How can I install Acrobat Pro and Reader on same device?

[JennA1101]

Hi - I have been a CC subscriber for years, so haven't had the need for Acrobat Reader in some time. I have a client I'm designing a fillable form for, and would like to be able to view it as she will see it using Reader - so that I can walk her through the steps. If I attempt to install Reader, it automatically detects that I have Pro already installed and won't proceed. Is there a way to have both apps installed and active at the same time? 

[Test Screen Name]

No, Adobe decided to block this.

[JennA1101 · Accepted solution]

I was actually able to get around it by uninstalling Pro, downloading and installing Reader, then re-installing Pro. 

[nicholasl47342722]

Did not work for me instead pro just failed to install afterwards

[Manoj Kumar India]

It works however if it is not working may try by installing 32 bit version of reader with 64 bit version of Pro or vice versa. I followed the suggestion of Nicholas and uninstalled all versns of PDF reader/Pro/any other. Thereafter, i installed 32 bit reader for my 64 bit PC and then installed Pro 64 bit an it worked. Now I am able to use both simultaniousely.

[OCCIO32650754dgon]

Sort of - there is a way around it... 64-bit Unified App Installer — Acrobat Desktop Windows Deployment (adobe.com)

[JR Boulay]

See this related topic:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/acrobat-discussions/cannot-install-acrobat-reader-with-acrobat-pro/td...

[kam4i]

Be kind...  well, be kind and stop having us create accounts just for user voice too.  Obviously, you don't want to really hear from folks, but would rather put us through hurdles to keep things quiet so you can report to the higher-ups that things are so good that there aren't many complaints.

So let this be my input that I agree with the inanity of not being able to install reader for testing forms.

[Sonion]

I'm a home user on Windows 11 and have Adobe Acrobat PRO. My wife and I both share the same desktop computer and use Acrobat to digitally sign documents. In order for this to work, we have our own Adobe IDs and in the past I used to sign in to my PRO and she signed in on the Reader. But now since I can't install both, I've been forced to install the older Reader 11 to use for my wife to sign documents, but the signature can only be stored locally because Reader 11 doesn't support Adobe ID sign in. She can't digitally sign documents with my PRO version because, of course, her ID doesn't have the PRO license and it forces the application to close. I'm furious about this and considering switching to an alternate PDF program

[OCCIO32650754dgon]

Try this... 64-bit Unified App Installer — Acrobat Desktop Windows Deployment (adobe.com)

[Edward29107619bemr]

Should not need to do this. My solution is canceling my subscription with Adobe. Going to do that right now...

[jueblu]

what still might work = parallel installation of the 32-bit-version of Adobe Reader and older (full) Acrobat versions. download availabe: https://get.adobe.com/de/reader/otherversions/

[jamesgranell]

Having a similar issue.  I have Adobe Acrobat DC Pro (via Creative Cloud license) under my user account on PC, and my wife also has a user account on the PC, but it does not let me install Adobe Reader for her to open PDFs, but forces me to either start a 7-day trial for Acrobat Pro, or force me to install/use a 3rd party app.  I did attempt to install the stand-alone (32bit) Reader app, but once I attempt to use it on my PC user account, it upgrades to the full version and all aspects of reader are upgraded.

I have tried to search various places for any means to have it so Adobe Acrobat can be Reader on the one PC account, and pro on the other user account. I feel this has been possible on a Mac, and with previous versions of Acrobat when Reader and Pro were able to coexist on the PC, but do not any more.

[defaultv7cz0mex0t3t]

In the past I was able to have both Reader and Acrobat Pro on my machine.  This no longer appears to work, even if I downloaded the 32-bit version of Reader.   All it did was install the McAfee software (which I did NOT want) with no option to not download and install it!  It does not appear to have occurred to Adobe that people might need to test their pdf documents on Reader after creating them with Acrobat.  I suspect I see this disreagard for the need to test in many of the bugs in Acrobat Pro (such as the Replace function inserting the new page superimposed with a rotated copy of the page as well).

[TrishC]

It would be helpful if Adobe considered the needs of their customers. Why would you want to annoy paying Acrobat DC users by preventing them from using a free application? I can't test what users will encounter with Shared PDF reviews - an already flawed process made worse by a recent change that removes all comments when you delete a review file from Adobe Tracker. Couldn't find that in any product release notes either.  

[Grant27983943tbi2]

As usual the people trying to use the product are second priority behind competing with Microsoft.

[tedpadova]

I believe the morons on the Acrobat Development team really dont use the software they develop. Anyone who creates PDF forms and deploys them needs to test the file in Reader before deploying the form. Imagine working for the US government where 1,000s of PDF forms are created or the poor forms designer who creates PDF forms for various clients. The Scrobat development team consistently removes vsrious funtionality with dirrerent new releases. 

[OCCIO32650754dgon]

See if this solves your problem:  64-bit Unified App Installer — Acrobat Desktop Windows Deployment (adobe.com)

[Greg231600055k3j]

The only solution I have come up with is to stop throwing away good money with Adobe and it's useless product design team. I will use Docusign instead of Adobe Sign, then I can install Adobe Reader or any number of other apps that can read and sign PDF docs on multiple computers. Adobe cares nothing quality of their products. From every interaction I have had with their staff (and refusal to interact with cleints by forcing useless bots as the only way to directly interact with them), I can only conclude that they are deperately hoping that someone will just put them out of business already!

[Scott26710045szg2]

I have literally wasted tens of hours just trying to install pro.  I add the proper license to the user, they get the email, create their account and click the link FOR PRO, that IS what the link says, IT EFFING says PRO.  And EVERY effing time, they take me the Reader version.  It is infuriating...  I am so done with Adobe, if I could fire them, I would.

[pault35687985]

You are spot on. And when you ask the bots if they are real people they reply that they are! I live in 2024 - that means I have multiple devices in different locations. My Cresative Clud subscription allows me to have only 2 active installations. It means I often have to log out from a device to log into another. That wouldn't be so bad but I have a family iMac which I sometimes use, and my wife uses in the daytime. All she needs is to read pdfs occasionally - for that she has to phone me up to log out of one of my devices so she can log in. A free Reader installation would solve this issue.