SERIOUS ADOBE ACROBAT PROFESSIONAL 8 ERROR

Hello everyone

I just thought I'd say that I can't believe how big this thread has got. I'd never started a thread before... when I started it, I thought it was just my computer playing up. How wrong I was.

Phil Stewart

For those of you keeping track, I have been having a persistent problem with Acrobat 8 installed on a recent vintage Dell, Windows Vista Ultimate laptop since May. The problem is that it hangs a couple of seconds after the program starts (both by starting the Acrobat executable directly and by opening a PDF document). This was not installed over version 7 (it was a new laptop). It worked for a few months, then the problem suddenly appeared (not incidental to any install or traumatic computer event--I wasn't using the laptop for a couple of weeks other than to check email).

I have tried numerous suggestions from Adobe Support, Dell, and found on the internet. A couple or three weeks ago I made a clean install of Vista, updated, then made a clean install of Acrobat 8 updated to 8.1, and had the same problem, so I inferred that a windows update caused the problem. I have always followed the instructions given by Adobe and elsewhere for fixing freezes (UAC on, administrator access, delete update folders, etc)., and have even gone so far as to manually delete all adobe-related subdirectories and registry entries in an attempt to make the next install work.

After reading recent posts in this forum, I disabled DEP, and still had the problem. WIth DEP disabled, I also uninstalled all Adobe Software, followed the instructions from Adobe for fixing freezes, and reinstalled, checked to see if it still froze (it did), then reinstalled the 8.1 update; and it still freezes at the same point. What I have NOT tried is a clean install of Vista followed by a clean install of Acrobat and the 8.1 update WITHOUT windows updates (someone else is trying that). And, in any case, running Windows Vista without DEP and un-updated on a computer connected to the internet is not, in my opinion, a good idea.

So, at least for my part, disabling DEP did not help.

Tembowa, thanks for the link. I disabled DEP with "bcdedit /set nx AlwaysOff", but it did not fix the problem (hanging up a couple of seconds after program start). However, as I stated in my previous post, after weeks of problems with version 8/8.1, I quit using it and reloaded version 7 (which does everything but print in Vista), and I have read (here) that version 7 does odd things to the registry that can cause problems with version 8/8.1, so I am going to uninstall 7 and 8, then reinstall 8, be sure DEP is disabled, and report back.

Thanks for your help there, Marc. I think you're right and that keeping all of this together for the moment is the best idea.

I look forward to hearing what Adobe will contribute!

Ken -
Yesterday I spoke with Kevin Lynch, Adobe's V.P. of Product Management for Acrobat, and made him aware of this thread. He promised to have a senior member of his engineering staff monitor this thread and (presumably) contribute.

I suggest that we not splinter this thread until Adobe has had a chance to review it and assess the global nature of these problems. It appears that Adobe is unable to monitor all threads and splintering could delay any resolution.

Has this thread become too large? There are so many different problems being described that it is become nearly impossible to follow them. I suggest that people who have posted to this thread reopen their problems in separate threads that clearly identify them.

Ken Friedman

You know, as much as I would love to be able to use Acrobat 8.1 again, and as easily as I could jump into bcdedit and "fix" the problem by turning off DEP...I won't do it. Nor will I accept it as an "alternative" to the issue at hand.

If turning DEP off has worked pretty much across the board, then that must give Adobe a clue as to what's going on. Hello! Where's a new patch Adobe? How about 8.2, hmm??

Charles007,

Look here under "nx" :

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/EN-US/library/aa906211.aspx

~T

Rpatel and Marc, would you let me know how to disable DEP. I am using Vista Ultimate, but my two choices are to enable DEP for essential windows programs or enable for all programs other than those listed. I tried the latter, but when I try to add acrobat.exe, I get a message that is must have DEP running and DEP cannot be disabled as to that program. I was able to list acrotray and acrodist, but it made no difference (still hangs on startup). I also checked Services for a way to completely disable DEP aqnd I don't see it. Am I missing something?

I'd like to retract my previous post - my installation of 8.1 just conked out on me this morning. My apologies for posting my "success" so quickly before stress testing.