Difficulty Installing Acrobat 8

[Mark30165077k8t9]

I just replaced a dead Windows 10 computer with a Windows 11 vrsion.  Windows 11 will not allow me to isntall my Acrobat 8 program without accessing a file from a Vistw OS.  I have neve had a Vista OS.  HOw do I install on my computer?

[Karl Heinz Kremer]

There is a good chance that Acrobat 8 is too old to run on Windows 11. Support for Acrobat 8 ended in November 2011. That was long before Windows 11 came out. I had to stop using Acrobat 9 because I could no longer run it on any modern operating system. 

[Mark30165077k8t9]

If Adobe has abused its clients, like us, what do you use as a pdf editor?  Given the fact that Adobe killed a program I have loved for years, I will no longer use Adobe.

[jane-e]

@Mark30165077k8t9 

Acrobat 8 was released 17 years ago, reached end of life 12 years ago, and has not gotten security updates since — leaving your system vulnerable. I'd say you got a good run out of it! If you do decide to continue with Adobe Acobat, there is a subscription model as well as a stand-alone model without updates. The latter is sometimes hard to find, so ask if you need help.

Jane

[Mark30165077k8t9]

I hae no interest in the subscription model.  Where an I find the stand alone model?

[jane-e]

I hae no interest in the subscription model.  Where an I find the stand alone model?

By @Mark30165077k8t9

https://www.adobe.com/products/catalog.html#category=pdf

Scroll down to "Acrobat Pro 2020" for the stand-alone; the subscription models for Acrobat are at the top.

"Office 2021" is also sold as a one-time purchase, or by annual subscription (Office 365)

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/what-s-the-difference-between-microsoft-365-and-office-20...

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/get-started-with-office-2021

Jane

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

What 17 year old commercial software do you use that will run on a current OS without the need to upgrades?

[Mark30165077k8t9]

Office 2003

[Mark30165077k8t9]

I am a dinosaur. I still use Office 2003 because it works perfectly and I know it so well I can type in the dark.  I detest learning all new programs and new skills to navigate.  I buy new computers ONLY when the old ones die and cannot be revived.  I replace software only when the OS creators kill off my old but wholly useful and utterly reliable programs are rendered useless.  I can be dragged kicking and screaming inot new technology, however, at my age, and my semi retired status it is excruciately painful and I avoid pai whenever and wherever posible.

[try67]

The Acrobat 8 activation servers have been discontinued a while ago. You can no longer activate and use it, I'm afraid.

[Mark30165077k8t9]

That is disappointing.  What is a good option now that I will boycott Adobe for this planned obsolence?  I tend to vote with my dollars against compaies who mistreat thier loyal clientele.

[Karl Heinz Kremer]

There are two issues here: Acrobat 8 and Windows 11 and the shutting down of the license server. For the first issue, you can hardly blame Adobe. Use an older version of Windows and Acrobat 8 will run just fine. One way to do that is to run a virtual macine with e.g. Windows 7 on top of your Windows 11. That will work. 

The second issue should not be an issue: Adobe released an updated installer that would work without the need to contact the obsolete license server. I cannot find any information on Adobe's site anymore, but you should be able to contact Adobe's support and as long as you can show proof that you have a valid license, they should be able to help you out. 

[Mark30165077k8t9]

At the risk of showing my ignorance; what is a virtual macine?  Can I take the hard drive out of my old computer and usee a USB to run it on my Windows 11 machine?  Will it boot and run the programs that were working well when the motherboard died?

[Mark30165077k8t9]

Is this what you referenced?  

Acrobat 64-bit installers for Windows

Acrobat Pro 64-bit   

Download (923 MB)

[Karl Heinz Kremer]

Acrobat 8 did not exist as 64 bit software, so this is definitely not it. Talk to Adobe customer support and see if they can help you with that. 

[Karl Heinz Kremer]

You need something like VirtualBix or VMWare - there are other virtualization environments available, these are the two that I have first hand experience with. A virtual machine creates an environment that looks like real hardware to the operating system you are running on it, but is just software that runs on your computer. Here is some more information: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_machine

[jane-e]

@Karl Heinz Kremer 

The activation servers for Acrobat 8 have been shut down. Acrobat 8 cannot be activated. Installing a virtual machine with an old OS won't help.

https://helpx.adobe.com/download-install/kb/activation-deactivation-help.html

Jane

[Larry385561391viv]

Here's what I did.  Get the 64 bit AdobePDF.dll from the data.cab file (it'll be called AdobePDF.dll_64, delete the _64 part of the name).  Install 8 as administrator, when it asks for the .dll, use the 64 bit one.  Don't try to run it yet.  Install the 8.1 patch.  Set 8 to run in Windows 7 compatibility mode, then set to run as administrator.  Run it and enter the activation code (I had this from a previous phone activation, I don't know if Adobe can still do this).  It'll run fine now.  You can remove the "run as administrator" setting at this point.

[Larry385561391viv]

You don't have to install the 8.1 patch, I had it running before I did that.  I installed it as it fixed something I use that was broken in the 8.0 release, although I don't remember what that was at this point.  I just install the 8.1 patch and know all is good. 🙂