Participating Frequently

Question

Windows Cannot find 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Acrobat Reader'

Forum|Forum|7 years ago
February 27, 2018
9 replies
58305 views

I cannot open a pdf either from harddrive files or online.

Acrobat Reader will not open instead displaying a error panel titled "C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Acrobat Reader DC\Reader\Acrobat Reader"

message is: "Windows cannot find 'C:\Program Files 9x86)\Adobe\Acrobat Reader DC\Reader\AcroRd32.exe'.

I have "Repaired installation". Completely Uninstalled Acrobat Reader; Re-installed Acrobat Reader from Adobe multiple times

Obviously there is an error in the registry but I haven't a clue since repair, uninstall and reinstall achieves nothing

This topic has been closed for replies.

Q

qasf75

Participant

It worked!!!

Weeks I have been trying all the uninstall reinstall etc - use the above process and it works!

Thanks.

G

Gabriel Maldonado

Participant

So I'm looking through these threads and I keep seeing suggestions like uninstall/reinstall, restart computer and the like. I've burned a lot of hours trying to get this program to boot, looking through forums and trying out these methods. I'm thinking to myself, why go through all that trouble when the problem is Windows just being unable to locate it?

Out of frustration I rename Acrobat.exe to Acrobat2.exe and hit enter.

It launches perfectly.

I am at a loss for words.

L

lvelazquez91

Participant

I was having the same issue with no success after trying all the solutions posted here. I followed your advice and renamed the file. This solved the problem and now I can open all the pdfs, which made me happy but it is ridiculous how stupid that is. Thank you

hari om harshg15101632

Participant

You can change the location of acrobat

D

Darthgon2

Participant

The easiest way to solve the problem is allocating the .exe file that is not opening and change the name. Add a number or whatever you want. Then save it. Go to the files that are associated with that extension and go to the folder where is located the .exe renamed. Associate with that file and it will work. It is valid solution for all the programs that you might have with the same problem.

Cheers.

P

Pegasus74

Participant

Thank you so much. Changing the name with just a single character works! How completely crazy.

M

mikes47148058

Participant

This is beyond a joke.

Install, uninstall, reset, delete and reinstall all adobe products. Those are adobe's suggestions, all time consuming and absolutely useless.

For me neither PS Elements 12 or 2019 will run on WIN 10. All other Adobe products do. All other programs run OK except same message with Steam.

I have wasted more than a day with this crap. If Adobe don't fix it, I'll (metaphorically speaking) burn a copy outside their offices. Terrible that a company as good as Adobe was, is now so absolutely hopeless.

chinogut

Participant

Found answer, at least for me, at this address:

https://forums.adobe.com/thread/2262502

Hope this helps others.

O

omarnehme

Participant

GREAT !! thank you.

this is the ANSWER right here...

Could you please try the following steps:

1- Close Reader

2- Hold down Windows key and press R on your keyboard, this will bring up Run dialogue box.

3- Type regedit in the run dialogue box and hit Enter, click Yes when User Account Control pop-up appears.

4- Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options, delete the key AcroRd32.exe (in my case, there were 2 folders AcroRd... I deleted both)

5- Relaunch Reader (I relaunched and it worked !)

THIS WILL FIX THIS

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Test Screen Name

Legend

If you've tried EVERYTHING there is NOTHING we can suggest. But if there might be something you haven't tried. First thing: does that file actually exist?

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williamb17324911

Participant

Yes

On Wed, Apr 24, 2019 at 12:02 AM Test Screen Name <forums_noreply@adobe.com>

gentlewindmusic

Participant

OMG! I am having the same exact problem. My PC had some Windows update and since then I can not open any PDF files on my PC or via browsers. I get the same notice that says it can't be found on my PC. But it is on my PC!! Very frustrated!!

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Test Screen Name

Legend

Yes I think you’re the only one. An exe does not need a registry key to run. Weird. Do you see all the same stuff as me?

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DavidDonnellAuthor

Participating Frequently

I am not the "only one". Given that Adobe Reader AcroRd32.exe is installed from Adobe.com and makes entrys to the users registry it stands to reason that within the compiled exe file there exists a call via the registry. Somehow the registry keys involved with Adobe call a path and somewhere misdirected.

This problem requires effort by someone with intimate programming knowledge of acrobat reader (if there any still employed in Adobe)

Meenakshi Negi

Community Manager

Hi DavidDonnell,

As you have mentioned, you get the error message "Windows cannot find 'C:\Program Files 9x86)\Adobe\Acrobat Reader DC\Reader\AcroRd32.exe" when you launch the application.

Please try once the troubleshooting steps provided in this thread Windows cannot find 'c:\.....\AcroRd32.exe' with the similar issue.

Check if it resolves the issue.

If that does not help, try once to run the cleaner tool Download Adobe Reader and Acrobat Cleaner Tool - Adobe Labs on your machine.

Then restart your machine and re-install the application from here Adobe - Adobe Acrobat Reader DC Distribution

Check if that helps.

Let us know how it goes.

Please update the thread if you still experience the issue.

Regards,

Meenakshi

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Test Screen Name

Legend

Does it start if you double click on the AcroRD32.exe file in that directory?

D

DavidDonnellAuthor

Participating Frequently

no. it brings up the same error message which is confusing and indicates to me that there is a bad entry in the registry but I've no clue as to what registry keys to look in with regedit

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Test Screen Name

Legend

That is very odd, isn't it. I wouldn't know where to look either, if it's an EXE it should just run. Just to check, in the same folder you should see all this stuff:..