Adobe Reader DC unworkable

Report · Oct 25, 2019

I re-installed Acrobat Reader, since it kept giving the welcome tour on each open and I'm unwilling to play around with my registry.

The new install opens a pdf file, but within a few seconds the screen darkens over the document, and I can't click, browse, type or do anything.

Please help!

Report · Oct 25, 2019

The take a tour issue suggests a problem that needs fixing that will have all sorts of nasty effects. Need to sort that out. It's probably an %APPDATA% foder pemission issue.

Report · Oct 25, 2019

Thanks for the reply! I'd love for some more clarity though, not sure what to do from your response onwards.

There's no take a tour option, just the screen becoming inoperable right now.

Report · Oct 25, 2019

There was an unresolved issue, suggesting permissions need to be fixed. Reinstalling probably didn't make the underlying issue go away.

Open a RUN window

Type %appdata%\Adobe

Make sure all the folders under this point are writeable by setting Windows permissions (advanced options needed)

You mentioned the registry. Can you link to specific advice saying you needed to fix that too?

Report · Oct 28, 2019

This is the thread that referred to registry editing to resolve it: https://community.adobe.com/t5/Acrobat-Reader/acrobat-reader-tour-window-keeps-coming-up/td-p/101250...

I ended up uninstalling it, running the cleaner, re-installing it, and now the welcome tour keeps popping up. Sigh

Report · Oct 28, 2019

I have run out of ideas here... what a pain.

Have you appplied all three latest updates that Adobe published since 15th October?

If you are missing those updates see if by applying them resolves the issue when you follow the registry editing steps once more.

Hopefully this may help

Report · Oct 25, 2019

That means you may have to follow the right steps of uninstalling and reinstalling the applicarion using the Adobe Repair/Cleanup tool.

If you already used it and follow the correct steps, then it would be worth checking other things in your Windows 10.

Just for testing purposes you can try and recheck if all three updates that were published this month are current in your acrobat.

Also forcing an update in your windows 10 OS.

LAST, you can always try and right click on the AdobeReader.exe file and select the Windows Compatibility Troubleshooter.

Again, just for testing purposes you can enable an older version of windows to host the misbehaving application and see if that resolves your issue. Running the backward compatibility troublshooter also gives you an option to diagnose automatically which in most cases it will detect, download amd install any missing techNet dependencies that may be missing or got corrupted

Report · Oct 25, 2019

I also forgot to add to enable or disable Data Execution Prevention just for that program or all programs

Report · Oct 25, 2019

Well, i did a little more research and it seems like playing with registry keys is the only solution.

The strange thing in your screenshot is that you have Reader DC. Which should have an option to hide the welcome tour..

Versions 10 and 10.1 of Adobe Acrobat did not have this option to hide the welcome tour so the only available solution was to apply the registry key fix like shown hwre:

https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/kb/hide-welcome-screen-acrobat-reader.html

This makes me wonder if you had Adobe Acrobat X installed before in your computer and then upgraded.

The darkening of the screen is another odd behavior.

Like Test Screen Name piointed out by saying "all sorts of nasty effects", you are going to need to download the Adobe Repair and Cleanup tool which does have an automated process to clean orphan files and old or corrypt registry keys from a bad installation or product registration

Here is the link for the Adobe Acrobat And Reader cleanup tool:

https://labs.adobe.com/downloads/acrobatcleaner.html

Here is a link for the Adobe Creative Cloud cleaner tool from here:

https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/kb/cc-cleaner-tool-installation-problems.html

Limited Access Repair tool fix here:

https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/kb/cc-cleaner-tool-installation-problems.html

Adobe Licensing Repair Tools from here:

https://www.adobe.com/support/contact/licensing.html