Problem with Acrobat

[Derek2k]

I have an old version of Acrobat (v8) which works fine for me but it keeps trying to auto-configure itself for some reason. I click on Cancel but it comes up again about a minute later. If I let it continue with whatever it's trying to do it fails every time. There doesn't appear to be anything wrong with the programme iteself and it runs ok (on Windows 10). It's becoming very annoying, does anyone know how to disable it please? The attached picture shows the notification box that pops up. Thanks.

[try67]

Acrobat 8 is a very old version, no longer supported by Adobe and no longer able to be activated. It's also not compatible with Windows 10, so problems are to be expected.

Your best chance of getting it working is to install all available updates for it and then running it in Compatibility Mode with an earlier OS version, like Windows 7. Beyond that we can't help you with this issue.

[Test Screen Name]

Above all DO NOT UNINSTALL IT OR TRY TO REINSTALL. You will be left with no working software, better to live with the problem. It's amazing such an old app still runs at all.

[Derek2k]

Thanks for the replies but despite it's age it's been working fine on Windows 10 for several years before this started a few months ago. There must be some sort of utility that's running in the background as it pops up even though Acrobat isn't running. I've tried disabling some likely-looking non-Windows services and even tried altering the extensions of some executable files in the Acrobat program folder.

[Test Screen Name]

Yes, but Windows 10 is updating constantly, a process that Microsoft force on us all. So you aren't running in the same Windows 10 you were running a few months ago. There are new features all the time, and some things are broken. In time we can expect all our old apps to fail because of this. There is no way out of this loop.

[Derek2k]

Ok thanks, looks like I'm stuck with it then!

[Test Screen Name]

I should say so. And anticipate (from a planning and budgeting point of view) the day when it gives up altogether.

[Derek2k · Accepted solution]

I finally managed to fix it. I renamed the Acrobat 8.0 folder in Program Files and immediately an error popped up saying unable to access AcroIEFavClient.dll. So I renamed it AcroIEFavClient.dl_ put back the Acrobat 8.0 folder name and the problem has gone, not even any error messages! Something to do with a tie in with Internet Explorer.