TechNote

"Error 1303: Installer has insufficient privileges" or "Error 1304: Error writing to file" when you install Acrobat 6, 7, 8 or 3D (Windows)

Issue

When you install Adobe Acrobat 6, 7, 8 or 3D, the installer terminates and returns one of the following error messages:

"Error 1303: Installer has insufficient privileges to access this directory: [folder path]. Installation cannot continue. Log on as an administrator or contact your system administrator."
"Error 1304: Error writing to file [file name]. Verify that you have access to that directory."

Solution

Log on to the computer as an administrator (if you do not have administrative rights, contact your system administrator for assistance) and then perform one or more of the following solutions:

Solution 1: Change permissions for the All Users folder (Windows XP Professional, Windows 2000) or the ProgramData folder (Windows Vista).

Windows XP Professional and Windows 2000:

If you use Windows XP Professional, temporarily disable simple file sharing (if you use Windows 2000, skip this step and start with Step 2):
1. Select Start > My Computer.
2. Select Tools > Folder Options.
3. In the Folder Options window, select the View tab.
4. In the Advanced Settings, deselect Use Simple File Sharing.
5. Click OK to close the Folder Options window.
In Windows Explorer, navigate to C:\Documents And Settings.
Right-click the All Users folder and select Properties.
In the All Users Properties window, select the Security tab.
Select Administrators under Group Or User Names. If Full Control is not selected in the Permissions list, change the access control level to Full Control.
Click Advanced. Select Replace Permission Entries On All Child Objects With Entries Shown Here That Apply To Child Objects (Windows XP Professional) or Reset Permissions On All Child Objects And Enable Propagation Of Inheritable Permissions (Windows 2000). Click OK. If a Security dialog appears, click Yes to continue.
Click OK to close the All Users Properties dialog box.
Install Acrobat.
(Windows XP Professional only) Re-enable simple file sharing:
1. Select Start > My Computer.
2. Select Tools > Folder Options.
3. In the Folder Options window, select the View tab.
4. In the Advanced Settings, select Use Simple File Sharing.
5. Click OK to close the Folder Options window.

Windows Vista:

Select Start > Computer.
Open the C: drive and locate the ProgramData folder. If you do not see the ProgramData folder, take these additional steps to make it visible:
1. Select Organize > Folder And Search Options.
2. In the Folder Options window, select the View tab.
3. In Advanced Settings, select Show Hidden Files And Folders.
4. Click OK to close the Folder Options window.
Right-click ProgramData and select Properties.
In the ProgramData Properties window, select the Security tab. Click Advanced.
In the Advanced Security Properties For ProgramData window, select the Owner tab. Click Edit.
Select the Administrators group under Change Owner To. Select Replace Owner On Subcontainers And Objects. Click OK. If a Windows Security dialog appears, click Yes to continue.
In the Advanced Security Properties For ProgramData window, select the Permissions tab. Click Edit.
Select Include Inheritable Permissions From This Object's Parent. Select Replace All Existing Inheritable Permissions On All Decendents With Inheritable Permissions From This Object. Click OK. If a Windows Security dialog appears, click Yes to continue.
Click OK to close the Advanced Security Properties for ProgramData window.
Click OK to close ProgramData Properties dialog box.
Install Acrobat.

Solution 2 (Windows XP Home): Change the sharing permissions.

Select Start > Run.
Type %allusersprofile% in the Open text box. Then click OK.
Right-click the Shared Documents folder and select Properties.
In the Shared Documents Properties window, select the Sharing tab. Select Share This Folder.
Click Permissions, and select Everyone in Group Or User Names.
Select Allow next to Full Control in Permissions, and then click OK.
Click OK to close the Shared Documents Properties window.
Install Acrobat.

Solution 3: Correct permissions from the Command Prompt.

Use a Command Prompt window to manually assign the full administrator access that the installer needs.

Windows XP and Windows 2000:

Select Start > Run.
Type cmd in the Open text box. Then click OK. A Command Prompt window will open.
In the Command Prompt window, type the following commands exactly as they appear below, including all spaces and quotation marks, and press Enter at the end of each line:

cacls "c:\Documents and Settings\All Users" /T /E /C /G administrators:F

exit
Install Acrobat.

Windows Vista:

Select Start > All Programs > Accessories.
Right-click on Command Prompt and select Run As Administrator. A Command Prompt window will open.
In the Command Prompt window, type the following commands exactly as they appear below, including all spaces and quotation marks, and press Enter at the end of each line:

icacls "c:\ProgramData" /T /C /grant administrators:F

exit
Install Acrobat.

Solution 4 (Windows XP Professional and Home): Change the sharing permissions in Safe mode.

To restart in Safe mode:

Restart the computer
The second (or just before) you see the Windows Logo - press and hold down the F8 key.

To change permissions and install Acrobat:

Select Start > Run.
Type %allusersprofile% in the Open text box. Then click OK.
Right-click the Shared Documents folder, and select Properties.
Click the Security tab.
Select Everyone in Group Or User Names, and then select Allow next to Full Control in the Permissions. (For more information on changing permissions, see Windows Help.)
Click Advanced, and select Replace Permission Entries On All Child Objects With Entries Shown Here That Apply To Child Objects.
Click OK, click Yes, and then click OK to close the Shared Documents Properties dialog box.
Select Start > Run.
Type msconfig in the Open text box. Then click OK. The System Configuration Utility will open.
In the System Configuration Utility, select the General tab.
Select Normal Startup - Load All Device Drivers And Services. Then click OK.
Restart the computer.
Install Acrobat.