Adobe Acrobat 8 Isn't Working Right on my New iMac Either

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Level 1

6 points

Adobe Acrobat 8 Isn't Working Right on my New iMac Either

Adobe Acrobat 8 has two problems on my iMac. The lesser problem comes when I go into the Print command and click "Preview." I get a message that says that Preview isn't supported.

The greater problem just cropped up as I was writing about my problems with Quicktime and Real Player: Acrobat tried to update itself and then gave me a message that says, "Cannot overwrite file /Users/(myname)/Documents/Update5/AdobeUpdater/acrobat8pro-en_US/AUMProduct.dmg . The file maybe be locked or you may not have sufficient access rights. Please make sure you have write access to this file." Can anyone help? Thanks. 🙂

iMac 20" 2.66 Dual Core; Dual 500 MHZ PowerPC G4, Mac OS X (10.5.7), HP 1350 PSC All-in-One; HP 840c Deskjet

Posted on Jul 3, 2009 9:42 PM

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Answer 1

babowa

Level 9

78,097 points

Jul 3, 2009 11:07 PM in response to AdmrlLocke

Are you referring to the Adobe Reader 8 or the Acrobat Standard/Pro version? Although I prefer not to use the Reader (using Preview instead), I just opened a .pdf and tried the Preview button in the print dialog. It does not work either ("preview is not supported"). Since the preview is supported by the Mac OS, it appears to be an Adobe problem.

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Answer 2

AdmrlLocke Author

Level 1

6 points

Jul 3, 2009 11:20 PM in response to babowa

Hi Barbara! Thanks for responding. It's Adobe Acrobat 8 Professional. I think that I do not have Adobe Reader on the new iMac at all, although I had it on the G4. I see on the Adobe website an update for Adobe Acrobat 8 Professional called 8.1.2 that's supposed to work better on 10.5, so I'm thinking I'll download it and give it a try.

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Answer 3

AdmrlLocke Author

Level 1

6 points

Jul 4, 2009 12:18 AM in response to AdmrlLocke

I was downloading 8.1.3 while looking back on my G4 for something and saw the update files I downloaded for 8.1.3 and 8.1.4. Then it hit me that I'd done all those updates but lost them when I installed 8 from the disk to the iMac. I had, however, copied the .dmg files to the iMac so I stopped downloading and opened 8.1.3 from the dmg I'd already downloaded. I installed it, and then 8.1.4. On the Adobe website I found 8.1.5 and 8.1.6 and so I downloaded and installed them too. Still Preview doesn't work! 😀 They had no newer updates than 8.1.6 unless you want to buy Acrobat 9 and then update it a couple of times.

I just found Adobe Updater in the Utilities Folder in the Applications folder. I opened it and it downloaded some stuff. Then it asked me if I wanted to download a new version of itself, so I did that too. Alas Preview is still not supported.

When I talked to an Applecare specialist Thursday, she mentioned that you can use Preview to view pdfs. Maybe Apple wants Preview to compete with Acrobat and thus no longer supports Acrobat with Preview.

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Answer 4

babowa

Level 9

78,097 points

Jul 4, 2009 11:08 AM in response to AdmrlLocke

I never use Adobe Acrobat (I only have the Reader installed); I view all .pdf's, jpg's, etc. with Preview because it is much faster (opens instantaneously). You can also copy portions of a .pdf, make annotations, and encrypt pdf's containing sensitive personal information with a password to attach to emails. But, I'm not convinced that it is Apple not supporting the Preview function in Adobe. Adobe is a third party application, so I'd guess they need to support the function.

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Answer 5

AdmrlLocke Author

Level 1

6 points

Jul 4, 2009 1:28 PM in response to babowa

I just learned that Preview will read pdfs. It won't, however, run the calculations on the pdf character sheets I use, so I really do need Acrobat. (Reader might run the calculations, but it won't save the changes.)

I wrote to Adobe so we'll see what they say. I also have their 800 number and I'll call Monday if they haven't replied.

