SERIOUS ADOBE ACROBAT PROFESSIONAL 8 ERROR

[_Phil_Stewart_]

Hi

I am using (or TRYING to use!) Adobe Acrobat Professional 8.
But every time it loads up I receive the following pop-up message:

"A serious error has been detected and Adobe Acrobat 8 Professional cannot continue. Please re-install the application and try again."

I click OK, and then another message appears:
"Acrobat.exe - Application Error
The instruction at "0x05bf1243" referenced memory at "0x12284e88". The memory could not be "written".
Click on OK to terminate the program"

I have tried uninstalling and re-installing but the error comes back!
What can I do?? Can ANYONE help?!!

[_Daren_Johnson_]

Marc - remember it isn't a Vista issue! It is a version 8 issue. We experience similar issues with XP machines.

[_rpatel_]

Is anyone able to confirm that the latest Windows Updates have fixed the issue? Microsoft recently released two important stability updates for Windows Vista, did those help anyone fix the issue?

[_Marc_McCulloch_]

I have all the 8/17/07 Vista updates installed. They didn't make any difference - I still have the same problems. I went back to disabling DEP.

[_rpatel_]

Hey Marc, I also disabled DEP on my installation of 32-bit Vista Ultimate, and I am able to use all the features of Acrobat 8.1 without any problems. Thank you for that workaround.

[_Sue_Ellen_White_]

Re: Helmut's appeal to Adobe--message #165 (just in case they might monitor their forums), here is a way to get the attention of their CEO.

I posted a consumer action in message #83 that provides the name and phone number of Adobe's CEO and a suggested action.

The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Have at it.

S.E.

[_James_Tee_]

The same thing happened to me (serious error etc) but I was able to fix it... Hopefully this info will help someone at Adobe reproduce this:

I had a standalone (single-user) edition of Adobe Acrobat Pro 8.0 installed on my computer that was working fine (running Windows XP Pro SP2). I had previous editions of Acrobat 7 and Adobe CS2 Production uninstalled (but noteably each had left some directory folders that were largely empty). When I installed Adobe CS3 Web edition yesterday, I chose to allow it to install/upgrade the AdobeAcrobatPro component. I did not uninstall the previous standalone Acrobat Pro. The installation went through fine and all CS3 programs/components seem to work fine, except for Acrobat Pro 8 (which the Web Edition had upgraded to 8.1), which kept giving the 'serious error' and 'memory access' errors about 5-10seconds after Acrobat would load. Uninstalling and reinstalling Acrobat Pro failed.

Like some previous posters, I followed the steps mentioned in posts 136 and 139 above... more specifically I uninstalled all Adobe components as well as Macromedia components, found all file/folder structures with Adobe, Macromedia, or Flexnet in it and deleted them all. I took the extra step of going into my registry, backing it up, and then going through and deleting references to Adobe components (in particular registry items related to installation/uninstallation). Did a clean reboot, verified that my computer was still booting ok despite the massive registry cleanup.

I then installed my original Acrobat 8.0 Pro standalone product. Went without a hitch and worked fine. I then installed CS3 Web edition over it, this time UNCHECKING the Acrobat component so that it wouldn't update that. So far so good - all programs including Acrobat 8.0 work fine with no errors.

Wasted several hours, but it's all done... hope this will work for some of you other there, although afte r reading through 178 posts it appears that there are multiple problems causing the 'serious error' to occur, either due to an Adobe upgrade or Windows upgrade component, and that Adobe needs to just come out with either a patch for its activation/Flex validation component, or come out with a patch that will cleanly uninstall affected components and allow the user to do a clean reinstall...

- James

[_rpatel_]

I'd like to retract my previous post - my installation of 8.1 just conked out on me this morning. My apologies for posting my "success" so quickly before stress testing.

[_charles007_]

Rpatel and Marc, would you let me know how to disable DEP. I am using Vista Ultimate, but my two choices are to enable DEP for essential windows programs or enable for all programs other than those listed. I tried the latter, but when I try to add acrobat.exe, I get a message that is must have DEP running and DEP cannot be disabled as to that program. I was able to list acrotray and acrodist, but it made no difference (still hangs on startup). I also checked Services for a way to completely disable DEP aqnd I don't see it. Am I missing something?

[_Tembowa_]

Charles007,

Look here under "nx" :

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/EN-US/library/aa906211.aspx

~T

[_Matthew_Hamann_]

You know, as much as I would love to be able to use Acrobat 8.1 again, and as easily as I could jump into bcdedit and "fix" the problem by turning off DEP...I won't do it. Nor will I accept it as an "alternative" to the issue at hand.

