 10 computer with a Windows 11 vrsion. Windows 11 will not allow me to isntall my Acrobat 8 program without accessing a file from a Vistw OS. I have neve had a Vista OS. HOw do I install on my computer?

Install update and subscribe to Acrobat

L

Larry385561391viv

Participant

Here's what I did. Get the 64 bit AdobePDF.dll from the data.cab file (it'll be called AdobePDF.dll_64, delete the _64 part of the name). Install 8 as administrator, when it asks for the .dll, use the 64 bit one. Don't try to run it yet. Install the 8.1 patch. Set 8 to run in Windows 7 compatibility mode, then set to run as administrator. Run it and enter the activation code (I had this from a previous phone activation, I don't know if Adobe can still do this). It'll run fine now. You can remove the "run as administrator" setting at this point.

L

Larry385561391viv

Participant

You don't have to install the 8.1 patch, I had it running before I did that. I installed it as it fixed something I use that was broken in the 8.0 release, although I don't remember what that was at this point. I just install the 8.1 patch and know all is good. 🙂

try67

Community Expert

The Acrobat 8 activation servers have been discontinued a while ago. You can no longer activate and use it, I'm afraid.

M

Mark30165077k8t9Author

Participating Frequently

That is disappointing. What is a good option now that I will boycott Adobe for this planned obsolence? I tend to vote with my dollars against compaies who mistreat thier loyal clientele.

Karl Heinz Kremer

Community Expert

There are two issues here: Acrobat 8 and Windows 11 and the shutting down of the license server. For the first issue, you can hardly blame Adobe. Use an older version of Windows and Acrobat 8 will run just fine. One way to do that is to run a virtual macine with e.g. Windows 7 on top of your Windows 11. That will work.

The second issue should not be an issue: Adobe released an updated installer that would work without the need to contact the obsolete license server. I cannot find any information on Adobe's site anymore, but you should be able to contact Adobe's support and as long as you can show proof that you have a valid license, they should be able to help you out.

Karl Heinz Kremer

Community Expert

There is a good chance that Acrobat 8 is too old to run on Windows 11. Support for Acrobat 8 ended in November 2011. That was long before Windows 11 came out. I had to stop using Acrobat 9 because I could no longer run it on any modern operating system.

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Mark30165077k8t9Author

Participating Frequently

If Adobe has abused its clients, like us, what do you use as a pdf editor? Given the fact that Adobe killed a program I have loved for years, I will no longer use Adobe.

jane-e

Community Expert

@Mark30165077k8t9

Acrobat 8 was released 17 years ago, reached end of life 12 years ago, and has not gotten security updates since — leaving your system vulnerable. I'd say you got a good run out of it! If you do decide to continue with Adobe Acobat, there is a subscription model as well as a stand-alone model without updates. The latter is sometimes hard to find, so ask if you need help.

Jane

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