Acrobat Reader not working

VicM · Aug 31, 2023

I'm using Win 11 Pro on a Dell box. I bought this because I was using Win 7 for a long time with virtually no issues. Unfortunately, my laptop was experiencing hardware issues or I would have stayed with Win 7.
Twice I downloaded Acrobat Reader, and twice it would not launch. When I ran the troubleshooter (which is soon to be deprecated) it said the program was not compatible. I had uninstalled the program the first time and had to reboot. Then re-downloaded the installer and re-installed with the same result. It would not launch. Neither time did I opt for the McAfee tag-along since I already installed Norton.
Quite frankly, I'm getting fed up with Microsoft and their "we know what's best for you" attitude. This is not the first issue I've had with Win 11. I'm so sorry that I didn't switch to Linux or any other OS.
Does anyone have any insights as to why this is happening?

Thanks,
Vic

timbobit · Aug 31, 2023

This is what I used instead of Acrobat reader. I use Microsoft Edge as the pdf reader plus MS PowerToys to render thumbnails.

FreeBooter · Aug 31, 2023

The Foxit pdf reader is a light weight and should work with Windows 7.

Free PDF Reader: Download and View PDFs | Foxit

The best free PDF reader & viewer used by over 700 million users. Download Foxit PDF Reader for Windows, Mac, Android & more today!

www.foxit.com

PenPusher · Aug 31, 2023

Edge, Firefox, Google Chrome, etc will all handle .pdf files and do some simple editing. It's all I use.
You don't need any other s/w... most is bloatware.

I use Firefox to read .pdf's

glasskuter · Aug 31, 2023

Uninstall Adobe Reader and reinstall it to make sure you have most current version. Be sure to uncheck McAfee which is part of the download. Adobe - Download Adobe Acrobat Reader DC

As others have mentioned 11 comes defaulting .pdf files to Edge. To use another app for pdf files, you must manually change its default in your file associations.
Settings> Apps >Default Apps >scroll to botton Select 'choose defaults by file type'. Find .pdf in the list and change it's default app to Adobe or whatever 3rd party app you choose..

VicM · Sep 2, 2023

Thanks to all for your suggestions. I recognize that Edge will render pdfs. I guess I'm just a creature of habit and was trying to make my Win 11 experience as close as possible to the way I did things in Win 7. I'll have to revisit how I will go forward.
And glasskuter, I did uninstall Reader and re-downloaded and installed it. It still didn't function giving me a message about it not being compatible.
Vic

vipergg · Sep 2, 2023

Not sure I have Windows 11 and Adobe Acrobat works fine .

K7MEM · Sep 2, 2023

Just because it doesn't run, doesn't mean it's a MS issue. Have you tried disabling Norton and anything else that might be interfering with it running? I don't use Norton or McAfee or anything, other than the built in Windows Security. Windows Security seems to work great.

I have been using the Acrobat reader on my computers since the XP days. Maybe earlier, but I don't remember any more. I use it stand alone and almost always have several PDF files opened. I also use it within Chrome. It seems to work fine on Windows 11. I see the Acrobat Updater always running in my Task Manager.

cereberus · Sep 2, 2023

VicM said:
I'm using Win 11 Pro on a Dell box. I bought this because I was using Win 7 for a long time with virtually no issues. Unfortunately, my laptop was experiencing hardware issues or I would have stayed with Win 7.
Twice I downloaded Acrobat Reader, and twice it would not launch. When I ran the troubleshooter (which is soon to be deprecated) it said the program was not compatible. I had uninstalled the program the first time and had to reboot. Then re-downloaded the installer and re-installed with the same result. It would not launch. Neither time did I opt for the McAfee tag-along since I already installed Norton.
Quite frankly, I'm getting fed up with Microsoft and their "we know what's best for you" attitude. This is not the first issue I've had with Win 11. I'm so sorry that I didn't switch to Linux or any other OS.
Does anyone have any insights as to why this is happening?

Thanks,
Vic

And what is to stop you changing now?

Blaming MS for a issue with acrobat is nonsense. It works fine on my pc.

You should try uninstalling it with Revo Uninstaller or similar to get rid of all traces, then reinstall.

PenPusher · Sep 2, 2023

If you really want Acrobat reader, get it from the MS store.

Wynona · Sep 2, 2023

VicM said:
I'm using Win 11 Pro on a Dell box. I bought this because I was using Win 7 for a long time with virtually no issues. Unfortunately, my laptop was experiencing hardware issues or I would have stayed with Win 7.
Twice I downloaded Acrobat Reader, and twice it would not launch. When I ran the troubleshooter (which is soon to be deprecated) it said the program was not compatible. I had uninstalled the program the first time and had to reboot. Then re-downloaded the installer and re-installed with the same result. It would not launch. Neither time did I opt for the McAfee tag-along since I already installed Norton.
Quite frankly, I'm getting fed up with Microsoft and their "we know what's best for you" attitude. This is not the first issue I've had with Win 11. I'm so sorry that I didn't switch to Linux or any other OS.
Does anyone have any insights as to why this is happening?

