TechNote

Error "Activation of this Adobe software is no longer supported" when trying to activate Adobe Acrobat/Reader installation to use eBooks

Issue

When trying to activate Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader versions 6 or 7 to use eBooks, you get the error message "Activation of this Adobe software is no longer supported. Please visit http://www.adobe.com/go/digitaleditions_kb_act."

Reason

As of March 30, 2009, Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Reader 6 and 7 will no longer be able to perform new activations to use eBooks. Existing Acrobat and Adobe Reader installations that are already activated will be able to continue to fulfill and use such content.

Additionally, for users that share 2 computers with Named Activation with Acrobat and Adobe Reader and that have already shared books between the 2 computers, books should continue to be able to be shared. However, even if 2 computers have the same named activation but have never shared books, these users will not be able to share the eBooks. This isbecause the first time a book is shared, the second computer needs to update its activation with information from the first computer.

Even after Acrobat or Adobe Reader cannot activate such content, Adobe Digital Editions 1.7.1 should still be able to import the Acrobat eBook content into Digital Editions upon initial installation.

Solution

Use Digital Editions for reading the digital content.

You can download Digital Editions from http://www.adobe.com/products/digitaleditions/?promoid=DTEIO.

Additional Information

Versions 6 and 7 of Acrobat and Reader use an eBook plug-in that attempts to communicate and activate through a server that will be decommissioned at that date. Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Reader versions 8 and 9 do not have eBook plug-in that perform activation and are therefore not affected.