Acrobat Pro DC installer removing Reader DC

[w0rkb3nch]

I have several uers that require both Acrobat Pro DC for editing documents and Reader DC for viewing documents. Reader is required by antoher application that launches it by looking for AcroRd32.exe.

This seems to be a recent problem, but running the installer for Acrobat Pro DC removes an already existing install of Reader DC. Trying to run the installtion for Reader DC afterwards (to re-isntall it) fails every time.

Has anyone else encountered this problem and found a solution? I wonder if there is an installation option for Acrobat Pro DC that will prevent it from uninstallting Reader DC.

[Amal. · Accepted solution]

Hi there

Hope you are doing well and sorry for the trouble.

The 64-bit application is a unified application for Acrobat DC and Acrobat Reader DC. If you have installed Acrobat Reader DC 64-bit and you purchase an Acrobat DC subscription, the Acrobat Reader DC 64-bit application will upgrade to become a fully functional Acrobat DC 64-bit application.

For more information please check the help page https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/kb/about-acrobat-reader-dc-migration-to-64-bit.html

Regards

Amal

[w0rkb3nch]

I did not receive an option to install the 32-bit version of Acrobat Pro DC. The Adobe Creative Cloud application just selected what it wanted, I guess. If I can find a way to install it, can both 32-bit Acrobat Pro DC and 32-bit Reader DC exist together?

I'm not concerned about or interested in a unified application. I have a 3rd party application that is hard coded to look for the 32-bit version of Reader DC in the default installation path on a Windows system. 

[w0rkb3nch]

I think I found out what I need to do.

https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/kb/about-acrobat-reader-dc-migration-to-64-bit.html

[Melds]

Is there a way to install both anyhow? We set the default PDF view as Reader with protected mode on and decreased trust but leave some of those settings in Pro. After upgrading, our users' Acrobat Reader was uninstalled and the security settings reverted to a more permissive setting like we had with Pro. I found I can install the 32-bit version, but then it doesn't work right with 64-bit Office. Thanks.

[Amal.]

Hi there

There isn't much that we can do. Please check out the help page shared above and see if that works.

Regards

Amal

[Rob27404379ro9q]

Hey Amal, why don't you guys just silently remove all of the adobe products?

I suppose you use adobe for free! You have never anticipated problems with subscriptions and so forth!?

Well, guess what - problems exist regardless of yours/mine wishes.

Would be nice if this is included within the subscription as a separate product. WHo knows, you may need it.

[Bo28078736xy7j]

This is immensely frustrating. Once in a blue moon I need the functionality of DC on my remote PC. When I install DC on that machine, that then removes the Reader application automatically. When I get back to remote, after working at my main machine again, I'll have to remove DC completely in order to reinstall Reader simply to be able view a .pdf. Otherwise, i risk logging out my main machine, which can be working on other tasks (e.g. rendering).

Even when only working on one machine, this policy doesn’t make sense to me. Reader is a more lightweight application, so having both on the machine is simply sensible - you know "right tool for the job". There’re plenty of times where one would not wish to have multiple instances of DC running. Instances where Reader would be much preferable. Ofcause I can just have an offbrand Reader installed – but I shouldn’t have to. 

Behavior like this is hard to view as anything but anti-consumer. This simply induces friction to the process of getting 'out of’ Creative Cloud, as you cannot just have the free 1st party alternative at the ready - even though you not always need the full functionality of DC

[F. McLion]

Yup, installing a non-Adobe reader is the only way.

From my understanding ... one should not push a customer actively away to a different brand, specially not when the perfectly matching product is available ... isn't that basic marketing ?!?

[F. McLion]

This behavior is so boring. It definitely should be possible to have installed BOTH.

There are many reasons for it

[Micah Lindstrom]

Dang, this stinks! Just spent 2 hours with IT trying to figure out what's wrong, just to learn Adobe is silently removing this function. 

I get why Adobe wants to unify them by default, but there should be an option to override it so they're treated as two totally separate applications just like in 32-bit.