Anytime I open windows explorer, windows installer starts up as if its installing a program. Every time it says 'please wait while windows installs Adobe Acrobat 7'. Super annoying!
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>> "Removing acrobat stops the problem"
You do not have the problem anymore?
Just to clarify my previous suggestion ...
If a application installation is interrupted for some reason it may attempt to install again when explorer launches. If this same application also installs a "hook" into IE, it may attempt to install when opening IE. I recently ran across this same issue and found the originating install was from a browser window and was cancelled by the user with the same resulting issue as you described.
I've uninstalled Acrobat several times now, each time completing with no errors or interruptions. I've tried version 7 as well as 8. Once acrobat is removed, the windows installer doesn't open anymore. If I reinstall it, it does. And it happens everytime I open windows explorer, not just the first time. If I let it finish, it does it the very next time as well. It also happens when I open a new tab in internet explorer 7.
Hi theamzngq
go to Edit|Preferences and select the Internet options. Uncheck the tickboxes for 'PDF browser display' and 'Check browser settings' the options are called slightly differently but I am sure you will find it.
The latter is likely causing this but try both and the enable on or the other to isolate the culprit.
hth
capt.
You say this happens when you open windows explorer. But windows explorer opens up by itself when you log on, and your windows desktop is shown by explorer. Please clarify, what exactly are you doing so Installer launches. Open a folder?
Also, please do the following. Run eventvwr.exe, look in Application log, and find error entries to the effect that feature X was missing when looking for component Y. Post those here.
Also, is it installing Adobe Acrobat, or Adobe Reader? I would be able to look in Reader installation, but not Acrobat. If it's Acrobat indeed, run its setup, review the features, and you will probably find some integration with desktop. Don't install it.
If you open right-click menu in explorer, is there something related to Acrobat?
regarding your desktop comment above, I am not referring to the core system process explorer.exe, I am referring to windows explorer, the app that lets you browse through your files. It can be accessed by right-clicking on Computer (in Vista) and choosing explore. Another way to open it would be the windows key + E.
I was able to get the installer from running in those situations by using Windows Installer Cleaner. That isn't the most perfect solution, but it stopped the annoyances for now.
Event viewer entry attached (there are more).
> explorer.exe, I am referring to windows explorer, the app that lets you browse through your files
it's one and the same process. Yes, you can invoke it in many ways. It starts when you log on and shows you the desktop; then you can open additional windows by windows+e, various clicks, etc.
> Event viewer entry attached
it shows that it wants feature Distiller from Acrobat. Run regedit, navigate to the key HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AcroDist
To fix, I would try one of these, depending on how much you are comfortable with hacking your system. Make sure to make system restore checkpoint before trying.
1. open Acrobat and check if Distiller is installed. If not, install it. You can uninstall it later if you don't want it.
2. check if Acrobat has some option that controls if it integrates Distiller into Explorer menu. Disable if found.
3. run HijackThis, find distiller-related extension, and remove it.
4. in that key in registry, below the path to acrodist.exe there's another line looking like a noise. Delete it.
One scenario how this might happen is this: you had some older version of acrobat, and distiller was installed, and this key pointed to it. Then you upgraded to new version, which removed the old one, but the extension was not removed, so it points to the old place where the file is now absent.
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by: oldPCguyPosted on 2007-11-30 at 11:22:04ID: 20384564
Try resetting your homepage back to the default. You may have inadvertently had your home page set to a page containing a PDF. Worst case is you may just have to let the install complete. You can remove it using control panel > add remove programs if you dont want Acrobat installed.