Angry_Stu
asked on
Adobe Reader DC will not die
This problem is plastered all over the internet lately, and so far it seems that no one has published a working solution.
Listen, and understand! That Adobe DC is out there! It can't be bargained with. It can't be reasoned with It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead.
I have uninstalled this software 5 times so far and reinstalled Adobe Reader 11. I have set it to never update. I have set Adobe Updates to 0 in regedit, I have removed the Adobe Reader update task from Task Scheduler. I have stopped Adobe Updater from launching at startup. The next day when I check my servers, Adobe Reader 11 is gone and Adobe Reader DC sits quietly on my desktop like an ominous, malignant cancer.
Has anyone successfully managed to destroy this disgusting, soulless software yet? And if so, pleeeeeease tell me how you did it. For the good of humanity!!
Listen, and understand! That Adobe DC is out there! It can't be bargained with. It can't be reasoned with It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead.
I have uninstalled this software 5 times so far and reinstalled Adobe Reader 11. I have set it to never update. I have set Adobe Updates to 0 in regedit, I have removed the Adobe Reader update task from Task Scheduler. I have stopped Adobe Updater from launching at startup. The next day when I check my servers, Adobe Reader 11 is gone and Adobe Reader DC sits quietly on my desktop like an ominous, malignant cancer.
Has anyone successfully managed to destroy this disgusting, soulless software yet? And if so, pleeeeeease tell me how you did it. For the good of humanity!!
The next day when I check my servers, Adobe Reader 11 is gone ...
Have you set up your server as a distribution agent for Reader?
Any of my standalone installations (myself and clients) are not updating.
If you are a distribution agent, can you contact Adobe Support?
Have you set up your server as a distribution agent for Reader?
Any of my standalone installations (myself and clients) are not updating.
If you are a distribution agent, can you contact Adobe Support?
ASKER
Thanks for your replies guys,
@Guarav: We have disabled the Adobe Update service in services.msc, if that's what you mean. It still reinstalls itself.
@John Hurst: We haven't set up a distribution agent of any kind. These are simply vanilla installs of Adobe Reader 11 from the standard getreader website. I cannot contact adobe support without an adobe account, we do not have an adobe account. This is just a case of vanilla software doing nefarious things without anyone being able to stop them. There MUST be a way.
One article I read is that adobe are forcing this on people as phase one of a plan to start charging monthly cloud access fees. Adobe Reader DC is confirmed spyware (it sends usage reports and sensitive data to Amazon, in the background). Adobe seem hell-bent on ramming this filth down our throats!
@Guarav: We have disabled the Adobe Update service in services.msc, if that's what you mean. It still reinstalls itself.
@John Hurst: We haven't set up a distribution agent of any kind. These are simply vanilla installs of Adobe Reader 11 from the standard getreader website. I cannot contact adobe support without an adobe account, we do not have an adobe account. This is just a case of vanilla software doing nefarious things without anyone being able to stop them. There MUST be a way.
One article I read is that adobe are forcing this on people as phase one of a plan to start charging monthly cloud access fees. Adobe Reader DC is confirmed spyware (it sends usage reports and sensitive data to Amazon, in the background). Adobe seem hell-bent on ramming this filth down our throats!
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@John Hurst: Thanks for the reply mate, yes they are installed on server machines. Citrix boxes to be precise.
I have already uninstalled Adobe Reader DC several times. Completely. Every time it comes back. I always installed Adobe Reader 11 full from the Adobe site. I have never used that link in particular, so I could try this, I guess... but I am not hopeful.
We removed updates from MSCONFIG, from the Registry, from task scheduler, set the software to never update automatically and only allow manual updates in the post-installation options............
The next day, every time, it is back.
It is not some weird software configuration that this one client has, this issue is plastered all over the internet. We are also seeing this same exact behaviour for all of our clients. The ones that we don't hear about it from are the ones that don't mind using DC. We have had company meetings about this thing, and none of us have managed to kill it off yet for any of our clients.
Since this is a Citrix environment, I will have to try the Reader link you provided out of hours, as users will be on there today. Will let you know, but don't have high hopes for this one!
