[Framers] OT Followup: Stopping Adobe's auto install of Reader DC

[Frank Stearns]

On Thu, 16 Mar 2017, Stefan Gentz wrote:

> Hi Frank,
>
> I'd like to follow up with you on this. Could you please get in 
> touch with me so that we can investigate this together?

Hi Stefan --

Thanks for your interest.

So here's the maddening deal. My long-standing pratice with ALL 
"updates" -- whether OS or app -- is to select the "ask before 
installing updates" option. As far as I know, this is what had been 
done with acrobat.

In my recent experience, the Adobe Reader updater is ignoring this 
setting.

A web search revealed that many other folks have had the same issue -- 
unwanted updates from Reader XI to DC, but a clue was given regarding 
the system task list.

So I found the Adobe Reader updater task in the task list for the 
system. Its "charter" was to update Reader at each login. Gawk!! 
That's the first major sin, as I see it -- don't be putting tasks like 
that on my system without my approval.

But for those following this thread, it got to be even *more* of a 
Zombie horror movie.

I thought I'd tamed the unwanted updates by deleting this task. But a 
few days later, DC had installed itself yet again and a NEW task had 
been entered into the task list -- same as before; update on login.

So then I went to "services" and KILLED the Adobe Reader updater 
there. This is too bad, because I'd like to be informed of new 
versions. (Maybe a Reader DC 2.0 would address my dislikes of the 
first version.) But inform me only, do not force me to a new upgrade.

This is by far and away the "rudest" behavior I've ever seen from an 
updater -- all these things happening behind the scenes with ZERO 
notification of the user.

(And, you'd think after 10 or 11 removals of Reader DC and a reinstall 
of Reader XI each time that something or somebody would get a clue and 
STOP installing DC, uninvited, on this system.)

It's not lost on me that Reader is "free"; I appreciate that. But if a 
company ever wants to entice people into buying the full suite of some 
product, they won't treat users like this. Such actions inspire 
*exactly* the opposite interest from me and no doubt others.

Thanks again for listening, and thanks in advance for any "advice" you 
can pass along to management.

Frank

Frank Stearns Associates | makers of IXgen(tm) for FrameMaker(r)
*** IXGEN 7-10 for FrameMaker 10-15 HERE! ***
franks at fsatools.com  1-435-275-8981  fsatools.com


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>
> On 7 Mar 2017, at 22:19, Frank Stearns <franks at pacifier.com<mailto:franks at pacifier.com>> wrote:
>
> I'm cautiously optimistic that this particular zombie beast has finally been destroyed.
>
> The unwanted install of DC happened twice more since my last post, and in a rage I went to vent at Adobe support. Of course, one is not allowed to contact them for such a lowly product (or not having parted with cash earlier), but a few posts in the "forums" section led me to look at the windows Task scheduler. Interesting critter.
>
> Sure enough, our delightful friends had entered a task to update Reader at EVERY login. I'm not familiar with the nuts and bolts of the scheduler, but apparently there are no settings to notify the user, the task "just happens". (Or, if such notifications are possible, they were certainly disabled for this task.)
>
> With MUCH GLEE, I found the command to DELETE this task, and happily did so. I confirmed that the Reader Update task is no longer in the task list for this system.
>
> So, we'll see just how much of a horror movie is rolling here, and whether or not I'm updated to DC again. If so, I won't need to email; you'll *hear* me scream from thousands of miles away.
>
> A note to Adobe if you're listening: please don't do things like this. Such actions only alienate people.
>
> Frank
> Frank Stearns Associates | makers of IXgen(tm) for FrameMaker(r)
> *** IXGEN 7-10 for FrameMaker 10-15 HERE! ***
> franks at fsatools.com<mailto:franks at fsatools.com>  1-435-275-8981  fsatools.com<http://fsatools.com>
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