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Answer 6

Jul 5, 2009 9:49 AM in response to AdmrlLocke

AdmrlLocke wrote:
Adobe Acrobat 8 has two problems on my iMac. The lesser problem comes when I go into the Print command and click "Preview." I get a message that says that Preview isn't supported.

Preview is not supported because building a preview of a print job under OS X involves creating a .PDF file. You already have a .PDF file open if you're using Acrobat, so there's no point creating a new one.

The greater problem just cropped up as I was writing about my problems with Quicktime and Real Player: Acrobat tried to update itself and then gave me a message that says, "Cannot overwrite file /Users/(myname)/Documents/Update5/AdobeUpdater/acrobat8pro-en_US/AUMProduct.dmg .

That's not a problem with Acrobat. The system is saying that you have a file named AUMProduct.dmg in place already, and you don't have permission to update it. You need to change the permissions on that file so that you can update it, or to use an account which has update permission. Or it might just be locked and you need to unlock it. Locate it using the Finder (you have the complete path to the file listed above) and see what permissions are on the file and whether or not it is locked.

You might also just put the entire Update5 folder into the Trash and try updating again.

The file maybe be locked or you may not have sufficient access rights. Please make sure you have write access to this file." Can anyone help? Thanks. 🙂

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Answer 7

Jul 5, 2009 9:55 AM in response to AdmrlLocke

You need to install Adobe updates (and Microsoft updates) in the precise order they were released or either they won't install at all or if they do they'll give trouble.

The 'Preview' button on the print dialog generates a .PDF file which is then viewed using Apple's Preview application. If you're using Acrobat you already have a .PDF file. That button will be disabled in Acrobat and usually in Illustrator or Photoshop when you're printing a .PDF. This is A Feature, Not A Bug. Adobe has told me this when I reported it to them as a bug. It's an Adobe bug... that is, Feature, Not A Bug... and not an Apple bug.

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Answer 8

Jul 5, 2009 9:58 AM in response to AdmrlLocke

AdmrlLocke wrote:
I just learned that Preview will read pdfs. It won't, however, run the calculations on the pdf character sheets I use, so I really do need Acrobat. (Reader might run the calculations, but it won't save the changes.)

Depending on what you're doing, Reader 9 may save changes. Reader 9 actually has more and better features than some early versions of Acrobat Pro.

I wrote to Adobe so we'll see what they say. I also have their 800 number and I'll call Monday if they haven't replied.

Good luck getting a coherent response from Adobe. They're likely to tell you that Acrobat 8 is no longer supported.

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Answer 9

babowa

Level 9

78,097 points

Jul 5, 2009 1:55 PM in response to Charles Dyer

+Preview is not supported because building a preview of a print job under OS X involves creating a .PDF file. You already have a .PDF file open if you're using Acrobat, so there's no point creating a new one.+

Thank you - makes perfect sense and I learned something new!

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Answer 10

Jul 5, 2009 2:05 PM in response to babowa

no prob.

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Answer 11

AdmrlLocke Author

Level 1

6 points

Jul 5, 2009 3:21 PM in response to Charles Dyer

On OS 10.4.11 the Preview function worked on Acrobat.

Adobe wrote back to me on July 4 with questions to help them help me.

I did download all the updates in order and I think that greater problem was resolved. Thanks!

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Answer 12

Jul 5, 2009 7:03 PM in response to AdmrlLocke

Since Acrobat is not an Apple product, your question is more appropriately asked on Adobe's own forums as they'd be more focused on the issue and Apple discussions only provide support for Apple products:

http://www.adobeforums.com

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Answer 13

AdmrlLocke Author

Level 1

6 points

Jul 6, 2009 11:45 AM in response to Templeton Peck

Thanks. I went back on my old G4 and apparently the Preview function didn't work there for Acrobat either and I just never tried it the year or so that I had Acrobat 8 on the G4. 🙂

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Answer 14

eddgy

Level 1

0 points

Sep 25, 2009 4:46 AM in response to AdmrlLocke

Have you had any luck solving your greater problem as i have had it for a while and cant work out the issue. The adobe updater just bounces away and annoys me. From the posts in response to your questions i cant see any solution.

When i track back i cant the file that it references is not in the location so i cant change the setting and permissions.

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