Acrobat X

[rmtj86902186]

I've used Adobe Acrobat for over a decade.  My current perpetual license is for Adobe Acrobat Pro V10.

Last week, when opening the app, a panel appears which tells me I'm using a trial version.

I get Adobe's subscription model.  I'm on CC Desktop for Ps and other apps.  This includes Acrobat DC.

I DO NOT WANT ACROBAT DC.

With apologies to MTV, I want my Adobe Acrobat Pro V10.  It chugs along, distills and delivers.  Trad is rad.

I've gone through two iterations of the "help" desk experience, both of which have passed me along to "Sales" who want me to subscribe to DC.

Not very responsive, Adobe.

[try67]

What's your OS version?

[rmtj86902186]

Thanks <try67>

OS: MS Win 10 Pro, 64-bit operating system, x64-based processor

Version 10.0.19042 Build 19042

[try67]

Acrobat X is not compatible with Windows 10, so problems are to be expected, I'm afraid.

Do you know what exact version you have? Try updating it to the latest available (10.1.16), and then run it in Compatibility Mode with an earlier OS (like Windows 7). You can also try a Repair Installation, but that's about it.

Updates are available here: ftp://ftp.adobe.com/pub/adobe/acrobat/win/10.x/

[rmtj86902186]

Thanks again <try67> for your quick response.  This community is really "on it!".

My Acrobat X is Version: 10.1.16.13

I'll try your suggestion and run it in Compatibility Mode w/ Win 7.  Will also check the ftp you reference. 

So I guess Adobe's "Perpetual License" is really a work of fiction.  No commitment to keep up with Redmond's upgrades.  Many of us don't want to get any further on the "subscriber model" treadmill ... price escalations are beyond our control unless we can pass them along to our clients who pass them along to their customers. Inflation's "under control". Wink. Wink.

[JR Boulay]

First, you must be sure to use the latest version.
Acrobat X latest version is 10.1.16

You can download updaters here:
https://supportdownloads.adobe.com/product.jsp?product=1&platform=Windows

[rmtj86902186]

Thanks JR.  I"m on Version: 10.1.16.13, so will go with the suggestion proposed by <try67>.

Enjoy your weekend, stay safe and be well!

[Dov Isaacs]

A few comments here …

(1)    No one from Adobe has ever said that “Acrobat X is not compatible with Windows 10.” That is the personal statement of  @try67 and not any official position of Adobe.

(2)    Acrobat 10 was released in November 2010 with support for same ending in November 2015. Officially, Acrobat 10 supported Windows XP, Vista, and 7. I believe it also was tested with Windows 8 for the last update of Acrobat 10. Acrobat 10 was compatible with Office 2007, 2010, and 2013 in terms of the PDFMaker integration.

(3)    There are many users of Acrobat 10 who are continuing to successfully run that software under various flavours of Windows 10 assuming that they are not expecting Acrobat's extentions that create PDF in conjunction with Microsoft Office beyond Office 2013 to work. What is true is that Adobe has not tested Acrobat 10 with Windows 10 or any versions of Microsoft Office beyone Office 2013 and never officially claimed support for such environments. Not supporting is not the same as incompatible. You may need to install or run Acrobat 10 in Windows 7 compatibility mode to be successful. But simply stated, Adobe does not support such installation and operation.

(4)    In terms of the statement:

So I guess Adobe's "Perpetual License" is really a work of fiction.  No commitment to keep up with Redmond's upgrades. 

This represents a total misconception of terms of  what a “perpetual license” is. What a software application perpetual license provides to you is the right to use the software you licensed in an environment (including operating system version, processor support, peripherals, networking environments, etc.) that was supported at the time the application software was released and supported. Once that environment changes in an incompatible manner and we are beyond the period of time that support is provided (in the case of Acrobat 10, a full five years), you can expect that some issues may arise.

Yes, Adobe does keep up with Redmond's (incompatible) updates as well as the even more dramatic incompatible changes made by Cupertino to their operating system. Many of these updates/changes require major rewrites of segments of applications and support libraries that actually make the newer application versions incompatible with older operating system versions. Regrettably, there is no win-win here! (Many years back, operating system developers, and I was one of those, had a stringient rule that new OS versions must be able to run older applications without any incompatibilities – that is unfortunately not the case today!)