I have already uninstalled Adobe Reader DC several times. Completely. Every time it comes back. I always installed Adobe Reader 11 full from the Adobe site. I have never used that link in particular, so I could try this, I guess... but I am not hopeful.
We removed updates from MSCONFIG, from the Registry, from task scheduler, set the software to never update automatically and only allow manual updates in the post-installation options............
The next day, every time, it is back.
It is not some weird software configuration that this one client has, this issue is plastered all over the internet. We are also seeing this same exact behaviour for all of our clients. The ones that we don't hear about it from are the ones that don't mind using DC. We have had company meetings about this thing, and none of us have managed to kill it off yet for any of our clients.
Since this is a Citrix environment, I will have to try the Reader link you provided out of hours, as users will be on there today. Will let you know, but don't have high hopes for this one!
ASKER
@John Hurst: Ok the solution my colleague tried last week didn't work either (the %&^$&^ thing is back AGAIN! ARGH!) So I will try these FTP downloads.
I was able to locate two versions on the FTP site, 11.0.0 and 11.0.10. I am going to try 11.0.10 as the other version we downloaded is called 110000, and is more likely the former.
I will reiterate here that I don't have high hopes for this solution, it doesn't make any sense. But at this stage I am willing to try anything!!
Will let you know in a week or so if this is still around or if DC has killed it again.
I hate Adobe right now. May a bird poop on their favourite suit.
I was able to locate two versions on the FTP site, 11.0.0 and 11.0.10. I am going to try 11.0.10 as the other version we downloaded is called 110000, and is more likely the former.
I will reiterate here that I don't have high hopes for this solution, it doesn't make any sense. But at this stage I am willing to try anything!!
Will let you know in a week or so if this is still around or if DC has killed it again.
I hate Adobe right now. May a bird poop on their favourite suit.
ASKER
Fixed!! Thanks John, I am not sure if Version 11.0.10 is what fixed it, or any of the tweaks I did, but here are all the notes from my ticket before I closed this one off, for anyone else having this problem.
-Checked server and confirmed that Adobe Reader DC has returned
-Checked logged in users and several people using Adobe
-Arranged for users to log out of Adobe so I can reinstall it
-Shutdown lingering sessions of Reader and uninstalled it
-Installed Adobe Reader 11.0.10 from the FTP site
-Disabled Adobe Reader Update service and assigned a user with no rights at all to control it, just in case
-Checked MSCONFIG for startup items, none
-Checked registry for update settings, three versions of Adobe policies there. 9.0, 10.0 and 11.0. 9 and 10 had a bUpdate key set to 0. Created the same key for 11.0
-Launched software and checked that it was all working
-Called to let him know and he was already using it. Looks to be fine
-Told him I will check back with him in a week and see how it is going, and to call me immediately in the meantime if DC comes back again
-Asked him if it is possible that users are checking for updates manually because they like the other version better, but he seems to think this is not happening
-Will see how it goes this week.
Thanks again, John... this one was really causing some frustration!
-Checked server and confirmed that Adobe Reader DC has returned
-Checked logged in users and several people using Adobe
-Arranged for users to log out of Adobe so I can reinstall it
-Shutdown lingering sessions of Reader and uninstalled it
-Installed Adobe Reader 11.0.10 from the FTP site
-Disabled Adobe Reader Update service and assigned a user with no rights at all to control it, just in case
-Checked MSCONFIG for startup items, none
-Checked registry for update settings, three versions of Adobe policies there. 9.0, 10.0 and 11.0. 9 and 10 had a bUpdate key set to 0. Created the same key for 11.0
-Launched software and checked that it was all working
-Called to let him know and he was already using it. Looks to be fine
-Told him I will check back with him in a week and see how it is going, and to call me immediately in the meantime if DC comes back again
-Asked him if it is possible that users are checking for updates manually because they like the other version better, but he seems to think this is not happening
-Will see how it goes this week.
Thanks again, John... this one was really causing some frustration!
ASKER
Try this FTP site if you are having issues.
Thank you for the update above and I was happy to help.
Adobe.jpg