Adobe License Manager

Information for customers hosting e-licenses at Adobe using either "Serial Number Only" or "Adobe-Hosted with Custom Options" hosting models

End users with properly installed copies of Acrobat 8 for Windows do not need to have their software reinstalled or adjusted in any way. The e-license they downloaded during initial setup of the software remains resident on their computer perpetually and does not expire.

For new orders, the option to set up e-licenses for a particular hosting pool will be terminated on April 9, 2007. For future purchases, you should use the latest, ALM-disabled media, which does not include e-licensing.

To ensure you are using the latest installation software, check the ESD (Electronic Software Delivery) file you downloaded or the Adobe Acrobat 8.0 distribution CD media.

If you used ESD, check the name of the file downloaded. The following table contains a list, ordered by language and product, of the file name for the most up-to-date software. If your file name is different, you are using older media.

If you have the Acrobat 8.0 distribution CD, check the part number printed on the face of the CD. The following table provides a list, ordered by language, of the part number of the most up-to-date software. If your part number is different, you are using older media.

If you have the previous version of the CD, you can either download the new ESD file from the Adobe Licensing Website (if you are a CLP customer) or contact customer service for assistance.

FAQ

Q: What happens to computers that already have Acrobat 8.0 with a successfully downloaded e-license?

A: Acrobat will continue to operate normally, as the downloaded e-license is stored on the hard drive perpetually.

Q: If a machine is re-imaged or the hard disk is reformatted, what happens to the e-license?

A: The e-license will be lost along with all the data on the hard drive. You should reinstall Acrobat 8.0 with the updated, ALM-disabled media.

Q: What happens if one of my users returns their e-license to the pool? Do we have to redeploy Acrobat 8 again with ALM-disabled media?

A: If the user has access to the Internet, the e-license return will be successful and, indeed, an attempt to redeploy with the same ALM-enabled software will succeed: Adobe will maintain the back-end components of e-licensing to ensure a smooth transition for all customers. Since e-licensing will no longer provide you with deployment counts, however, Adobe recommends using the ALM-disabled version of the installation software.

Q: What happens if I use old, ALM-enabled installation software?

A: If you use the old installation software, Acrobat 8 for Windows will ask the user to download an e-license the first time the application is launched. If the user’s computer is connected to the Internet then or at any time within 30 days of the first launch, the application will successfully download an e-license: Adobe will maintain the back-end components of e-licensing to ensure a smooth transition for all customers. As e-licensing reports will not be available after April 9, 2007, Adobe recommends bypassing this unnecessary step by obtaining and using the latest version of the installation software.

Q: Do users need access to the Internet?

A: As long as you obtain an ALM-disabled installation software as explained above, no e-license is required, and, therefore, no Internet connection is required for the purpose of e-licensing (other capabilities may require access to the Internet, such as checking for application updates).

Q: Should I continue to use the activity report on LWS?

A: No. Now that ALM has been disabled, deployments that use the most recent installation software will not require an e-license, so the counts on these activity reports will be incorrect.