Unfortunately, many companies produce and support products like Adobe Reader, as if their target users had it open ever single day. Sorry, most of us only use Reader less than every week or month. So few of us want the burden of forced learning, for things that have zero or negative value. Constant updating means we are constantly frustrated trying to learn why features we depended on, were removed or changed, with zero notice, (notice that we had time or interest to reading).
For this reason, we must learn how to use Adobe products without being subjugated to experience what Adobe's target, daily users and therefore, prospective customers. So, we must support ourselves as best we can. Because of this, here's a little survival guide to any critical, but seldom used products from Adobe or others:
Understand, that if you auto-update, most every time you encounter the UI, features and appearances will change, sometimes substantially. Any personal "customizations" will likely be lost, or changed completely, from what you originally intended. Updates mean constantly learning how changes will affect you, or how you can work around them. Got a new PC? Good luck installing your old software that appears the same, since often it will be impossible to even download old versions. So, unless you prepare ahead of time, prepare to spend time with "better new versions".
Make few "optional changes", or these will cause more wasted time later. When installing on a new PC, you must manually many identical changes, assuming they still exist or haven't been moved. Remember, anything you add, like digital signatures that were available in v-11 of Reader might disappear completely, (or become paid-only features, as I believe occurred in DC versions).
Download and keep the latest installable EXE or MSI versions of your application. Separately, keep the latest (or last) update to that EXE installable version, (that works without any interim updates that could be required). If it is a critical app, try a fresh EXE install and then update it on a spare PC, to ensure this still works, when you change PCs.
Keep detailed install notes, which might include invoice numbers, versions, links, serial numbers if any, and license keys. Without these notes, getting a new PC for any reason, may mean days of work to configure your new PC in some semblance of a good work environment. Also, keep links like this forum handy, and include them in your notes.
Whatever you do, turn off-auto-updating if possible, and resist the urge to just install the updates without a little research. Dell and many other hardware and software companies do not necessarily recommend updating without a good reason. This is also why any experienced IT manager never update to the latest versions, at least when it is first released. Remember, guinea pigs and mice are designed to die and die often, in the name of "progressing the science", (or verifying the safety of a release?). But, observing this exposure is all to the benefit of the researcher or developer, not the poor expendable animal.
Security concerns are of little importance for most users if you know what specifically might be(come) dangerous. For instance, Reader can "open links", and you can open attached files embedded in the PDF. This creates a constant source of whack-a-mole updates for Adobe's devs that require frequent updating. So just don't click on, trust, or rely on any links or attachments inside a PDF.
Use an alternative easier to use program as a faster option for just reading PDFs. Most PDFs I read directly in the browser, by Chrome, Firefox, etc. Even emailed attachments in GMail will open in a browser window for quick viewing (with few options). For downloaded PDF files, I use the totally free open source [product removed], and set Windows to use that by [Product URL removed] default. That way, I can easily see and open 25 PDF files, then click and select which to view.
When I need to sign something electronically, fill in a form, or make changes, I open up Reader V-11. Editing isn't easy, but at least you can do it. (Hint = Choosing white as the font creates a movable resizable whiteout block to cover any text, using just the text tool).
Here is a summary of what you need for V-11 Reader, as of today. These links can (and will eventually) disappear at any time.
FIRST INSTALL AdbeRdr11010_en_US.exe AND THEN UPDATE WITH THE MSP FILE
NOTE -- SOME SAY YOU MUST CLEAN THE REGISTRY, (AFTER UNINSTALL/REINSTALL), OR IT WON'T UPDATE
1. ADOBE READER V-11 - LAST EXE VERSION - 2014-12-14 - V-11.0.10
ftp://ftp.adobe.com/pub/adobe/reader/win/11.x/11.0.10/en_US/
AdbeRdr11010_en_US.exe 72.3 MB 12/4/14, 7:00:00 PM
2. MANUALLY APPLY ADOBE READER V-11 UPDATER TO 11.0.23 - 2017-11-06
ftp://ftp.adobe.com/pub/adobe/reader/win/11.x/11.0.23/misc/
AdbeRdrUpd11023_MUI.msp 38.0 MB 11/6/17, 7:00:00 PM --<<< MUI = Multi Language U I [Ok, but why is it smaller??]
AdbeRdrUpd11023.msp 46.2 MB 11/6/17, 7:00:00 PM -<<< USE this file, NOT the MUI file if you want only the US version
3. Turn off Auto-Updating, (OR disable it some way [by searching this forum if required]).
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