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Installing Adobe Acrobat on Remote Desktop Session Hosts

This guide explains how to install Adobe Acrobat Pro on RDSH servers to support both licensed and unlicensed users.

Use Case

Organizations with a mix of Adobe-licensed and unlicensed users need:

  • Licensed users: Full Adobe Acrobat access via their Adobe account
  • Unlicensed users: Read-only PDF viewing without login prompts

Prerequisites

  • Administrative access to RDSH server
  • Adobe Acrobat Pro installer
  • PowerShell or Registry Editor access

Installation Steps

1. Download and Install Adobe Acrobat

  1. Download Adobe Acrobat Pro 64-bit
  2. Run the installer on the RDSH server
  3. Complete standard installation

2. Configure Registry Settings

Apply registry changes to enable read-only access for unlicensed users while preserving full functionality for licensed users.

Using PowerShell

#Requires -RunAsAdministrator

# Define the base path for Adobe Acrobat policy settings
$basePath = "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat\DC\FeatureLockDown"
$servicesPath = Join-Path -Path $basePath -ChildPath "cServices"

try {
    # Ensure the base FeatureLockDown key exists
    if (-not (Test-Path -Path $basePath -ErrorAction Stop)) {
        New-Item -Path $basePath -Force -ErrorAction Stop | Out-Null
        Write-Output "Created registry key: $($basePath)"
    } else {
        Write-Output "Registry key already exists: $($basePath)"
    }

    # Set the DWORD values under FeatureLockDown
    Set-ItemProperty -Path $basePath -Name "bIsSCReducedModeEnforcedEx" -Value 1 -Type DWord -Force -ErrorAction Stop
    Write-Output "Set registry value: $($basePath)\bIsSCReducedModeEnforcedEx = 1 (DWORD)"

    Set-ItemProperty -Path $basePath -Name "cServices" -Value 1 -Type DWord -Force -ErrorAction Stop
    Write-Output "Set registry value: $($basePath)\cServices = 1 (DWORD)"

    # Ensure the cServices subkey exists
    if (-not (Test-Path -Path $servicesPath -ErrorAction Stop)) {
        New-Item -Path $servicesPath -Force -ErrorAction Stop | Out-Null
        Write-Output "Created registry key: $($servicesPath)"
    } else {
        Write-Output "Registry key already exists: $($servicesPath)"
    }

    # Set the DWORD value under cServices
    Set-ItemProperty -Path $servicesPath -Name "bUpdater" -Value 1 -Type DWord -Force -ErrorAction Stop
    Write-Output "Set registry value: $($servicesPath)\bUpdater = 1 (DWORD)"

    Write-Output "Registry settings applied successfully."

} catch {
    Write-Error "Failed to apply registry settings. Error: $($_.Exception.Message)"
}

Using Registry File

Save the following as adobe-rdsh.reg and run:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat\DC\FeatureLockDown]
"bIsSCReducedModeEnforcedEx"=dword:00000001
"cServices"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat\DC\FeatureLockDown\cServices]
"bUpdater"=dword:00000001

Import the registry file:

# Import registry settings
reg import adobe-rdsh.reg

Registry Settings Explained

Registry Value Purpose
bIsSCReducedModeEnforcedEx Enables reduced functionality mode for unlicensed users
cServices Controls Adobe Creative Cloud services
bUpdater Manages automatic update behavior

Verification

Test Unlicensed Access

  1. Log into RDSH as a user without Adobe license
  2. Open Adobe Acrobat
  3. Open a PDF file
  4. Verify PDF opens in read-only mode without login prompt

Test Licensed Access

  1. Log into RDSH as a user with Adobe license
  2. Open Adobe Acrobat
  3. Sign in with Adobe account
  4. Verify full functionality is available

Troubleshooting

Login Prompts Still Appear for Unlicensed Users

Solutions: - Verify registry values are applied correctly - Restart Adobe Acrobat completely - Check registry path is exactly as specified - Log off and log back in to RDSH session

Licensed Users Can't Access Full Features

Solutions: - Ensure users are signing in with Adobe account - Verify Adobe subscription is active - Check internet connectivity for license validation - Review Adobe licensing portal for user assignments

Registry Changes Not Applied

Solutions: - Run PowerShell as administrator - Check for typos in registry paths - Verify Windows version supports these registry keys - Try importing .reg file manually

Deploying via Group Policy

For centralized deployment across multiple RDSH servers:

  1. Open Group Policy Management Console
  2. Create or edit GPO targeting RDSH servers
  3. Navigate to: Computer Configuration → Preferences → Windows Settings → Registry
  4. Add each registry value as a new registry item
  5. Link GPO to RDSH servers OU

This guide applies to Adobe Acrobat DC/Pro on Windows Server Remote Desktop Session Hosts.