Install Acrobat without Signing In with Adobe ID

[mjherm]

I am preparing laptops for users in my organization. I purchased licenses for Acrobat as part of the laptop purchase through Dell. Is there any way I can activate Acrobat on the laptops without needing to use Adobe IDs?

[Steve Cordero]

It depends on the version of Acrobat you have. Is it the VOLUME license or the RETAIL license?  Is it Acrobat XI or Acrobat DC?  If Acrobat DC, then is it the Acrobat DC Continuous version or Acrobat DC Classic version ( Document Cloud Product Tracks — Enterprise Administration Guide )?  The answers to these questions will determine the answer for your question.

[mjherm]

It is DC and I am using a retail key so I don't think either of those enterprise versions apply, but please correct me if I'm wrong.

[Steve Cordero]

Take a screenshot of the Help>About  screen. That will tell me what you are working with

[mjherm]

[Steve Cordero · Accepted solution]

You are using Acrobat DC Classic. You said that this is a RETAIL serial number so disabling Sign-In isn't really and option.  If it were a VOLUME then you could do this via the Adobe Customization Wizard DC by using the Grant Offline Exception feature.

[mjherm]

So do I need to create an Adobe ID account for any user that uses a computer with Acrobat DC? Or can I create a master account to activate the software on the computers and it'll work for any user that logs into that computer?

[Steve Cordero]

If you have multiple serial numbers for Acrobat DC, then yes, that is what you need to do.  If you have one serial number and it has multiple licenses then you don't have a RETAIL serial number.  That would be a VOLUME serial number that can use the Grant Offline Exception option in the Adobe Customization Wizard DC.

[mjherm]

Yes, I have multiple serials. I purchase a retail copy of Acrobat with each computer I purchase through Dell.

[Test Screen Name]

It's certainly complicated if you want to use retail licenses. Each one has to be associated with a different individual, with their own Adobe ID. That's the retail model, and why volume licenses are recommended. Not available for all single products, but I think they are for Acrobat as well as Creative Cloud.

[safegardgroup]

On the prior versions of Acrobat (up to XI), this method has worked fine for me; it is just with DC that I am unable to activate without signing into a separate Adobe ID per serial. This is extremely inconvenient and would have been nice if I had known before paying for these.

[BJM III]

Well, I wouldn't have a problem using an enterprise license but I purchase Adobe Acrobat Standard with a Dell computer and the cost is substantially less expensive that with a volume license.  As it is, this software is grossly overpriced for what it does.   

[Test Screen Name]

Ah, so not actually retail either but OEM, I suspect. Maybe Dell have a solution, their corporate customers will be hitting this big time.

[BJM III]

You've obviously not had the pleasure to deal with those imbeciles (Dell and Adobe Tech Support).  I called Dell on this problem.  After over an hour and talking to three dell representatives, I got one on the phone who called Adobe support.  Then it was three adobe representatives before the Dell rep (I was conferenced-in) was told this issue with could only be addressed if I went to Adobe's support website and initiated a CHAT session.  We did that.  The first person we were chatting with said he was the wrong person and transferred us.  The second person ALSO transferred us.  I didn't even realize you could transfer a chat session.  All-in-all, the third support technician figured out a way to install the software without using an Adobe ID.  However, no explanation as to what he did within his remote session so I can't replicate it. 

[rr64152553]

Did you ever get a real resolution to this problem?   I have the exact same situation - we buy the Adobe Std DC with systems from Dell - we do not have a volume license.  This is obviously not workable to create individual Adobe IDs for each PC in our environment and of course we cannot disable via the "Adobe Customization Wizard DC".

Obviously this was never an issue before the DC edition was released...and we nee some kind of workaround from Adobe...

Thanks

[safegardgroup]

I have tried creating a master account to activate all keys under but upon signing into the 3rd device I'm told "Sign In Failed" due to "This Adobe ID xxx@xxx.com has already been used to activate the software on two other computers or devices." I purchased separate serials for each PC, this is ridiculously complicated. Is it not possible to have more than one key under one Adobe ID?

[Steve Cordero]

RETAIL serial numbers are only supposed to be used for two activations per machine.  You have to use a separate serial number for each machine.  

[safegardgroup]

Which is exactly what I did, every machine has a separate RETAIL serial; I have not used any of them more than once and yet I still get that message.

[ahmadh79846813]

I have Named-user licenses for Adobe Acrobat Pro DC Continuous version. Can i disable sign-in option in Adobe Customize and let the users to use without signing in with Adobe ID? Thanks

[Steve Cordero]

No, that is not an option with "Named-user Licensing".  "Named-user Licensing" requires that the "named user" whom you assign a license sign-in in with their ID.