Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science

Issues with Adobe Acrobat Pro Activation

Adobe Acrobat Pro license update may cause issues after October 6th, 2021

Computing Services notified SCS Computing Facilities they have found some Adobe Acrobat users may receive an error after signing out and back into Adobe Acrobat Pro DC. The issue appears to be related to an Adobe License update that took place on October 6. The error states "Activation Failed. We are unable to activate Creative Cloud." 

Update to Resolve Issue

On the evening of October 18, 2021, we will release a Computing Services-provided update to your Windows Andrew domain computer. Your computer must be connected to the campus network or via Virtual Private Network (VPN) to receive the update.  If you experience this error after the update, please contact us so we can help.

Please Note: This issue is distinct from the license expiration that took place in August. For more information view our news item

Alternate Solution

This issue can also be resolved by reinstalling Adobe Acrobat Pro DC. Please follow these steps to reinstall your Adobe product:

  • Uninstall all Adobe software (including the Adobe Creative Cloud program).
  • Install Adobe Acrobat via Software Center.

If you require assistance or have issues with the license instructions, please contact the SCS Help Desk at 412-268-4231 or submit a request for support.