Description of the issue

When you start Adobe Acrobat 8 Professional or Standard, you receive the error message A serious error has been detected and Adobe Acrobat 8 Professional [or Standard] cannot continue. Please reinstall the application and try again.  

Reason

When you launch, Acrobat verifies whether the app is already activated. If Acrobat fails to detect that the activation occurred, it displays an error message prompting you to reinstall the app. A common reason for the issue is that a corrupt AdobeConfig.xml file exists on your system.

Solution

To resolve the issue, perform the following steps in the order they are listed:

Verify the AdobeConfig.xml file

1. Close the Acrobat app.
2. Navigate to C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 8.0\Acrobat\alm_config_files.
3. Verify whether the name of the configuration file (AdobeConfig.xml) is correct.

 If the name of the configuration file is correct and the issue persists, do one of the following:

Remove and reinstall Acrobat (retail license users)

1. Remove Acrobat using the using the Control Panel (Windows XP) or the Programs and Features Control Panel (Windows Vista).
2. Restart the system.
3. Reinstall Acrobat.

Replace the AdobeConfig.xml file (volume license users)

1. Contact Adobe Customer Care for replacement media or copy the AdobeConfig.xml file from your physical media.
2. Make sure Acrobat is not open.
3. Place the new AdobeConfig.xml file in the alm_config_files folder.
4. Try launching Acrobat.