If turning DEP off has worked pretty much across the board, then that must give Adobe a clue as to what's going on. Hello! Where's a new patch Adobe? How about 8.2, hmm??

[Guest]

Has this thread become too large? There are so many different problems being described that it is become nearly impossible to follow them. I suggest that people who have posted to this thread reopen their problems in separate threads that clearly identify them.

Ken Friedman

[_Marc_McCulloch_]

Ken -
Yesterday I spoke with Kevin Lynch, Adobe's V.P. of Product Management for Acrobat, and made him aware of this thread. He promised to have a senior member of his engineering staff monitor this thread and (presumably) contribute.

I suggest that we not splinter this thread until Adobe has had a chance to review it and assess the global nature of these problems. It appears that Adobe is unable to monitor all threads and splintering could delay any resolution.

[_Matthew_Hamann_]

Thanks for your help there, Marc. I think you're right and that keeping all of this together for the moment is the best idea.

I look forward to hearing what Adobe will contribute!

[_charles007_]

Tembowa, thanks for the link. I disabled DEP with "bcdedit /set nx AlwaysOff", but it did not fix the problem (hanging up a couple of seconds after program start). However, as I stated in my previous post, after weeks of problems with version 8/8.1, I quit using it and reloaded version 7 (which does everything but print in Vista), and I have read (here) that version 7 does odd things to the registry that can cause problems with version 8/8.1, so I am going to uninstall 7 and 8, then reinstall 8, be sure DEP is disabled, and report back.

[_charles007_]

For those of you keeping track, I have been having a persistent problem with Acrobat 8 installed on a recent vintage Dell, Windows Vista Ultimate laptop since May. The problem is that it hangs a couple of seconds after the program starts (both by starting the Acrobat executable directly and by opening a PDF document). This was not installed over version 7 (it was a new laptop). It worked for a few months, then the problem suddenly appeared (not incidental to any install or traumatic computer event--I wasn't using the laptop for a couple of weeks other than to check email).

I have tried numerous suggestions from Adobe Support, Dell, and found on the internet. A couple or three weeks ago I made a clean install of Vista, updated, then made a clean install of Acrobat 8 updated to 8.1, and had the same problem, so I inferred that a windows update caused the problem. I have always followed the instructions given by Adobe and elsewhere for fixing freezes (UAC on, administrator access, delete update folders, etc)., and have even gone so far as to manually delete all adobe-related subdirectories and registry entries in an attempt to make the next install work.

After reading recent posts in this forum, I disabled DEP, and still had the problem. WIth DEP disabled, I also uninstalled all Adobe Software, followed the instructions from Adobe for fixing freezes, and reinstalled, checked to see if it still froze (it did), then reinstalled the 8.1 update; and it still freezes at the same point. What I have NOT tried is a clean install of Vista followed by a clean install of Acrobat and the 8.1 update WITHOUT windows updates (someone else is trying that). And, in any case, running Windows Vista without DEP and un-updated on a computer connected to the internet is not, in my opinion, a good idea.

So, at least for my part, disabling DEP did not help.

[_Phil_Stewart_]

Hello everyone

I just thought I'd say that I can't believe how big this thread has got. I'd never started a thread before... when I started it, I thought it was just my computer playing up. How wrong I was.

Phil Stewart

[_Mitchell_Cardno_]

Has anyone tried adding the Flexnet Licensing Service to the "Performance Options" Data Execution Prevention Exclusion list? I haven't tried it yet (not on that computer at the moment), but I know adobe will work fine if you start up in safe mode in Vista as Flexnet is disabled from starting up (might be something else contributing to adobe's fatal error, but my guess is Flexnet).

[_charles007_]

Forum Members,

I think I have hit on something and wish someone would verify my results. I am using Vista Ultimate and Acrobat 8.1. Acrobat hangs a couple of seconds after I start it up. I have posted many times, so I won't repeat all of the things I have tried here.

Try this. Open task manager and, on Services tab, highlight FlexNet Licensing Service (just so you can find it easily). Put that window aside. FlexNet may already be running. Open Services (button on bottom--you cannot stop it from the task manager window). Find FlexNet and right click, stop the service. Now, start Adobe Acrobat and look at the task window. The moment FlexNet's status changes to "Running", Acrobat hangs up, right?

OK, close Acrobat. Now go back to the services window, right click on FlexNet, go to properties, and change "manual" to "disable". Now start Acrobat again. It doesn't hang up, right? Instead, it opens normally and, after several seconds, suddenly closes. Or, if you click on help or some other menu item, it seems to function normally (it will eventually close), right?

Now, change FlexNet back to manual in the services window. Start Acrobat and, as soon as FlexNet is running again (in the task window), Acrobat hangs.

