AdobeGCClient.exe

[MIENGBarry]

I'm running Windows 7. After my computer startup this morning it gave me an error message.

AdobeGCClient.exe - System Error

The program can't start because MSVCP140dll is missing from your computer. Try reinstalling the program to fix this problem.

[itmaster68]

Ashish,

I'm a bit lost, what mechanism will do the updating?  the check updates feature?  I have this disabled so I can release updates via SCUP/SCCM?

[chuckw1960]

So how does this supposed fix get applied tomorrow

[Ashish_Mishra]

The affected component in question has got self update capabilities and it will pull the fix automatically.

-Ashish

[Joe Forest]

Ashish,

I went into Task Manager and disabled Adobe Updater Startup Utility- which stopped the error message on my Dell running Win. 8.1. I purchased Acrobat XI direct from Dell when I purchased it a few years ago, in case that's relevant. (I haven't tried using Acrobat since then so I don't the consequences)

Do I need to enable that service for the update/fix to work?

This isn't urgent and I don't care to try installing the Visual C++ 2015 Redistributable Package. I prefer to have Adobe fix this directly with an update to XI. Installing that VC package just might mess up my system.

If I do need to enable the Adobe Updater Startup Utility before the update/fix can be installed- it would be nice if Adobe leaves a message hear saying it's available- then I'll enable the Adobe Updater Startup Utility.

thanks,

Joe

[Mohd Amish]

Sorry about your problem itmaster68. I would like to understand how did you disable the Acrobat updates? Ideally if the updates are disabled correctly, this issue should not occur.

Please share the registry key/ setting which you have set to disable updates and also the Acrobat version installed on your machine so that we could reproduce it locally.

[itmaster68]

Hi,

I'm good now, the 3.7 version of gcclient is rolling back on affected users.  I used the Adobe customization wizard to disable checking for updates

Jp

[Mohd Amish]

Thanks itmaster68. We are trying to ascertain the fact that once the updates are disabled via Customization Wizard, then GCClient should not update by itself. So, we would like some more information from your end. Hope it doesn't bother you.

Please let us know the following:

1) Is Adobe Creative Cloud also installed on your machine?

2) What is the Acrobat version on your machine?

3) What is the value of the following key:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat\DC\FeatureLockDown]

"bUpdater"

4) Does "Check for Updates" in Acrobat Help Menu show up or not?

Thanks a lot for your help.

[itmaster68]

I'm sorry, I was mistaken, My currently deployed build does not remove the "Check Updates", the next build that's in testing now, will.

Thanks

[Carol Elkins]

The part of this that has me confused is that I should not have ANY updates to ANYTHING being pushed onto my system. I'm running Windows 7 64-bit and Framemaker 12. My OS is set to never allow Windows to update anything automatically. Obviously I'm not using Adobe CC so any auto-updates should not occur.

So 1) how did I receive the initial update that caused this problem; and 2) how did I receive the roll-back to the update that fixed the problem? What part of "no automatic updates to my system" is being bypassed here?

[Mohd Amish]

Hi celkins,

The context of the discussion with itmaster68 was wrt Acrobat updates disabled via Wizard.

Do you also have Acrobat installed on your machine? If yes, we will work for resolution of your issue else you have to follow it up in the relevant product forum. Thanks.

[Carol Elkins]

Hello Mohd,

Thank you for your response. There is no issue to be resolved here. I

am running Acrobat XI Pro. I was hoping that two questions would be

answered: 1) how did I receive the initial update that caused this

problem; and 2) how did I receive the roll-back to the update that

fixed the problem? What part of "no automatic updates to my system"

is being bypassed here?

In Acrobat, my setting for Edit>>Preferences>>Updater is

"Automatically download updates, but let me choose when to install

them." Thus there should not have been any automatic update in the

first place, nor an automatic roll-back of the update.

Thank you.

Carol

[Mohd Amish]

Hi Carol,

Thank you for the information.

Acrobat preference "Automatically download updates, but let me choose when to install them" is to manage Acrobat Updates.

However GCclient.exe is not Acrobat specific but common to all Adobe products hence could not be managed by the Acrobat preference setting.

