Year 2024 - Installing both versions of Adobe Pro and Adobe Reader on the same machine

[Amirs]

Year 2024 - Installing both versions of Adobe Pro and Adobe Reader on the same machine

Hello,

We have multiple users working on a terminal servers

A few have license for Adobe Pro

The rest of the users need access to the 'regular' Adobe Reader that does not require a license.

Tried installing Adobe Pro on the terminal server -

it uninstalled and canceled out Adobe Reader.

We need a way to keep both versions on the same machine

Major problem with Adobe Pro is - It wouldn't let users use reading functionality without logging in with an email address that has a license attatched to it.

It just force quits, leaving reading PDF files impossible for users without Adobe Pro license.

How can we keep both versions? 

Or, is there a way to tell Adove Pro not to force quit while not in 'logged in' mode and keep reading functionality?

Thank you!

[Amal. · Accepted solution]

Hi @Amirs 

Hope you are doing well.

The 64-bit application is a unified application for Acrobat and Acrobat Reader. If you have installed Acrobat Reader 64-bit and you purchase an Acrobat subscription, the Acrobat Reader 64-bit application will upgrade to become a fully functional Acrobat 64-bit application.

For more info. please check the help page https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/kb/about-acrobat-reader-dc-migration-to-64-bit.html

~Amal

[diamedca · Accepted solution]

The answer is YES, IT IS POSSIBLE in 2025!

You have to install adobe acrobat DC (Not the reader) and then add a registry Key to enable reduce mode.

Reduce mode enables users without license to use Adobe Acrobat as reader only, and licenses users to use the full set of tools.

The registry key to enable reduced mode for Acrobat 64-bit is:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat\DC\FeatureLockDown:"bIsSCReducedModeEnforcedEx"=dword:0000001

I found it in this adobe procedure:
https://www.adobe.com/devnet-docs/acrobatetk/tools/VirtualizationGuide/singleinstaller.html
At the end of the procedure you will find the Registry Key that needs to be added to enable "reduce mode":

[Amal. · Accepted solution]

Hi @Amirs 

Hope you are doing well.

The 64-bit application is a unified application for Acrobat and Acrobat Reader. If you have installed Acrobat Reader 64-bit and you purchase an Acrobat subscription, the Acrobat Reader 64-bit application will upgrade to become a fully functional Acrobat 64-bit application.

For more info. please check the help page https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/kb/about-acrobat-reader-dc-migration-to-64-bit.html

~Amal

[Amirs]

Thank you for the reply, my question still remains however.

Is it possible to use the 'free' version alongside the pro version somehow?

[Abdelrahman354801992c7c]

the only workaround is to install the Adobe reader x32 bit and the pro one as x64 bit

[JR Boulay]

Answer is no.

This is no longer possible since Acrobat is delivered in a unified version.
The only alternative is to install Foxit Reader, which is also done by all PDF form designers who need to be able to test their forms before delivering them to their customers.

[diamedca · Accepted solution]

The answer is YES, IT IS POSSIBLE in 2025!

You have to install adobe acrobat DC (Not the reader) and then add a registry Key to enable reduce mode.

Reduce mode enables users without license to use Adobe Acrobat as reader only, and licenses users to use the full set of tools.

The registry key to enable reduced mode for Acrobat 64-bit is:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat\DC\FeatureLockDown:"bIsSCReducedModeEnforcedEx"=dword:0000001

I found it in this adobe procedure:
https://www.adobe.com/devnet-docs/acrobatetk/tools/VirtualizationGuide/singleinstaller.html
At the end of the procedure you will find the Registry Key that needs to be added to enable "reduce mode":

[diamedca · Accepted solution]

Here is the link for the unified installer:
https://trials.adobe.com/AdobeProducts/APRO/Acrobat_HelpX/win32/Acrobat_DC_Web_x64_WWMUI.zip

Then after installing it, you have to go to the registry and add a DWORD key:
bIsSCReducedModeEnforcedEx
Value: 1
The path for the DWORD in the registry is:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat\DC\FeatureLockDown

I did the above on August 13, 2025 and it worked on my Windows Server 2022 Datacenter.

But if that does not work, then try the Non Unified installer, that claims to live installed side by side with acrobat reader. Here is the link for the non unified:
https://trials.adobe.com/AdobeProducts/APRO/Acrobat_HelpX/win32/Acrobat_DC_Web_WWMUI.zip
Notice that the difference is that the Unified is 64bit and the non unified is 32bit, meaning, if you want both, the reader version should be 64bit.

Both links were found in this page:

https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/kb/acrobat-dc-downloads.html