Reader won't install with Acrobat already installed

Forum|Forum|7 months ago
August 26, 2025
1 reply
201 views

I have Adobe Acrobat installed on my computer. I also wan to have Adobe Reader on the computer.. However, Reader install fails because Acrobat is installed. (says more functional app found, installation terminated)

creative explorer

Community Expert

@lambo48 that's correct! it's normal for Adobe Reader's installation to fail when Adobe Acrobat is already on your computer. Adobe Acrobat is the professional, more functional version and includes all the features of Reader, which is why the installer stops. There's no need to have both.

m

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lambo48Author

Participant

I agree that Acrobat is more functional. However, I have two computers. When running Acrobat on one, I sometimes use Reader on the other to quickly read a reference work. I can effectively use both.

Jerry Lamb
[Personal information removed by Adobe Employee and Moderator]

AnandSri

Legend

Hello @lambo48

I hope you are doing well, and thanks for reaching out.

In addition to what our community product expert has already shared, Adobe now uses a Unified Installer for Acrobat and Reader (especially in 64-bit environments), which means:

Reader and Acrobat are bundled into one application.
If Acrobat Pro is installed, the system assumes Reader functionality is already included.
Attempting to install Reader separately will fail unless you're using a 32-bit version or a non-unified package. See this article for more information: https://adobe.ly/3UL1vUH

You can simulate Reader behavior inside Acrobat by signing out of your Adobe account:

Open Acrobat Pro.
Go to Help > Sign Out.
Acrobat will switch to Reader mode, allowing you to view PDFs without editing features.

This is useful if you want a lightweight experience without uninstalling Acrobat.

Use Reader on a Separate Device. Since you mentioned using Reader on a second computer for quick reference, this is the best approach. Install Reader on that device using the direct link: https://adobe.ly/47d9QId

I hope this helps.

Thanks,
Anand Sri | Acrobat Community Team
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