Outlook Express and Adobe Reader problems

[georgew7510]

I am a computer novice using Windows XP, Firefox, and Outlook Express 6.
When I try to open pdf (and some other) attachments a window reads: "Acrobat Adobe Reader is required to view this file. Would you like to install Adobe Reader now?

Even though Reader 8 has been installed, I check "yes" (I also have Acrobat 5.0 installed)

During the installation process, a warning reads "Unable to update the
system registry." I click ok and the installation process continues (I
assume). Then a message reads "Thank you for choosing Acrobat Reader"

When I try to open the original attachment, the same process begins and I
can't open it.

Help is sincerely appreciated.

George

[TurcoLoco]

Is this your own PC or more importantly do you have the proper user rights to install programs system updates etc and access registry?

If Yes, then:

Unable to update registry is the key error message which is quite possibly the reason why despite all your attempt, system fails to open .pdf files because the registry lacks the related info.

Before digging in to other areas, I'd advise you to check the:
Start > (Settings) Control Panel > Folder Options > File Types > .PDF
and check to see what program is associated with the .pdf files.
Quite possibly it is blank if system doesn't know what program to open that file type with. You will have to click on CHANGE > (from the opening window if Adobe Acrobat is not listed then) > BROWSE > locate and select: Adobe > Acrobat X.0 > Reader > AcroRd32.exe

[georgew7510]

First, thank you very much for your time and response. I am probably one of those people who should not own a computer.

I went to "start"; "control panel" and could not find "settings" although I did locate "folder options" under "tools" pdf wss not listed, so I added it and the computer added the adobe symbol. Adobe is listed under program files.

I went back to OE and I still could not open pdf files, nor could I install Adobe when told. "Unable to update the system registry" still appears.

Help, please
George

[georgew7510]

Also unable to open eml files. Is this thing growing?
George

[TurcoLoco]

~ Settings will only be visible to those who are using the Classic style Start Menu instead of the new XP style Start Menu.

~ Before opening the .eml attachments and also to learn what .eml extension is for, please see this link!

~ Back to the Adobe Reader issue, as I asked in the first post:

Is this your own PC or more importantly do you have the proper user rights to install programs system updates etc and access registry?

If you have access to the registry then please do open it (Start > Run > regedit > OK) and locate the following key to see what it reads:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.pdf (see attached screenshot)

Also: Outlook Express 6 has a security feature added and enabled which will prevent you from opening bunch of file types if it is one of the file types the program thinks that might be dangerous! To check for this possibility:

1. On the Outlook Express menu bar, click on Tools and then Options.
2. Click on the Security tab.
3. Check (to enable) or uncheck (to disable) the setting Do not allow attachments to be saved or opened that could potentially be a virus.
4. Click the Apply button, and then the OK button.
5. Restart Outlook Express 6 to complete the settings change.

Let me know...

~TL

[georgew7510]

Yes, this is my PC.

The OE Box which blocks certain file types was not checked

Under regedit, the pdf reads

ab(Default) REG_SZ AcroExch.Document
ab Content Type REG_SZ application/pdf

Thanks again
George

[TurcoLoco]

Well George something is interfering with the proper installation of Adobe as it seems...hard to tell what the culprit is.

Were the earlier versions of Adobe Acrobat Reader working fine? If you really want to use 8 and completely uninstalling, removing the program folder, then rebooting and re-installing didn't work either, you could download and run the attach fix I created which should correct the Acrobat Reader 8's registry keys and values.

The program requires the OS to be XP, the current Acrobat Reader version to be 8 and installed at the default installation location on the C drive. If any of these conditions are not met, the fix will give an error informing you so.

Before running this fix, please backup your registry. I do not anticipate any issue after running this fix but better safe than sorry!
A good registry backup tool can be found on My Favorite Utilities list!

(see my signature link)

NOTE: This fix is only for georgew7510.

~TL

[georgew7510]

In order to follow your advice, I though it best to remove all traces of Adobe. I used "search" for Adobe. 35 items were identified and all were able to be deleted except 3:

Name In Folder

adobe com
abobe com
Adobe C:\Program Files

When I attempt to delete the first 2, a box appears with the following on the blue line at the top of the box "deleting from archives". Below the line, paper flies from a full folder to an empty folder for 15 min or more. I cannot "x" away from the older. "Cont-Alt-Del" gets me to the Windows Task Manager which reads "Compressed (zipped) Folders Error

When I attempt to delete the 3rd Adobe, a box appears which reads "Cannot delete ACROIEHelper.ocx: Access is denied. Make sure the disk is not full or write-protected and that the file is not in use."

How should I proceed? Again . . . thanks
George

[TurcoLoco]

Hmm, I didn't want you to go to that extend. I am not even seeing those files (especially the .ocx) file on my system where I have Acrobat Reader 8 installed so I wonder if those files belong to another version of adobe reader or even another adobe software which you might have installed on the system. Remember adobe bought macromedia and god knows what other software products, so you might be trying to uninstall something else not Reader8. I say leave it as is, reboot the system if you already have not.

Then try re-installing the Reader 8, if you get the same errors, try rebooting in Safe Mode and installing again to see if it installs without any problems or not. If the problem persist, then run the fix I provided but remember to backup your registry just in case, ok?

~TL

[georgew7510]

Hello TL:
Please excuse my delay in getting back to you. I can't begin to thank you enough for your help. Incidentally, I posted the problem on the Adobe forum and did not receive even one reply!!

I may have gone too far in removing everything with the word "adobe" from my computer, but I developed a bad attitude that morning. I then re-installed Reader 8, and the installation worked. So far, all the attachments are opening.

Thanks, again. I sincerely appreciate all that you've done.

George