Reader and Acrobat on same PC

[RayConnon]

I want to install both Acrobat and Reader on same PC.

How can I do this?

[Bernd Alheit]

Install the 32bit versions of both apps.

[thisisinsane]

As of late 2022 this was no longer possible - installing the 2nd app automatically unbinstalled the 1st app.  Sometimes, a log in to the Reader app with a licensed user account automatically triggerred an install of Standard and an uninstall of Reader. That seems to be the the issue here.   

[It Guy 2.0]

I am not against Acrobat Standard or Pro (S/P) having Adobe Reader as a subset of the main program but I am against having to be logged into Acrobat S/P in order to view a PDF file. I have a couple of general use computers that several people use that have no Acrobat S/P licensing and only need to view PDF documents. They are not able to unless someone with a license is available to login. Other times users with credentials use these same computers and require the full ability of Acrobat.

I am at the point of changing the default program for PDF viewer to Chrome and make my users select Acrobat for editing functions (open with...).

Adobe needs to have an option for Read-Only when Acrobat S/P is installed and someone, without an account, needs to view a PDF file.

My other option is to uninstall Acrobat and only use Reader. Seems like a poor choice.

[thisisinsane]

That's fair, and another great example of how Adobe is causing unnecessary issues for their paying and loyal customers.

I have resorted to uninstalling 64-bit and then installing 32-bit versions of both applications and that is working, for now.

But I hope Adobe will allow users to install just the 1 app, Standard, and all the Reader features to be available without logging in.

I should qualify that by admitting I have encouraged our unlicensed users to create a free account and login to Reader just to save their signatures so that they can respond to our internal "please Adobe-sign this" requests.

But that's only because auditors like to see invoices with a big clumsy "Approved" stamps and a squiggle that looks like a signature next to it, when an simple email with "I approve the attached invoice for payment" would provide a superior audit trail. Oh well.

Finn OMahony

[P.I Removed by Moderator]

[Amal.]

Hi there

++ Adding to the discussion

Adobe Acrobat Reader DC application is a Subset of Adobe Acrobat Pro DC application, installing both the applications is ideally not recommended as it may result in unexpected behavior of the apps.

Regards

Amal

[F. Stroh]

That's a regrettable position for Adobe to take, since it opens the door to 3rd-party PDF apps gaining larger market share. I have some users with Enterprise Adobe IDs to create/edit PDFs in Acrobat DC, but most users only need to quickly view/print PDFs with the Reader. If Acrobat Pro DC and Acrobat Reader DC cannot exist on the same device, that means it will be simpler for most people to use 3rd-party PDF viewers/printers (or let Microsft keep pushing Edge as the default for everything) -- and over time those users will get used to 3rd-party apps and stop perceiving Adobe products as familiar and useful. 

[Goutam S]

I work with Financial Regulators and they have forms that we are required to fill in and that needs Adobe Reader to open and i can not edit them with Acrobat. while I have the Acrobat subscription I am forced to keep install and uninstall Adobe Reader /Acrobat as per the requirements, which is a pain.

[try67]

You can use Acrobat to just open the file and fill it in, just like you would in Reader. There's no need to have both applications just for that.

[RayConnon]

For my use the purpose of Acrobat DC Pro is to create PDF forms and include Javascript and/or Adobe SDK automation.

I also use for translating PDF documents when required (usually Japanese to English). Acrobat DC Pro also sets security of a PDF.

I use Acrobat reader for confirming operation of above to how a user with Acrobat Reader only would view the documents and be able to manipulate. Also some PDF documents are stored in our database which prefers Acrobat Reader to be present.

What I mean by 'prefer' is that there have been issues opening PDF documents and getting the desired results when Acrobat DC Pro is chosen.

Now I carry 2 laptops to achieve what used to be performed using one laptop.

