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Adobe Reader 8 and Vista Install Issue

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Good post on resolving a problem I also had with installing Adobe Reader 8 on Vista.  There seem to be many symptoms to this problem and the root cause is that Adobe has tried to apparently make the setup too smart and it ends up getting tricked up by something on Vista.  The workaround is to catch the installation files after the self-extracting executable has extracted them, but before it fails to start the install, and copy the files to another directory.  This is because the oh-so-smart Adobe installer deletes the files after it fails to install them.  Copy them to a safe place, then manually run the installation, which will work.  Hopefully Adobe will investigate this problem, which seems it may be related to User Account Control on Vista, and fix it in their installer.

Comments

  • Anonymous
    January 18, 2007
    Thank you!  I've finally got it installed. For anyone who cares, the folder it ends up putting the temp install files in is C:Users<username>AppDataLocalLowNetopsystemsAdobe Reader 8.0

  • Anonymous
    January 23, 2007
    You can actually extract the files using the following command with the Netoptsystems compressed package: AdbeRdr80_en_US.exe -nos_s -nos_ne -nos_oC:Users AdministratorDesktopAdbeReader This will create a folder in the Administrator Desktop called AdbeReader which contains the installation files. The setup program will not run automatically. I have tested this with Adobe Reader 8.

  • Anonymous
    January 30, 2007
    this worked great!  thanks a lot!!

  • Anonymous
    February 25, 2007
    This problem with Adobe Reader 8 is well known by Adobe, WHY don't they just FIX IT???

  • Anonymous
    March 02, 2007
    Thanks for the tips. It worked.

  • Anonymous
    March 04, 2007
    An other way to get around this problem is to just run the installer in compatibility mode for Windows XP SP2.

  • Anonymous
    March 08, 2007
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    March 13, 2007
    Nice thanks a lot!  it worked ...  not too good work from adobe though -_-

  • Anonymous
    March 17, 2007
    It seems like adobe has absolutely stuffed my vista at the moment, trying to rectify the problems now. But adobe for gods sake fix the problems.

  • Anonymous
    March 23, 2007
    setting it to xp sp2 compatibility helped me too thanx everyone

  • Anonymous
    March 28, 2007
    yes! XP compat mode worked a treat.  Funny thing was that it worked fine on one laptop but stalled on another.

  • Anonymous
    April 16, 2007
    XP mode worked...thanks for the good info

  • Anonymous
    April 18, 2007
    Vista XP2 compatibility mode works. Here are the detailed steps from Adobe's support page. http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/knowledgebase/index.cfm?id=333643 Solution 2: Run the installer in XP Compatibility Mode.

  1. Download the Adobe Reader installer from the Adobe website. When you are prompted to run or save the file, choose save. Save the file to your desktop.
  2. On the Desktop, right-click the AdbeRdr80_en_US file and then choose Properties.
  3. Click the Compatibility tab.
  4. Under Compatibility Mode, check Run this program in compatibility mode for: and choose Windows XP (Service Pack 2) from the drop down list.
  5. Click Apply, then click OK to close the Properties window
  6. Double-click the AdbeRdr80_en_US file and continue with the installation.

  • Anonymous
    February 22, 2008
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    April 10, 2008
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    April 13, 2008
    whenever i open adobe the screen blanks, reopens in a magnified version. i can reduce the data but the toolbars stay magnified/

  • Anonymous
    September 25, 2008
    I keep getting the error :Adobe has detected a corrupt file (checksum error).  The program has been closed without installing. Info ID: 6800.338.14.2.20020 Doesn't matter how many times or what computer downloads the file user account control on or off(or if I run it in compatability mode) it always does the same thing. to be fair, I'm also having issues installing Office 2007 sp1

  • Anonymous
    December 13, 2008
    Hi, I have Home Premium Vista 64bit, please help me how ca i use adobe converter to this OS. Thanks Paul

  • Anonymous
    February 28, 2009
    Thanks ive downloaded reader 9 and as suggested ran in XP sp2 mode and now appears to run perfectly.Thank you very much for helping a very frustrated amateur.Keep up the good work.