Adobe Acrobat Pro 2017 Asking To Activate Subscription. Why?

[jasons78967278]

So I've tried reaching out to Adobe via phone, which is useless because it is outsourced to India and they read scripts. So, I'm hoping someone out there who isn't a robot can help me!

Has anyone had trouble with Adobe Acrobat Pro 2017 asking to "activate your subscription"? I shouldn't have to activate my subscription because I entered a valid serial number, which was (according to the 'CS rep' on the phone) successfully activated on my machine. I did this process for all 4 of my machines, each with a unique and valid serial number. However, it requires me to sign in with my Adobe ID, and confuses it with my DC subscription.

This could be noteworthy, but I bought my serial numbers through TechSoup.

Yes, I'm using the Adobe Acrobat 2017 installer executable provided by TechSoup and Adobe.

The phone calls go in circles, and at one point they even tried to get me to buy a subscription to fix the issue.

Customer service as atrocious as this should be considered criminal. It's like they know how many people rely on Adobe, and know it won't make a difference if the product works or not. They just got our money, and that's all that matters.

/rant. I would just like for this software to work.

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[Moved from Comments forum to specific Program forum... Mod]

[kglad]

do you have a cc subscription for any adobe programs?

[jasons78967278]

Yes, I have a cloud subscription for Adobe DC.

[kglad]

do you also have a license for acrobat 2017?

[jasons78967278]

Yes I do -- I have 4 of them (Acrobat Pro 2017 licenses)

[Test Screen Name]

Make sure every license is deployed with the Adobe ID for the intended user. If they are all for you, you'll need an ID for each.

[Anguel]

I have the same problem and I am really annoyed. I bought 3 Acrobat 2017 Standard Upgrade TLP licenses for my small company and received the serial. I started the installation at the PC of one of my co-workers. The Acrobat 2017 installer asked me for the serial but after installation it did not continue without having entered an Adobe ID. So I entered my e-mail I used for licensing which is also my own Adobe ID and there I have a full Adobe Cloud subscription. So instead of activating Acrobat Standard the stupid software activated Acrobat Pro and logged my co-worker in into my own cloud account.

So my questions are:

1. Do I need to create an Adobe ID for each of my co-workers?

2. What about a corporate Adobe ID? Can I get one? I expect this to be too much work for a small company.

3. Why does Adobe force me to enter an Adobe ID when I purchased a desktop non-DC application? It is probably just to be able to track the number installations. Very annoying - we want to do proper licensing, pay a lot of money and all we get is wasting our time with complex activation nonsense...

[kglad]

what do you have both a acrobat dc subscription and acrobat 2017 licenses?

[robertb7355718]

What is the solution for this?  I am having the same problem and tech support is really confused.

[Test Screen Name]

If you use retail product each user MUST have their own personal Adobe ID. You CANNOT pool the licenses or administer for them. They MUST each know their own password and ID. I don’t say this is good, but it is how things are. If you want to do anything different you NEED to return any retail licenses and get volume licenses.

[ss201789]

Having the same issue. Seems like if Adobe Cloud ever touched the computer (even different AD logins) it will try to use the Adobe CC account to activate Adobe Acrobat 2017 even after full removal of CC products.  Any fix?

[kglad]

don't let cc update perpetually licensed programs.

[ss201789]

CC not installed anymore (but seemly hanging around).  However, the prompts to login still come up on the perpetual license. CC was on the computer but was cleaned by the cleaner and removed from the program list.  Still prompting though.

[kglad]

you have to thoroughly remove cc.  you probably can't perform the first two steps because they're already done, but do the rest:

uninstall everything cc including preferences, https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/help/uninstall-remove-app.html

then uninstall the cc desktop app, https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/help/uninstall-creative-cloud-desktop-app.html

remove the Adobe PCD folder and SLStore folders  (https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/kb/configuration-error.html)

clean your computer of cc files per http://www.adobe.com/support/contact/cscleanertool.html

uninstall the problematic acrobat after securing your serial number

if win, Download Adobe Reader and Acrobat Cleaner Tool - Adobe Labs

restart your computer (don't skip this)

reinstall your acrobat and activate with your serial number

[beakt]

Yes, I just encountered this same stupidity. Perpetual retail license purchased for Acrobat Pro 2017, serial number entered, and then it demands I sign in.  Why?  The serial number can be validated like it has for decades with Adobe software.  It's the same format.

I'm doing this for a user that doesn't have, need, or want an Adobe ID, or use any of their cloud services, and doesn't need to be prompted to update her profile, or get ads for services or demands to sign in, or whatever else it's going to hassle her about. We just want her to be able to edit PDFs using software on her computer. Is that too much to ask?  Editing PDFs should not require Internet access.  This is utterly ridiculous.

I guess Adobe saw how Microsoft mistreats its business customers the same way with retail perpetual licenses for Microsoft Office, with the same answer to complaints:  Buy the more expensive volume license, if you don't want to have to create sign-in accounts and have Internet access to type a letter and print it on your computer!  And Adobe thought, "Hey, we can't let Microsoft disrespect and mock its customers more than we do!  Let's do the same thing!"

[kristinb5713]

Yes, I am having similar problem. I purchased a CD of Adobe Acrobat Pro 2017 fully paid from ThinkEDU. I followed all directions and obtained a serial number, product code, and created an Adobe ID. When I go to use the program, I find myself in an endless loop of being prompted to activate the product by "confirming my Adobe ID". After I do this, and relaunch the product, it loops back to prompting me to activate again.

[kglad]

did you install from the cd?

were you prompted for you serial number during installation?

[LMK1]

I have  a very similar problem. I got a serial number from TechSoup for Adobe Pro 2017 for the Mac.  I tried to install it using Mac OS 10.15 and had huge problems getting the installer to work.. after 2 days with the adobe tech support person online (I couldn't call because even though I registered the serial number Adobe online keeps saying they have no record of a product ownership by me which would allow me phone access) I got it to install, but then when I try and open it, it opens a licensing application and when I type in my Adobe web address and login info for the acct that the product is registered to, it just keeps spinning and not opening the application.  So far Adobe has not been able to help..  

[biomonkey]

Update for all,

I ran into the same issue with this and I think I found a resolution to the issue.  The fix that I found was to log into the account that you are to use with the Adobe product.  Once logged in go the "My Accounts" section of the account then go to "Plans and Products".  Review the section and they may have a product on there labelled "Adobe Acrobat DC" prepaid.  You will need to cancel this subscription to get the original software you are trying to activate.  The account is trying to default to the subscription model instead of verifying the product key.  If you are still having trouble activated the software, go to the same "My Account" section and then register the product key that you have received to the account.

[LMK1]

I have  a very similar problem. I got a serial number from TechSoup for Adobe Pro 2017 for the Mac.  I tried to install it using Mac OS 10.15 and had huge problems getting the installer to work.. after 2 days with the adobe tech support person online (I couldn't call because even though I registered the serial number Adobe online keeps saying they have no record of a product ownership by me which would allow me phone access) I got it to install, but then when I try and open it, it opens a licensing application and when I type in my Adobe web address and login info for the acct that the product is registered to, it just keeps spinning and not opening the application.  So far Adobe has not been able to help..