The Windows Registry is the database that stores the settings and configuration data for the Windows operating systems. Information for every program installed to your computer is kept in the registry, as well as the controls that allow multiple users and hardware device configurations. Although editing the registry may seem intimidating at first, Windows includes the Registry Editor utility to aide in manually managing the information kept in the database. The removal process for the registry entries associated with Adobe Acrobat takes only a few steps.
Step 1
Create a backup of the system prior to editing the registry since the registry is such a vital part of the operating system; any accidental removal could cause serious problems. Click "Start" and choose "Control Panel." Click "System Maintenance" and select the "Backup and Restore Center" option. Click "Backup Files" under the "Back up files or your entire computer" heading. Follow the prompts to choose the files to backup and the location to store the backup.
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Step 2
Click on "Start" and type "Regedit" into the Start Search box. Click on the "Registry Editor" listing that appears. For XP users, click "Start" and choose "Run." Type the command into the "Open:" box and click "OK." The Registry Editor window appears.
Step 3
Click on the "Edit" button on the menu bar and choose "Find" from the drop-down menu to open the Find tool. Type the name of the first registry entry into the search box and click "FInd." Right-click on the entry and choose "Delete" to remove the entry. Complete this process for each registry entry associated with Adobe Acrobat.
The registry entries associated with Adobe Acrobat include:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\Acrobat Distiller HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\Acrobat Elements HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\Acrobat PDFMaker HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\Designer\8.0 HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\PDF Settings HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\ALM\AcrobatProfessional-8.0-ALL HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Adobe\Acrobat Distiller HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Adobe\Acrobat Elements HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Adobe\Acrobat PDFMaker HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Adobe\Repair\Adobe Acrobat HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Adobe\Designer\8.0 HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Adobe\PDF Admin Settings HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Adobe\PDF Settings HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer\ UserData\S-1-5-18\Products\68AB67CA330100007706000000000030 HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\ {AC76BA86-1033-0000-7760-000000000003} HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\ Adobe Acrobat 8 Professional HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Installer\Products\68AB67CA330100007706000000000030 HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Installer\Features\68AB67CA330100007706000000000030 HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Word\Addins\PDFMaker.OfficeAddin HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Excel\Addins\PDFMaker.OfficeAddin HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\MS Project\Addins\PDFMaker.OfficeAddin HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Outlook\Addins\PDFMOutlook.PDFMOutlook HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\PowerPoint\Addins\PDFMaker.OfficeAddin HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Publisher\Addins\PDFMaker.OfficeAddin HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Low Rights\ElevationPolicy\ {191DA03B-FBE7-4579-B64D-273DC8358F1B} HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Low Rights\ElevationPolicy\ {907131E3-3ECF-4027-B0EB-3324883441D1}
Step 4
Close the Registry Editor and restart the computer to save the changes you made to the registry.
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