(5)    You indicated that you're on CC Desktop for Ps and other apps.  This includes Acrobat DC. I suspect that this is the source of the problem in terms of Acrobat 10 coming up with the licensing message. As part of the installation of the Adobe Creative Cloud, did you install Acrobat DC? If so, that may be the source of the problem. You really can't have two versions of Acrobat simultaneously installed on a single system.

(6)    The Adobe Customer Support folks should never have sent you to any sales representatives, if only because if you are already subscribed to the full Adobe Creative Cloud, it already includes Document Cloud (i.e., Acrobat DC) and there is nothing that they could have legitimately sold you. If you ever get an experience like that, ask for a support supervisor and keep on escalating until you get someone who knows which end is up. The problem you are experiencing would appear to be a conflict between the licensing you had in place for an installed copy of Acrobat 10 and new licensing for Creative Cloud, especially if you let the Creative Cloud desktop application install Acrobat Pro DC.

My recommendation would be to call Adobe Customer Support again and immediately request a supervisor. Make sure you always get a case number and the name of whoever is (not) helping you. That will help us send out the “bad apples” for regrooving at Gulag Adobe.

[try67]

1) Wow, just wow... Although I don't work for or speak for Adobe, no, it is not my "personal statement". It's Adobe's, as can be found on the System Requirements page for Acrobat X, where Windows 10 is not mentioned as a compatible OS, nor is it in any subsequent update release: https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/system-requirements-old-versions.html#main__Adobe_Acrobat_X_Standard...

And here's an example (just one) of a reply from a (now former, but at the time current) Adobe employee, saying the same thing: https://community.adobe.com/t5/acrobat/is-acrobat-x-standard-compatible-with-windows-10/td-p/7716799...

I could probably find dozens, if not hundreds, more such replies if I wanted to. Were they all wrong?

Maybe if Adobe's own "official" customer service people knew what they were talking about your clients wouldn't need to come for answers from us "unofficial" people here at the forums...

[Dov Isaacs]

The fact that an operating system version is not listed in the published system requirements is absolutely not the same thing as officially claiming that it is incompatible and either won't install, work completely, and/or work at all. All it means is that we haven't tested with it and won't supply official support for that environment. The differences may be somewhat subtle, but are very real.

Actually, @AadeshSingh was a contractor in Adobe Support who while trying to be helpful, didn't quite get it right and unfortunately, none of us caught that response (very regrettably, neither I nor other Adobe employees who might be more authoritative can't monitor every single message and response here).

I would absolutely violently agree with you that Adobe's “official” support folks need to be much better educated in a number of areas including what is a minimal system requirement (which is what you cited), what is supported and has been tested, and what might work but is not officially supported by Adobe. (Pleeeeeze, don't get me started on this; it aggravates me tremendously).

All that being said, your support here is tremendously appreciated!

[try67]

I never claimed it "won't install, work completely, and/or work at all", just that it's incompatible (which is what I understand it to mean by the fact that it's not included in the SR). In fact, I often explain to people that the fact it's incompatible doesn't mean it won't work, just that it's not tested and therefore all kinds of strange things can happen ("problems are to be expected"). I think my reply was correct in that regard.

Either way, Adobe needs to improve the way it communicates such information to its clients.

[Dov Isaacs]

OK, our meanings of “incompatible” were obviously not compatible with each other. 😉 

At least we now understand each other.

[rmtj86902186]

Dear Dr. Isaacs,

Thank you for your recent thoughtful and thoroughly detailed note.  As Adobe’s Principal Scientist, it’s a privilege to hear from you again (we first (and last) spoke briefly way back in July 2017 when I apologized for reaching out to you directly over the heads of the Customer Service folks).

I’ve been delighted with the performance of Acrobat X Pro – until, as  you surmised, the Win 10 “update” about two weeks ago.  That’s when my system flatlined.  I then had to wipe the drive and restore everything at a cost of over a ten Ben’s.  I’m certain that if I ever got around to reading the Service Agreements/Licenses, I’d find a clever legalese that qualifies the marketing term “perpetual” to be heavily conditional on all sorts of externalities over which the end user has no control.

So yes, I agree when you say: “Regrettably, there is no win-win here!”

FYI, though I’ve have not installed Acrobat DC, I’m constantly urged to do so by the Creative Cloud service through which it's available "for free".

So, just for a perverse bit of fun, I’m going to pass on "free" and continue to run the durable Acrobat X Pro.  I will be interesting to see what happens when my “Trial” expires in eleven days!  May just have to "restart" the "trial".

Stay safe and be well!