Update & Upgrade Problems

Fix Acrobat XI Pro Replaced by Acrobat DC After Creative Cloud Update

Algirdas JasaitisAlgirdas Jasaitis Nov 3, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to restore Adobe Acrobat XI Pro after it was automatically removed and replaced by a trial version of Acrobat DC during a Creative Cloud update.

How to Fix Acrobat XI Pro Replaced by Acrobat DC After Creative Cloud Update
Product
Adobe Acrobat / Creative Cloud
Device & OS
not provided
Scenario
Updating Creative Cloud applications on a desktop environment.
Observed behavior
Acrobat XI Pro is uninstalled without prompt and replaced with an unauthorized trial version of Acrobat DC.
Before you start

Ensure you have your original Adobe Acrobat XI Pro license key, installation media, or access to your organization's approved software deployment portal before uninstalling any programs.

Solution 1Recommended

Uninstall Acrobat DC and Redeploy Acrobat XI Pro

Remove the unauthorized Acrobat DC trial and safely reinstall your licensed legacy version using appropriate corporate deployment settings.

When Creative Cloud updates are processed, default settings may automatically remove older versions of applications like Acrobat XI Pro to make way for the latest CC versions. To resolve this, you must remove the new trial version and prevent Creative Cloud from managing your legacy Acrobat installation.

1
Contact your IT Administrator

Reach out to your organization's Adobe administrator or software deployment team to verify your Acrobat XI Pro license and obtain the correct corporate installation package.

2
Uninstall the Acrobat DC Trial

Navigate to your system's Control Panel or Applications folder, locate Adobe Acrobat DC, and proceed to uninstall the trial version completely from your machine.

3
Reinstall Acrobat XI Pro

Run the approved Acrobat XI Pro installation package from your corporate server or original installation media. Follow the on-screen prompts to enter your volume license or serial key.

4
Disable Creative Cloud Auto-Updates for Acrobat

Open the Creative Cloud desktop app, go to Preferences > Apps, and toggle off the 'Auto-update' feature to prevent Creative Cloud from managing or replacing your legacy Acrobat installation in the future.

Uninstall Acrobat DC and Redeploy Acrobat XI Pro
End of Support Notice: Adobe officially ended support for Acrobat XI in 2017. Continuing to use it may pose security risks. Consult your IT department about officially migrating to newer software if deployment conflicts persist.
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Frequently Asked Questions

Why did Creative Cloud automatically uninstall my Acrobat XI Pro?

By default, the Creative Cloud desktop application is set to remove older versions of apps when installing or updating to newer versions like Acrobat DC. If this setting was checked during an update, your legacy software was automatically replaced.

Can I keep both Acrobat XI Pro and Acrobat DC on the same computer?

No. Adobe does not support running multiple versions of Acrobat on the same machine. Installing Acrobat DC will inherently trigger the removal of legacy versions such as Acrobat XI Pro.

How do I stop Creative Cloud from updating legacy software?

You can prevent this by opening the Creative Cloud desktop app, clicking the gear icon for Preferences, navigating to the 'Apps' tab, and disabling the 'Auto-update' toggle or unchecking 'Remove older versions' under the advanced update options.