Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro Extended Activation key not working after 10 years

[jc1960]

I have the install file and activation key for Acrobat 9 Pro Extended that I have used for years, I just don't need more than the basics so I have not needed to upgrade.

So I recently installed on my Surface (Win10) and the key is not validating.

I have owned and used this same install and key for 10 years. Chat support was no use, they sent me here because it is an older product which they claim to no longer support.

Can someone help me understand why my code stopped working?

Thanks,

Jeff

[kglad]

assuming you're using a valid adobe serial number (6 groups of 4 numbers), you have a mismatch between your installation file and serial number.  ie, you can have a valid serial number, but if it's for program A and your installation file is for program B, you will see an invalid serial number message.

common mismatches are language/region (eg, serial number is for western europe and installation file is eastern europe), platform (eg, serial number is for a mac and installation file is win), license type (eg, education vs enterprise vs individual).

and one of the most common is using a program installation file with a suite's serial number. eg, using a cs6 suite serial number with a photoshop cs6 installation file.  that won't work even though photoshop is included in that suite.  you must use the suite's installation file (and you can choose to only install one program from the suite).

here's official info about that error,  http://helpx.adobe.com/creative-suite/kb/error-serial-number-valid-product.html

[marck40398973]

That is true. I had downloaded Acrobat 9 Pro, but my serial number didn't match. I called Adobe for assistance, they controlled my pc, and in the end the verdict was: "Look, it doesn't run on Windows 10 -- it's made for XP and Vista.". I claimed it was running perfectly fine on my Windows 8 machine but gave up.

Later I found a localized version of Acrobat 9 Pro on a backup harddrive and hey presto, my serial number worked! So be certain you have the correct language version to match your serial number!

[jc1960]

Thanks for the info peeps. I do have the exact same install file and code for the last 10 years, of that I am sure. They are in the same folder which I've had in my backup drive together. I always use the same install, then let updates occur from the original install once it's on the system.

I called support again and got a supervisor.

Apparently, someone recently registered the product online using my serial a year ago, but I could not get details because they said it had none of my details in the account. I asked what happened to my original registration from 10 years ago... magically, no record of it.

How very odd, that I could buy and use this software for almost ten years, yet someone else was able to obtain and register my serial a year ago.

A supervisor was supposed to call me back within 48 hours... 3 weeks later, still no call.

Looks like I'll be boycotting Adobe products and going with CutePDF or something... after all, if buying a product doesn't get you any support nor ensure you can use the product you purchased, why hand over money?

Thanks again for trying gang.

[try67]

I've informed the Adobe staff of this issue. Hopefully you will get better care soon...

[jc1960]

Thanks for trying @try67.

Unfortunately, it's been over a month since support told me they'd contact me within 48 business hours. As I suspected, they were more than willing to take my money and registration 10 years ago, but no loyalty since I haven't continually paid for upgrades. Sad, since I'm such a basic user and did not need anything past the Acrobat 9 ability to scan and mix documents into a single file.

Since Adobe has not seen fit to address my issue, my money and business are going elsewhere.

[xxibitibkx]

9/8/2017

Adobe

To Adobe:

I did not write any of the statements/e-mail in the materials sent to me today. It appears that a person named “Jeff” wrote most, if not all of the statements. Nothing contained in the materials I received appeared to be helpful to my situation. MY REQUEST: I WOULD LIKE AN ADOBE RPERESENTATIVE CONTACT ME DIRECTLY VIA E-MAIL, A CHAT, OR TELEPHONE CALL—A TELEPHONE CALL IS PREFERRED. Since a recent Adobe representative operating out of India appeared to have my complete Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro Extended record, including, it appeared, my e-mail address and my telephone number, please call me. As I have indicated recently to an Adobe representative, I am a licensed California attorney, who is seeking prompt assistance from Adobe, not a community forum, on my situation. My business relationship—my purchase of Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro Extended and the problems I am encountering—is with Adobe, not a community forum.

Thank you.

James Calkins

[Laubender]

Hi Jeff,

was the original install of your Acrobat Pro 9 part of a CS Suite?

If yes, which one?

FWIW: It should not affect you, but recently the activation servers on CS3 were deactivated:

Activation or connection error when starting CS3 or Acrobat 8

That should impact Acrobat Pro version 8 and should have no influence on version 9.

A wild guess: Maybe your version 9 was an upgrade to version 8 so you are indirectly are hit by this?

Unfortunately I cannot help further with this, because I'm on OS X. Have installed all versions of CS from CS3 to CS6 together with the first incarnation of CC on OS X 10.6.8 and all other versions of CC on OS X 10.11.6.

Best,
Uwe