[Aerofoil]

I've had jobs where we only really need a couple licenses that some use 90% of the time and the 10% is when the people who don't usually need pro features use it. that is why we need both at times

[Aerofoil]

seems like installing reader and pro 32 bit versions fixes the problem of not being able to install both. Though I imagine the 64bit version would work better or faster than the 32. Especially for things like compare pdf.

[JR Boulay]

Please vote for this feature request: https://acrobat.uservoice.com/forums/590923-acrobat-for-windows-and-mac/suggestions/44794654-install...

[thisisinsane]

SOLVED!  Thank you 🙂

I just got off the phone with Adobe Support and that was exactly their solution. 

They uninstalled every Adobe item, then installed 32-bit Reader, then installed 32-bit Acrobat Standard.  On Windows 10 Control Panel they will appear as "Adobe Acrobat Reader" and "Adobe Acrobat". 

I was also able to sign in to Reader using credentials of a license Standard user, but Reader continued to work without any issues.  Hosanna!!!!   

Hint: use 'helpx' in your Google searches to prioritise Adobe websites in the search results.    

[gsos]

Is uninstalling all of your other adobe apps required for this? I'll absolutely do it if so, but man, that's going to be a lot of uninstalling and then reinstalling...

[thisisinsane]

SOLVED!  Thank you  Aerofoil 🙂

[Goutam S]

No it does not work, those files need only need Adobe Reader to Export to xfdf file for submission and wont let me use the pro version. There was a time I had both installed on my PC, but not anymore. Trying to figure out. 

[Michael Trout]

Amal, adding to the discussion some more. I have been using separate installations of Acrobat DC and Acrobat Reader DC on the same machine. On updating to a new computer, installing Actobat DC resulting in reader uninstalling. I use Reader to test that funcationality is working properly in Reader on forms created in Actobat DC... something I am unable to do on the same machine if Reader is unistalled by default. 

Worse, from my perspective, when I tried to install Reader, it instead began the install on several other applications I did not ask for (McAfee? Why?) instead of Reader. 

[thisisinsane]

What about SHARED computers where SOME users are licensed for Acrobat and SOME are not?  Previously we could install both apps and the licensed users could use Acrobat and the unlicensed users could use Reader.  Now one set of users will need to use a non-Adobe product.  Very inconvenient.  

Also, if Reader is a subset of Standard and Pro, why not allow unlicensed users to login to Standard and Pro and access only the free tools they'd get in the free READER version?  That way both sets of users could use the same app.  

[thisisinsane]

SOLVED!  

I just got off the phone with Adobe Support and this was their solution:

- They uninstalled every Adobe item

- They then installed 32-bit Reader

- They then installed 32-bit Acrobat Standard.  

[ls_rbls]

Thank you for sharing that feedback!

[City of Subiaco]

Nice to know, what would be great is telling the how to use the Reader subset

[JR Boulay]

As Amal said : it's not recommended, and it's not supported by Adobe (yes!).

Installing and using Acrobat Reader and Acrobat Pro works fine on MacOS, I have done this for about 20 years with no issues.

Now I have been using Acrobat Reader and Acrobat Pro on Windows for about a year without any issues.

Acrobat Reader is redundant with Acrobat Pro, you shouldn't install it unless you need to check that certain features of your forms are working well.

[try67]

I believe Adobe does support installing both applications on Windows, as long as they are of the same version (DC, for example).

[RayConnon]

Thanks everyone.

I too have been using Adobe for a long time, probably since version 1 in the 90's?

I had to restore my Windows 10 a week ago and am still putting apps back on.

Up until then I had a 32 bit version of Reader and also Acrobat Pro DC on this laptop.

I find it useful to have Reader installed for reading email attachments etc., testing forms and code written to automate Acrobat.

Today I installed Reader (which is now 64bit) from Adobe website, and then tried to install Acrobat Pro DC.

What has happened is that the Reader has been upgraded to Acrobat Pro DC.

And if Acrobat Pro DC is installed first, then that's all you get.

I guess I have to locate an earlier version of Reader and try again installing Reader, then Acrobat.