Upgrading Reader to Standard/ Pro.

[James @ The Mission]

Having an annoying issue while upgrading users from Acrobat Reader to Acrobat Standard/ Pro, depending on license.

By default we install Reader on everyone's machines. When a user requires a version of Acrobat with more features we assign them a license and go about upgrading it. 

Sometimes when I am upgrading Reader on Windows machines, I can go to 'tools' within the application and one of the listed tools will be 'Edit'. Clicking this prompts the application to check the user's account for a license, sees that they have a Standard/ Pro license and there's a popup saying Reader can't edit PDFs but since a license is possessed, it will upgrade to Standard/ Pro in the background. Perfect.

Other times (most of the time) this does not happen, because the 'tools' tab doesn't list all the features that better versions of Acrobat have, so there is nothing for me to click to prompt the upgrade. I then have to manually uninstall Reader, sift through the maze of results that shows up when I Google 'adobe acrobat standard download' and then try to navigate Adobe's terrible website that seems to move the download for Acrobat Standard every time I go to find it.

Please for the love of God can someone explain how I can 100% of the time prompt Reader to upgrade to Standard/ Pro without having to go through this arduous uninstall/reinstall process?

(And yes, the users are always signed into the correct Adobe account within the app, that is associated with the license).

[Tariq Ahmad · Accepted solution]

Hi, 

Adobe Acrobat now offers a unified installer, simplifying the process for users and ensuring seamless access to the right tools based on their subscription status.

Here’s how it works:

• If your Adobe ID does not have an active subscription, the application will function as Adobe Acrobat Reader, the free version of the software.
• However, if you purchase an Acrobat or Creative Cloud subscription using the same Adobe ID and log into the application, it will automatically detect the active subscription and upgrade to the full-featured Adobe Acrobat (Standard or Pro) version without the need for reinstallation.

This unified installer eliminates confusion and ensures that your experience with Adobe products is as smooth and efficient as possible.

If you encounter any issues or delays in the transition, ensure that:

• You're signed in with the correct Adobe ID.
• Your subscription status is active.

If the issue persists, don't hesitate to reach out for assistance.

This approach is designed with user convenience in mind. It streamlines access to essential tools while ensuring flexibility for both free and subscription-based users.

~Tariq

[Manan Joshi]

Acrobat would be a better suited forum for this post. Moving it over

-Manan

[defaultw276lym7o2mt]

Finally I found someone asking the same question I've been trying to find the answer to. Does anyone have an answer to this? I just setup 3 users with Pro licenses and 1 of them gave the prompt to upgrade to Pro and the other 2 I had to manually uninstall and reinstall. These 3 machines were imaged and prepped the exact same way on the same day originally.

[Nicolas26562529zq4h]

I've found that there is a option within the "help" tab to "Upgrade".. It's either in "Help" or a different tab but it's there. Also doesn't require elevated privs to upgrade unlink a full re-install does.

[Colleen38320100s4sp]

I was able to trigger the upgrade pop up by selecting "Create PDF". Not sure if that was fluke or would work across the board..

[Tariq Ahmad · Accepted solution]

Hi, 

Adobe Acrobat now offers a unified installer, simplifying the process for users and ensuring seamless access to the right tools based on their subscription status.

Here’s how it works:

• If your Adobe ID does not have an active subscription, the application will function as Adobe Acrobat Reader, the free version of the software.
• However, if you purchase an Acrobat or Creative Cloud subscription using the same Adobe ID and log into the application, it will automatically detect the active subscription and upgrade to the full-featured Adobe Acrobat (Standard or Pro) version without the need for reinstallation.

This unified installer eliminates confusion and ensures that your experience with Adobe products is as smooth and efficient as possible.

If you encounter any issues or delays in the transition, ensure that:

• You're signed in with the correct Adobe ID.
• Your subscription status is active.

If the issue persists, don't hesitate to reach out for assistance.

This approach is designed with user convenience in mind. It streamlines access to essential tools while ensuring flexibility for both free and subscription-based users.

~Tariq

[sean_4223]

I am having the same issue. Adobe reader desktop app (version 23.3.20244.0) gives no option to login to my Adobe account, so it is not talking to the Creative Cloud Desktop. I tried uninstalling and re-installing but no result.

[Tariq Ahmad · Accepted solution]

Hi @sean_4223, 

Thanks for reaching out. 
If you are willing to uninstall and reinstall, why are you reinstalling Reader again? Log in to https://adobe.ly/4maJHy6 on your browser, download Acrobat directly, and install it. You can visit this help article to download Acrobat: https://adobe.ly/4fxaJ0h

Let us know if you have further questions.

Best regards,
Tariq | Adobe Community Team

[sean_4223]

Hi Tariq,

My corporate IT only allow me to install reader myself, since its free. I have now had by IT dept install it manually, however it looks to be a bug that reader was not able to login to my profile, recognise I had a pro licence, and update automatically.

[Tariq Ahmad]

Thanks for the quick response, @sean_4223.

It is not a bug; it is likely that your IT team has customized Reader or is not allowing Reader to show a sign-in prompt. They seem to have customized the Reader with reduced options, like disabled online services and disabled network calls. Hence if you are even able to login, Reader is unable to call Acrobat servers to auto-upgrade itself. 

Should you have further questions, feel free to reach out.

Best regards,
Tariq | Adobe Community Team

[Capt.RedBeard]

I`ve also struggled with this for so long! I had to go to File>Help>Install Premium Features