To manage GCclient, one has to disable the updates either by Customization Wizard (http://supportdownloads.adobe.com/thankyou.jsp?ftpID=5515&fileID=5526)

or by setting the following key on the machine:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat\11.0\FeatureLockDown]

"bUpdater"=dword:00000000

I have sent you a direct message in case you have any further questions.

Thanks.

[lswoopes]

Good day. My OS is Windows 10 and I'm experiencing the same problem. This is a new machine and I performed a clean install of the OS approximately 2 months ago and the error message occurred recently. I already uninstalled and installed Microsoft Visual C++ 2015 Redistributable (x86). That did nothing. I do have a dump file for adobegcclient.exe which suggests a crash occurred involving the file. I'm using Adobe Acrobat Pro 2017.

[lswoopes]

Disregard my reply. The problem has been resolved.

[gfsdfasfsdfsdf]

Ashish,

It would be very helpful if you could shed some insight on this whole process.  As you can see many of us are in situations where hundreds of computers were suddenly affected we need to explain to management why this occurred and the best way to resolve the issue.  Installing VC++ 2015 on hundreds of computers is not a viable fix for enterprise environments.

As far as we can tell the issue was caused by the recent update to the Adobe GC Client to version 4.0.0.543  How does this client get updated?  Is it related to the Adobe Pro patch levels?  It would seem not since we are seeing clients from versions 11.17 to 11.20 affected.

What is this push that Adobe is doing to fix the issue?  Is it downgrading the Adobe GC Client back to version 3.7.0.466?  Is it updating it to an even newer version?  Or is it a modification to version 4.0.0.543 that doesn't require VC++ 2015?

I understand that the Adobe GC Client plays a part in preventing software piracy so Adobe probably doesn't want to give us an in-depth review of how this software works but when the CEO of your company is affected along with ~100 other people the excuse "Adobe did it" doesn't fly.

[Ashish_Mishra]

Hi gfsdfasfsdfsdf,

We are downgrading to 3.7.0.466 version. It is not related to Adobe Pro patch levels.

Hi Joe,

From the time you got this issue for the first time - after 24 hours the fix will take into effect. It is not dependent on Adobe Updater Startup Utility. So if you are not seeing the issue, it is likely that this issue is already fixed for you now.

-Ashish

[Joe Forest]

Ashish,

Just to be clear- I'm not seeing the problem because I disabled the Update Utility. So, I should turn it back on?  Regarding the fix- how will it happen? Automatically without me triggering the update?

Joe

[Ashish_Mishra]

Hi Joe - Update utility and the problem are not linked. As the fix is automatic, most likely it has already happened in your environment. You should turn on the update utility. Let us know if you continue to see the issue.

-Ashish

[ITManager4Life]

I recognize that I'm kinda an idiot, but it really seems as though you are saying that there is an update to fix this, and it will be pushed to our users' computers whether we know about it or not, regardless of our corporate update policies, and without user action or notification.

Is this correct? You may want to explain this process in slightly more detail...

[Joe Forest]

Ashish, you're wrong- I re-enabled the updater in Task Manager- rebooted, and the error message is back.

Joe

[Ashish_Mishra]

HI Joe,

My apologies.

This is bit strange. Can we connect with you over call to resolve it for you.

I will send you Direct Message.

Thanks

Ashish

[reggiew36675896]

Hello Ashish/Tariq Dar,

Will Adobe publish an official bulletin regarding this issue?  This will be helpful when explaining this to my management.

[Joe Forest]

Ashish, I don't see the problem this morning. Thank you. If it comes back I'll let you know.

Joe

[WA0ZOG]

Hello Ashish,

Thank you for this part of the answer, but this only answers how the update will get pushed.  It doesn't answer how it happened in the first place or how it can be prevented in the future.

Many of us (myself included) have several hundred to several thousand users that have been or can be affected by issues like this, and our administrators or CEO's won't accept answers such as "Adobe did it," or "it's an Adobe issue" when we're asked how these things happen.  We're tasked with keeping them from happening again.

Is there a way to keep this kind of problem from occurring again without causing issues for Adobe's licensing process?

Thank you,

Mike

[aaa_odot]

Will Adobe be publishing a guide on how to disable or block this component from ever updating again in the future?