Adobe Reader cannot be opened because of a problem - Mac, not PC

[Iconoclastmac]

“Adobe Reader cannot be opened because of a problem.

Check with the developer to make sure Adobe Reader works with this version of OS X. You may need to reinstall the application. Be sure to install any available updates for the application and OS X.

Click Report to see more detailed information and send a report to Apple.”

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9-20-2014: Had Mavericks for ~ 1 month. Adobe Acrobat Reader working just fine.

OS X 10.9.4 Got notice to update Acrobat. I did & it failed to update & got the above message! V. 10.1.12. I searched & found Acrobat v. 11.0.07, I trashed/uninstalled Adobe Reader 10.app & also trashed; Adobe Folder containing Acrobat.com.app.

I D/L new Adobe Acrobat Reader v. 11.0.07. It worked fine!

I then upgraded OS X to v. 10.9.5. new Adobe Acrobat Reader v. 11.0.07. Still worked fine!  Hours later it failed to launch again with the above error message!

(Crash logs available if needed to solve this)

Now using Mac Preview to open PDF files.

BTW, I clicked “get Info” on the Reader app & see a box was checked “Open In 32 bit mode.” Since my Mac is 64 bit, I unchecked that box & tried again to launch & same exact error.

Thanks!

[Iconoclastmac]

Update: I repaired permissions, just in case. I also trashed Reader & will re-D/L it.

I also trashed preferences files/folders:

Adobe Folder, containing Acrobat folder, containing 11.0 folder, which contains; AutoFillDefualts.dat, defaultHeuristics.dat

Trashed Folder: “com.adobe.mauby.4875E02D9FB21EE389F73B8D1702B320485DF8CE.1”

Which had 5 folders inside

Trashed all com.adobe files:

com.adobe.acrobat.90.sh.plist

com.adobe.ARM.plist

com.adobe.Reader_x86_9.0.plist

com.adobe.Reader_x86_9.0.plist.X5vydA6

com.adobe.Reader.plist

com.adobe.Synchronizer.11.0.plist

Next, Re D/L Reader 11.0.07

http://get.adobe.com/reader/download/?installer=Reader_11.0.07_English_for_Mac_Intel&os=OSX&browser_...

Still No Adobe files or folders in preferences folder.

I try to open Reader, seems to open OK.

Library preferences now has 2 files:

com.adobe.ARM.plist

com.adobe.Reader.plist

Try to open a PDF & it opens! Is it fixed? Or will it crash in a day? I close it & see Adobe updater in the dock!

“An Update for Adobe Reader to version 11.0.09 is available. Do you want to install it? This update addresses customer issues & security vulnerabilities.” I said Yes. After several minutes:

“The Update could not be applied because the Adobe Reader application contents were modified since the original installation. Please reinstall Adobe Reader & check for Updates again. Error 1301”

I check apps folder/ Get info: V. 11.0.09

So, I apparently did get the update. Now will it work? Nope!

It is just bouncing on the dock!  Force quit. Try to open PDF, Get popup:

“Adobe Reader quit unexpectedly

Click Reopen to open the application again. Click Report to see more detailed information and send a report to Apple.”

(I suppose I could trash it again & D/L it again & not agree to the update!)

Update again:

I went back & checked box to open in 32 bit mode, still crashes.

[ruchika · Accepted solution]

Hi Iconoclastmac,

Please try unistalling Adobe Reader and clean system by the following steps:

1. Go to /Applications/Adobe Reader.app .Drag and drop this app to Trash.

2. Go to  Internet plug-ins present in System Library -  /Library/Internet Plug-Ins/ and move the following to Trash :

          a) /Library/Internet Plug-Ins/AdobePDFViewer.plugin

          b) /Library/Internet Plug-Ins/AdobePDFViewerNPAPI.plugin

3. Go to /Library/Application Support/Adobe and move the following folders to Trash :

          a) /Library/Application Support/Adobe/Reader

          b) /Library/Application Support/Adobe/HelpCfg

4. Go to /Library/Preferences/com.adobe.acrobat.pdfviewer.plist and move this plist to Trash.

Restart your Mac.Try installing Adobe Reader 11.0.09 from ftp://ftp.adobe.com/pub/adobe/reader/mac/11.x/11.0.09/en_US/AdbeRdr11009_en_US.dmg

[Iconoclastmac]

You solved the problem, ruchika!  Thanks!

I looked in Internet Plug-Ins, Application Support/Adobe & preferences folders both in

Macintosh HD/Library and in Macintosh HD/Users/(my computer name)/Library

I trashed all the ones you listed + some others. Restart & D/L from the ftp link you proved & now I have V. 11.0.09 & it works!

What I trashed:

Macintosh HD/Library/Internet plug-Ins:

AdobePDFVierer.plugin

AdobePDFViewerNPAPI.plugin.

Macintosh HD/Library/Application Support/Adobe:

Reader Folder

HelpCfg Folder

Macintosh HD/Library/Preferences:

Com.adobe.acrobat.pdfviewer.plist

Not part of Instructions but, I trashed:

Macintosh HD/Library/Preferences:

com.adobe.PDFAdminSettings.plist

Macintosh HD/Library/Application Support/Adobe:

Acrobat Folder

Macintosh HD/Users/(my computer name)/Library/Application Support/Adobe:

Acrobat Folder

Macintosh HD/Users/(my computer name)/Library

”Application Support /Adobe/Acrobat” FOLDER

Macintosh HD/Users/(my computer name)/Library/Preferences

com.adobe.ARM.plist

com.adobe.Reader.plist

I left in place:

Macintosh HD/Users/(my computer name)/Library/Launch Agents:

com.adobe.ARM.202f4087f2bbde52e3ac2df389f53a4f123223c9cc56a8fd83a6f7ae.plist

Macintosh HD/Library/LaunchAgents has no Adobe files/folders

Is there anything I trashed that I should NOT have trashed?

How about the files/folders I trashed & noted in my earlier post:

trashed preferences files/folders:

Adobe Folder, containing Acrobat folder, containing 11.0 folder, which contains; AutoFillDefualts.dat, defaultHeuristics.dat

Trashed Folder: “com.adobe.mauby.4875E02D9FB21EE389F73B8D1702B320485DF8CE.1”

Which had 5 folders inside

Trashed all com.adobe files:

com.adobe.acrobat.90.sh.plist

com.adobe.ARM.plist

com.adobe.Reader_x86_9.0.plist

com.adobe.Reader_x86_9.0.plist.X5vydA6

com.adobe.Reader.plist

com.adobe.Synchronizer.11.0.plist

Since I never purchased Acrobat, I assume any Acrobat file/folder I have is for Adobe Reader. I hope I didn’t trash anything I needed for Adobe Flash Player.

I still have all trashed files/folders sitting in the trash can so I can restore any that I should not have deleted.

Thanks again,

Steve