If someone else tries this and has the same result, then the FlexNet Service is DEFINITELY the culprit (at least in my case, where Acrobat starts, then hangs after a few seconds).

[_Mitchell_Cardno_]

For an update, I reformatted my computer and re-installed Vista, thinking that an update would be to blame. After vista loaded, and BEFORE any update was installed, I installed acrobat 8 pro. SAME problem. I updated acrobat to 8.1, SAME problem. The only way I can get acrobat 8 to work is via safe mode - but you can't activate it, FlexnetLicensing Service is disabled from starting (which I think is the culprit here). Even after reformatting with a very clean install of vista, with no updates, this program still will not work

[_charles007_]

Mitchell, that may point to the real problem. If you did a clean install, did not update Windows, installed Acrobat, and had the same problem as before, then FlexNet must put activation information in the boot sector. I bet a low-level re-write of the entire disk would fix the problem. I am talking WAY above my knowledge level here, but if the problem persists with a clean install of Windows and Acrobat, what else could it be other than a defective activation hash in the boot sector assocaited with FlexNet?

Matthew took the same steps, but in a virtual setup; maybe the activation information is saved somewhere else in a virtual setup???

The dozens of attempts to fix my setup have never yielded a successful, new activation (always hangs at that step and, later, activate and deactivate are not available from the help menu in the few seconds that I have to do anything before Acrobat hangs or closes). Does anyone know how to eliminate the existing activation information so I can start anew? Maybe that is the key!

[_Animesh_Naskar_]

Hi pals

Try this .. this may help you ... I got from an Adobe link ...
=============================================================

Error, "A serious error has been detected..." when you start Acrobat (8.x on Windows)

Issue

When you start Adobe Acrobat Standard or Professional, it displays the error message, "A serious error has been detected and Adobe Acrobat 8 Professional cannot continue. Please reinstall the application and try again."

Solutions

Do one or more of the following solutions:

Solution 1: Verify the AdobeConfig file in the ALM folder.

1. Exit Acrobat.

2. Check Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 8.0\Acrobat\alm_config_files for a AdobeConfig.xml and a aul.xml file.

3. Verify the filename of AdobeConfig.xml.

Note: The AdobeConfig.xml file is not case sensitive but must be spelled correctly and not contain any extra characters. XML is a known file extension for the Windows operating system. Do not include the XML file extension in the file name if Hide Extensions For Known File Types is selected.

Solution 2: Remove and reinstall Acrobat. (Retail only)

In order to obtain a uncorrupted version of the AdobeConfig.xml file for a retail product you must uninstall and reinstall Acrobat.

1. Remove Acrobat using Add/Remove Programs.

2. Restart the computer.

3. Reinstall Acrobat.

Solution 3: Replace your AdobeConfig.xml file. (Volume only)

1. Redownload and configure the AdobeConfig.xml file.

2. Place the redownloaded AdobeConfig.xml flie in Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 8.0\Acrobat\alm_config_files

Background information

Acrobat verifies activation or elicense download when you start the application. If Acrobat is not able to detect that the activation or elicense download occurred, then it initiates the process. In order for the activation or elicense download to complete successfully, you must have an uncorrupted version of the AdobeConfig.xml file on the system.

================================================================

Regards
Animesh

[_Animesh_Naskar_]

Clearly these are the elicencing features which are buggy and have been acknowledged by Adobe themselves.

Check out this link for more info on solutions ..

http://www.adobe.com/elicensing/licensemanagement/alm/

More important section is .. "Next Step".

[_Animesh_Naskar_]

Buy the latest version of Adobe 8 having ALm disabled.

[LoriBelleDeFurio]

Hi This is Lori DeFurio from Adobe. Some of you may know me or have had contact with me in the past. We (Adobe) are aware of the problem, and I do apologize it seems that we went dark in this thread. Our Engineering departments (both Acrobat & Activation teams) are working closely with a few customers that responded to Jeff Morans request for information and I believe that we are finally getting to the bottom of the issue. Let me share some of the experience our teams have encountered:
1. Many of the complaints occurred right after the 30 day trial expired.
2. Multiple users were trying to use the trial Serial Number to activate Acrobat beyond 30 days.
3. Multiple users were actually using a pirated Serial Number.

However, many of you do have legitimate serial numbers, and more importantly, a legitimate problem. Jeff and I will respond here in the forum as soon as we have a complete story to share with you.

Lori DeFurio

[~graffiti]

>1. Many of the complaints occurred right after the 30 day trial expired.
2. Multiple users were trying to use the trial Serial Number to activate Acrobat beyond 30 days.
3. Multiple users were actually using a pirated Serial Number.

That would make it tough to track real issues that's for sure. Too bad we don't get that info right up front. :)