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Participating Frequently
March 20, 2023
Answered

Unable to install Acrobat Reader DC. Newer Version Already Installed. Windows 10. Cleaner Tool run

  • March 20, 2023
  • 3 replies
  • 18553 views

I have previously used Acrobat Reader DC and had previously uninstalled it.  I am now trying to reinstall, and am continually getting the message "newer version already installed".  I am using Windows 10 and am downloading via Chrome.  Javascript is enabled in Chrome. Activex scripts are enabled.  I have run the Acrobat Cleaner utility.  It seems everything that can be tried has been tried.  I would be grateful for any assistance on this issue.

Correct answer Karl Heinz Kremer

The cleaner tool is 4.0.0.  When run, the cleaner tells me that it cannot find Adobe Acrobat installed on the computer.  It offers to clean it from the non-existent c:\program files\Adobe\Acrobat directory.  I tell it to additionally look for the c:\program files (86)\Adobe directory which is empty but does exist.  However, it warns me that it will ignore that directory, since a valid Adobe Acrobat installation was not found at that location.  I am then told that Acrobat has been succesfully removed, and asked to reboot.


Here is one more potential fix: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cBjBgrujWo

 

This is for an old version of Windows and also for a three year old version of Acrobat Reader, but it may still work. 

3 replies

New Participant
September 6, 2024

Having this issue trying to reinstall Adobe Reader.

Says it's still installed but have already uninstalled and ran the acro cleaner.

 

Looks like Adobe has scrubbed all the previous adobe reader cleaners and instructions, not sure what else to do. have already tried removing all traces of Adobe but it still says it's installed when trying to run the installer.

 

New Participant
September 10, 2025

After many attempts, I found that installing Adobe Reader DC, and uninstalling it fixed my problem.

JR Boulay
Community Expert
March 21, 2023

[MOVED TO THE ACROBAT READER DISCUSSIONS]

Acrobate du PDF, InDesigner et Photoshopographe
Karl Heinz  Kremer
Community Expert
March 20, 2023

When do you get this error message? Is it during the download, or when you try to install the downloaded software? The Cleaner should definitely remove anything that the Reader installer could potetnially identify as a newer version.

Participating Frequently
March 20, 2023

The message is displayed by the Acrobat Installer at the end of the installation.  During theinstallation, the progress bar moves across the screen and reports progress.  However, when the error message is displayed, it shows an empty progress bar.  No error number is reported.

Karl Heinz  Kremer
Karl Heinz KremerCorrect answer
Community Expert
March 20, 2023

The cleaner tool is 4.0.0.  When run, the cleaner tells me that it cannot find Adobe Acrobat installed on the computer.  It offers to clean it from the non-existent c:\program files\Adobe\Acrobat directory.  I tell it to additionally look for the c:\program files (86)\Adobe directory which is empty but does exist.  However, it warns me that it will ignore that directory, since a valid Adobe Acrobat installation was not found at that location.  I am then told that Acrobat has been succesfully removed, and asked to reboot.


Here is one more potential fix: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cBjBgrujWo

 

This is for an old version of Windows and also for a three year old version of Acrobat Reader, but it may still work.