Adobe Acrobat Error 14 — What It Means & How to Fix It

What Does This Error Mean?

Adobe Acrobat Error 14 means the installation or update process could not be completed. This is an installer error that usually happens when another program is blocking Adobe's installer, or when previous Acrobat files are causing a conflict. A clean install resolves this in most cases.

Affected Models

Adobe Acrobat Reader DC
Adobe Acrobat Pro DC
Adobe Acrobat 2020

Common Causes

A previous version of Acrobat was not fully removed before the new installation
Another Adobe product is running in the background and locking files the installer needs
Antivirus or security software is blocking the Acrobat installer from writing to protected folders
The user account running the installation does not have administrator privileges
Corrupted or incomplete installer files were downloaded due to a network interruption

How to Fix It

Close all Adobe programs before running the installer. Make sure no Adobe processes are running in the background by checking Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) and ending any Adobe tasks.

Even Creative Cloud running in the background can lock files that Acrobat's installer needs.
Temporarily disable your antivirus software and retry the installation.

Remember to re-enable your antivirus immediately after installation completes.
Use the Adobe Acrobat Cleaner Tool to remove all traces of any previous Acrobat installation. Search for 'Adobe Acrobat Cleaner Tool' on Adobe's website.

This is different from the standard Windows uninstall — it removes leftover registry entries and hidden files.
Download a fresh copy of the Acrobat installer from get.adobe.com/reader or from Adobe's Creative Cloud app. Right-click the installer and choose 'Run as administrator'.

Do not reuse an old installer file — download a fresh copy each time.
If installation still fails, try a Windows Clean Boot. Press Windows+R, type msconfig, go to Services, check 'Hide all Microsoft services', then click 'Disable all'. Restart and try installing again.

Clean Boot stops all third-party programs from running at startup, removing potential conflicts.

When to Call a Professional

Error 14 is almost always fixable with the steps below. If Acrobat repeatedly fails to install even after a clean removal, contact Adobe Support. They can push a fresh installation package directly to your Creative Cloud account.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Error 14 specific to Acrobat or does it affect other Adobe apps?

Error 14 is an Adobe installer error that can appear with any Adobe application, not just Acrobat. However, it is most commonly reported with Acrobat Reader and Acrobat Pro. The fix is the same regardless of which Adobe app shows the error.

I am using a work computer and don't have admin rights. Can I still fix this?

Without admin rights you cannot install software on a work computer. Ask your IT department or administrator to run the installation for you. They can also check whether group policy settings on your network are blocking Adobe installations.

Adobe Acrobat Reader is free — why does it still show an install error?

Even though Acrobat Reader is free, it still writes files to protected system folders during installation. Those protected locations require administrator privileges regardless of cost. The free vs. paid distinction makes no difference to the installer's requirements.