Invalid Serial Number when installing Acrobat 9 on new PC

Report · Dec 19, 2013

Report · Dec 19, 2013

Likely you are installing an upgraded version and the SN being requested is for the qualifying product, not AA9.

Report · Dec 19, 2013

I don’t think so. The CD is the original Adobe Acrobat 9 Standard CD. For bundles only.

Any other ideas?

Report · Dec 19, 2013

Can you explain the "for bundles only"? This may be relevant.

Report · Dec 19, 2013

The software was provided bundled with a laptop purchased from Dell.

Adobe support advise that the s/n is valid but they cannot help with the re-activation issue as it was purchased through Dell. They directed me to the forum.

Report · Dec 19, 2013

I wonder... that basically makes it an OEM version, like the copy of Windows or Word that might come with a PC. The thing about those OEM products is that they are licensed for the original machine only. I don't know if that's the case for Dell's bundled version, but it might be that it only installs on Dells, or something like that. Not what you want to hear but maybe the original package has a clue to this.

Report · Jan 08, 2014

I'm having the same problem, and my software is not OEM. It's a retail product I bought a few years ago. I needed to replace my hard drive and now I cannot re-install Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro. I realize it is not a supported product, but the serial numbers should still work, right?

Report · Jan 08, 2014

Yes, the SN should still work. However, as I asked the original poster, was the product an upgrade or full version?

Report · Apr 06, 2014

I have my AA Pro 9 serial # from myAdobe acct. It's the same one that I had in my records.

I have deactivated and uninstalled AA Pro 9 from my old PC that I am replacing with a new Win 8.1 PC. I do understand that AA 9 is not supported on Win 8.1, but it should still install, right?

I waited 18 hours and still get the msg that this is an invalid serial number. Do I need to wait longer and retry? What else can I do?

Thanks Bill@VT for all your great responses. And thanks to the whole forum for assistance.

Report · Apr 06, 2014

juliet5401, is it saying anything about a QUALIFYING serial number or product?

Report · Apr 06, 2014

Thanks for your help.

AA Pro 9 worked on my old PC last week, so I have no reason to believe that the serial number is invalid. As I said, I deactivated and uninstalled on the old PC.

Report · Apr 06, 2014

Still, could you answer the question, I never said it was invalid. I'm asking about messages and words on screen when you are installing, and especially whether the word Qualifying appears anywhere.

Report · Apr 06, 2014

The exact message is: "invalid serial number. This is not a valid serial number."

There is no mention of the word "qualifying".

Thanks again.

julie

Report · Jun 06, 2014

Why is it that these forums always dead-end with the OP as the last poster? What is wrong with Adobe customer service??!! I'm having this same issue and there is literally zero support from the technicians on this forum. Every single thread I've visited ends in a dead-end with OP receiving no more responses. RESPOND!

Report · Jun 06, 2014

Well, we don't know if Adobe have contacted them privately, but these are not by design a way to get Adobe support, nor customer service. I'd like to hear what customer service have to say, so please report back. I've seen a few cases like that.

Report · Jun 06, 2014

I wonder if this is related to the previous version issue with Acrobat 8 that displayed the same or similar error?

Here is the text from a very old document for Acrobat 8 KB if you want to try it but I don't know if it will work

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Error: "You have entered an invalid serial number..." when you try to launch Acrobat 8 Standard on a Dell computer

Issue

When you try to launch Adobe Acrobat 8 Standard on a Dell computer, the program returns the error message, "You have entered an invalid serial number. Please re-install Adobe Acrobat 8 Standard and enter a valid serial number when asked."

Solution

Check the alm_config_files folder for a duplicate AdobeConfig.xml file.

Navigate to the following folder:

C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 8.0\Acrobat\alm_config_files

The following two files should appear in this folder:

AdobeConfig.xml

AdobeConfig.xml.aiwbf

Delete the AdobeConfig.xml file.

Rename the AdobeConfig.xml.aiwbf to AdobeConfig.xml by deleting the "aiwbf" suffix.

Launch Acrobat 8 Standard.

Additional Information

On some Dell computers, a duplicate AdobeConfig.xml file is created when Acrobat 8 Standard is installed. The AdobeConfig.xml file without the "aiwbf" suffix is written for a volume-license version. The correct AdobeConfig.xml file is given the suffix. When a retail version of Acrobat tries to read the volume-license AdobeConfig.xml file, Acrobat returns the error.

Report · Jun 06, 2014

I appreciate the response, but I believe the software in question is Acrobat 9, and reinstallation. There isn't such a file on a computer that doesn't have Acrobat installed. I don't know about OP, but I'm simply trying to re-install the software on a computer that was already licensed with this same key. This is an infuriating technical difficulty, that shouldn't even exist. I tried running the Acrobat 9 cleaning tool, but I'm still getting the invalid serial error. I know that the serial is correct, and that this is the very same computer that was using it earlier.

The reason people come to the forums is because Adobe's customer service center, in India, tells them that they can't help (and in my case gives a phone number that doesn't work) and to go to the forums for support. The people on the forums say that they aren't official support reps and recommend you call the customer service hotline. It's truly maddening.

Report · Jul 08, 2014

I am having the exact same problem.

Installing Acrobat 9 Standard and my serial is invalid. This is beyond ridiculous! Can someone please find a solution to this problem?

Report · Aug 06, 2014

i feel better knowing I'm not the only one stuck in a never ending support loop. I also have the same problem, I was told my support oem uses a different installer and can't help. They sent me this Error "Invalid serial number" | Acrobat 9 | CS4

I don't have cs4, but the last paragraph "If you previously installed Acrobat, then the serial number and activation information that was used during that installation is retained on your computer. This residual activation information conflicts with the activation of the newly installed version. It's necessary to remove the residual activation information from the previous Acrobat installation." Gave me a little hope.

Since I have nothing left to lose, so I will be trying it. Unless anyone has figured anything else out.

I also stumbled across this dell site from a different post https://smartsource.dell.com/ It should allow you to redownload all OEM software including Adobe that was purchased on the pc. That may help if its the same pc, unfortunately this is a brand new pc, and I can't even deactivate. What a waste of money.

Report · Apr 27, 2015

I have successfully installed this product in the past; no errors; no problem. Now I have a problem: when installing, I get an error message saying I am using an invalid serial number. Is it because I installed in the past, had a crash, and now Adobe has invalidated my previously valid serial number? I don't know, but I am getting almost no cooperation from them.

Frank

Report · Apr 28, 2015

The problem here seems to be that you have an OEM version which needs an OEM installer, as supplied with some other product. You must use your original disk, Adobe do not replace OEM disks.