Adobe Acrobat & Reader Name Consistency for Software Deployments

Report · Oct 13, 2022

Hello all,

I work in a IT department at a non-profit organization. Ever since V22.003.20258 and the removal of DC, the software deployment application my IT department use cannot distinguish Adobe Acrobat Pro (64bit) and Adobe Acrobat Reader (64bit) because both Adobe product appears to be using the same alias in control panel under Programs and Features. As a result, the software deployment tool captures only the alias that is stored on the computers. To actually be sure, I installed it on two different computers where one of them has Adobe Acrobat Pro and the other Adobe Acrobat Reader. After both are installed, I noticed in control panel where it displays all the application names, both computers have it display as "Adobe Acrobat (64-bit)" as if it is an alias. The alias don't appear to be consistent with the actual name of the adobe software when it is opened. Is this something that can be resolve from Adobe's end? Attached are screenshots of computer #1 and #2 if you want to get a much better understanding of what's going on with the names.

Report · Oct 13, 2022

It's the same application now. It switched from the Reader version to the Acrobat version if you have a valid subscription to the latter. Otherwise it defaults to be the free Reader.

Report · Oct 14, 2022

So how can I switch to the free Reader version from the Acrobat Pro version because if I sign out from my Adobe account on the Acrobat Pro version it keeps prompting me to log in?

Report · Oct 14, 2022

As you can see on the screenshot. Computer #2 has the free version and it doesn't prompt to sign in. But on computer #1 it uses the Pro version. But if I sign out from it, it'll keep prompting to log in. If I exit out from it, it'll close out the application.

Report · Oct 21, 2022

1st of all, apologizes for my English.

Hi, I realized that this is happening, and it was also an issue for my work... Anyway, what I have find out, it's that the Software ID is different for each product.

If you login inside Reader, you'll be prompted to "update the features" (which will install the Pro software), but you are supose to use the reader in a normal way. With the Pro software, if you don't login, what I wait from the software is to force me to login, which is what you are showing in the screenshots.

The IMPORTANT thing: If you are looking for the name using WMIC, try to avoid that, there're several advises from microsoft saying that it's NOT recommended to use that class (which uses Win32_Product). This causes the PC to perform a consintency check in EVERY software installed within windows installer. And, of course, if any of them not pass the consitent check, it will perform a repair configuration. All this on the background. Info: https://xkln.net/blog/please-stop-using-win32product-to-find-installed-software-alternatives-inside/

So, the proper way to do that would be check the registry, to see the Installed Programs that are shown in Control Panel/Settings. Then, if you get the key related to "Adobe Acrobat (64-bit)", check the UninstallString value, and you'll see the "Product Code":

"Reader" Product Code starts with: AC76BA86-7AD7-1033

"Pro" Product Code starts with: AC76BA86-1033-FFFF

At least in the versions that are no so old...

I hope this helps!