Cannot re-download Acrobat 9

[Lynn_Sfanos]

My Mac Mini died recently, and I had to replace it. Before it died, the Adobe programs were incredibly sluggish, and I thought with the newer, faster machine, the situation would improve. It did not, so I decided to reinstall Adobe CS5 Design Premium and Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro (which I thought was part of the CS5 package but is always broken out separately for some reason). I was successful in downloading and reinstalling the Design Premium programs, but when I go to the appropriate page for Acrobat (Download Acrobat products | 9, 8), the link for Mac OSX says "Not available." What am I supposed to do? I paid for the program, I have the serial number, and I can do nothing.

[kglad · Accepted solution]

if that's acrobat 9 pro and if you follow all 7 steps you can directly download a trial here: Download Adobe CS5 Free Trials – All Direct Links without Akamai | ProDesignTools

and activate with your serial number.

if you have a problem starting the download, you didn't follow all 7 steps, or your browser does not accept cookies.

the most common problem is caused by failing to meticulously follow steps 1,2 and/or 3 (which adds a cookie to your system enabling you to download the correct version from adobe.com).

failure to obtain that cookie results in an error page being displayed after clicking a link on prodesigntools.com or initiates the download of an incorrect (eg, current) version.

[Lynn_Sfanos]

If it's a trial version only, what happens when the trial period runs out?

[kglad]

you should use your serial number to activate to the full version.  otherwise, it shuts down in 30 days.

p.s when using the adobe forums, please mark helpful/correct responses, if there are any.

[Lynn_Sfanos]

Thank you for your reply, kglad. After I get a chance to try your suggestion, I'll return to mark the response appropriately.

What concerns me more, though, is that Adobe has made it impossible for customers to access a product that they have bought and paid for. To me, that is unethical.

[pwillener]

Lynn Sfanos wrote:

Adobe has made it impossible for customers to access a product that they have bought and paid for. To me, that is unethical.

I don't understand what you mean; all downloads are available on this page https://helpx.adobe.com/download-install.html

[John Waller]

What Pat said.

Just because you cannot locate it immediately, doesn't mean that it doesn't exist.

But I do sympathise. Adobe are experts at unintentionally making easy things extraordinarily difficult - navigation of their website being a prime example since it's now so Cloud-centric.

If you go to www.adobe.com, click the Downloads link in the footer > Other Downloads

Takes you to Other downloads

[Lynn_Sfanos]

John and Pat,

Did you happen to check out the link I posted in my original message? It's the page you eventually arrive at after you follow either of the links you posted in your replies. Those pages make it appear as though it's possible to download Acrobat 9 Pro, but it turns out it's "not available" for Mac.

[Lynn_Sfanos]

Accidentally entered my comment before it was finished.

Anyway, the screen you get includes this:

If you know of another location on Adobe's website to download the software, let me know.

[gener7]

Just lurking, but  the ProDesign link did it for me. I'm downloading the AA9 Mac installer just in case.

[Lynn_Sfanos]

Thanks for the feedback, gener7. I hadn't actually tried kglad's suggestion yet, but I was giving it the benefit of the doubt when I selected it as the correct answer.

I still stand by my statement that I think it's unethical that Adobe will not allow a customer to access software that he or she has a legitimate right to, and it's necessary to locate a third-party website in order to do so. The way the "Other Downloads" page is set up now, you think, Oh great! Here's where I can download Acrobat 9 Pro!... click... click...nope.

Guess I'll be saving all my .dmg files from now on....

[kglad]

prodesigntools.com is affiliated with adobe.  i'm not sure of the exact business relationship, but prodesigntools.com is NOT an independent 3rd party from adobe

[pwillener]

You are right: I did not read your initial post carefully enough.  I don't know why the Mac download is not available for Acrobat 9 Pro.  I will try to get someone from Adobe to look into it.  (Since the download is available via Prodesigntools, the actual download is on the Adobe download server.)

[Lynn_Sfanos]

kglad and Pat, I am pleased to have learned something about ProDesignTools! I also found on the Adobe forum pages an entry directly from ProDesignTools saying they've been an official Adobe partner since 2006. (Too bad Adobe's website doesn't tell you that or lead you there! It is difficult to navigate.) And Pat, if you can figure out a way to get someone Adobe to look into the situation, that would be terrific! Thanks.

[gener7]

Now for the fun part... patching 9.0.0 to 9.5.5

[kglad]

http://www.adobe.com/downloads/updates/

[gener7]

Checked that link under Acrobat Mac. No 9 updates. The updates start with 10.

Gene

[gener7]

Update: The Acrobat 9 patches for the Mac are there, they are on a ftp server instead of the usual update location.

ftp://ftp.adobe.com/pub/adobe/acrobat/mac/9.x/

Gene

[Lynn_Sfanos]

Thanks, Gene!