Thanks,
Vic

I am running Windows 11 Build 22621.2215 and have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed. I just opened the Start Menu, All Apps, and clicked on Acrobat. It immediately opened with a whole boatload of .pdf files showing. However, Normally when I want Acrobat to open a .pdf file, I click on the file itself and it opens via Acrobat Reader.

I don't think the problem lies with Microsoft . . . in fact, yours is the first instance of Acrobat Reader not launching I've ever heard of.

I've tried several other .pdf reader apps, and all have performed adequately, so maybe you should try one of the recommended ones listed.

However, if it were me, I would do my best to figure out why Acrobat Reader won't launch.

IanMosley · Sep 2, 2023

PenPusher said:
If you really want Acrobat reader, get it from the MS store.

or from Adobe here

johnlgalt · Sep 2, 2023

VicM said:
I'm using Win 11 Pro on a Dell box. I bought this because I was using Win 7 for a long time with virtually no issues. Unfortunately, my laptop was experiencing hardware issues or I would have stayed with Win 7.
Twice I downloaded Acrobat Reader, and twice it would not launch. When I ran the troubleshooter (which is soon to be deprecated) it said the program was not compatible. I had uninstalled the program the first time and had to reboot. Then re-downloaded the installer and re-installed with the same result. It would not launch. Neither time did I opt for the McAfee tag-along since I already installed Norton.
Quite frankly, I'm getting fed up with Microsoft and their "we know what's best for you" attitude. This is not the first issue I've had with Win 11. I'm so sorry that I didn't switch to Linux or any other OS.
Does anyone have any insights as to why this is happening?

Thanks,
Vic

That usually means you either downloaded the wrong architecture, or else you're trying to install an older version that is not compatible with Windows 11.

Download it from Adobe's website (not some old link you might used to have used for a direct download, but directly from the main website), it's clearly marked Download Adobe Reader:

Adobe - Download Adobe Acrobat Reader

Download free Adobe Acrobat Reader software for your Windows, Mac OS and Android devices to view, print, and comment on PDF documents.

get.adobe.com

Or else get it from the Microsoft Store. The advantage of the Store option is that it will auto update on its own. The advantage of the manual download is that you control if and when it updates.

Dru2 · Sep 3, 2023

VicM said:
Thanks to all for your suggestions. I recognize that Edge will render pdfs. I guess I'm just a creature of habit and was trying to make my Win 11 experience as close as possible to the way I did things in Win 7. I'll have to revisit how I will go forward.
And glasskuter, I did uninstall Reader and re-downloaded and installed it. It still didn't function giving me a message about it not being compatible.
Vic

Realize some don't like Adobe and thus have their own agenda instead where bashing is the norm.

Anyway, if you want to use Adobe Acrobat Reader, please make sure it's the Acrobat Reader DC version. It's still free and still works. You can get it from Adobe here... Adobe - Download Adobe Acrobat Reader DC. Do make sure you pay attention to the download link and installer so as not to also download and install McAfee.

I'm using Reader on my backup PC, and it works like a champ. I'm also running Adobe Acrobat (2020) on my main PC without issue. Don't believe the noise. It does work. And there's nothing wrong with it.

Edit.. I see I missed @johnlgalt post which has the same link I provided. And I agree with him.

jimbo45 · Sep 3, 2023

Most browsers handle pdf's -- and you can either save directly or use the Microsoft print to pdf from the printer function in the browser to select what you want to print and save it.

Ms Word now also supports pdf if you have a recent version of Ms Office.

If you have Linux or a Linux VM you can also use okular which supports a whole slew of document formats too.

Okular - The Universal Document Viewer

Multi-platform, fast and packed with features, Okular allows you to read PDF documents, comics and EPub books, browse images, visualize Markdown documents, and much more.

okular.kde.org

Adobe acrobat reader was fine back in XP days but there's all sorts of facilities to handle pdf's now.

But if the OP wants to use program xyz then that's his / her choice -- it still does work on W11 BTW so something's hosed up on your machine.

However I'd really get rid of a lot of older legacy software on a modern OS - or rather than try to "retrofit" the OS to run it -- just run the whole thing in a VM. These days on modern hardware VM's can be very efficient and not particularly cpu intensive when doing things like Office applications unless number crunching ginormous spreadsheets with loads of floating point arithmetic in them,

cheers
jimbo

TM21 · Sep 3, 2023

For those who just don't like Adobe for whatever reason, "Foxit Reader" is a very good, fast and reliable "Reader".

It's been part of my standard "Package" of software, for all installs, for years.

Acrobat Reader not working

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