Incomplete installations of some software

I'm having problems installing a couple of programs:
1. I download the installer and start it. It extracts files but then it exits. I don't know if the extracted files are actually anywhere on my computer. I've tried disabling anti-virus and smart firewall, but no luck. I was able to download it on my other computer, also running Windows 11.

2. I am able to install Adobe Acrobat Reader but it does not start up. (Select pdf and right-click, Open With > Adobe Reader fails to execute). I tried a repair and got an error message saying there was a problem with the installer. I downloaded from Adobe's website, have tried this several times over a two month period so if there is a problem with installer, wouldn't they have fixed it by now (I can't be the only person downloading this!)

Windows 11 on a new Windows Surface 11.

Regarding Adobe, go to settings>apps>installed apps.If Adobe Acrobat Reader is in the list, uninstall it. Restart the computer.
Go to Microsoft Store. Install Adobe Acrobat from there. Let me know if it works.

As far as "other apps" what apps?

That Surface didn't come with Windows is S mode did it? If so that's the problem. To check if your Windows 10/11 is running in S mode, open Settings, go to System, then select About. Look under "Windows specifications" for "Edition." If it says "Windows 10/11 Home in S mode," then S mode is enabled

If it shows S mode do this

1. I tried before to install Adobe Reader from the app store (and I'm trying again right now). Same problem: It hangs at Installing (100%) Almost done. After a couple of minutes it appears to be finished. But I try to start it and nothing happens. I select a pdf and right-click, Open with > Adobe Reader and nothing happens.

However, I just checked the Task Manager and AcroRd32.exe is running! Now, I'm getting a pop-up message saying "Something went wrong: A running instance of Acrobat has caused an error."

2. I don't have Windows in S mode. I've already tried Installing as Administrator and in Developers Mode.
Thank you for your suggestions.

Check the logs in Event Viewer. They can be useful for quickly diagnosing these kinds of problems. Most likely you'll find the culprit in the application logs.

Not sure where to look in the Event Viewer, but found the following in Custom Views > Administrative Events:
The Appx operation 'RegisterPackageAsync' on 'WindowsWorkload.ImageSearch.Qnn.3_1.2602.1445.0_arm64__8wekyb3d8bbwe' failed for user 'S-1-5-21-89553124-3886796454-2051411977-1001' - error 0x80070005: While preparing to process the request, the system failed to register the windows.accessControl.undocked extension due to the following error: Access is denied.
.. (Error: Package could not be registered.)

There are lots of notifications of varying sorts but Package could not be registered seems to be appearing in most of them.

I believe you will find your answer in one of the solutions found here.

Microsoft deprecated many troubleshooters.

Check this troubleshooter:

Open administrative command prompt and copy and paste:

msdt.exe -id PCWDiagnostic

The program msdt.exe mentioned above is also being retired.

My Surface 11 is new. Adobe Reader was one of the first programs I tried to install so it seems the problem is inherent to the build of my computer? (As opposed to something I installed/changed later?)

Most of the problems I've solved recently with hardware and legitimate applications suddenly not working were directly caused by the added layers of windows "security" introduced since the release of 23H2, and made more difficult to solve with each major feature update. It's like playing whack-a-mole sometimes..

1. Take note of where the extracted files go, sometimes, the install setup will run automatically but not always, you may have to manually go to the extracted files for the setup exe file or whatever to start the installation.

2. Adobe says after downloading > extracting files > close programs in use, includes Acrobat Reader* > installing update > validating install > copying new files > optimising performance > Update successful.

*"I just checked the Task Manager and AcroRd32.exe is running" exactly, it won't install until you exit that.

The optimising phase can take a while sometimes.
No percent counter.
It should be listed in the right click menu Icon directly, though you can go via Open with > Adobe Acrobat.

I updated Acrobat Reader to 2026.001.21346 64-bit. just a couple of hours ago, comment 2. is a distillation of the dialogue boxes.

The original install was done from Adobe with care to untick a couple of boxes for unwanted payloads.

hader said:

It looks like something

Click to expand...

Please just let the post editor use the normal default font.
Your slightly smaller font makes your posts less easy to read.


Denis

1. As I mentioned earlier, my Surface is new and Adobe Reader was one of the first programs I tried to install so there shouldn't have been any conflict with my own software installations. I've tried both the Microsoft Store and Adobe's website. I did try to start the reader just now and here is the error message in the Event Viewer:
Faulting application name: RdrCEF.exe, version: 25.1.21288.0, time stamp: 0x69adcb66
Faulting module name: libcef.dll, version: 112.7.0.0, time stamp: 0x631bae2d
Exception code: 0x80000003
Fault offset: 0x02dd3c61
Faulting process id: 0x21AC
Faulting application start time: 0x1DCBF8C90F6A167
Faulting application path: C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Acrobat Reader DC\Reader\AcroCEF\RdrCEF.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Acrobat Reader DC\Reader\AcroCEF\libcef.dll
Report Id: d13ab575-7885-4d4c-bad6-9489778a0e47
Faulting package full name:
Faulting package-relative application ID:

2. Another software program that I am trying to install goes through the extracting process but then quits. I don't know where the files are being extracted to (I've looked in App Data > Local > %temp%), or if the extraction actually took place.

3. I've successfully installed many other programs so it is just these two right now that are behaving strangely. And I have disabled anti-virus and auto smart firewall.

Thank you to everybody who has offered suggestions.

I don't have RdrCEF.exe, but do have libcef.dll the latter appears to be for Chromium based Browsers. The most popular of which would be Edge and Chrome Browsers.
Those are your faulting modules.

Also Acrobat Reader is in the conventional 64 bit programs location Program files, rather than Program Files(86)
i.e. C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat DC

I'm probably wrong but are you trying to install a 32 bit version, maybe with a non-Chromium Browser.

My original install (UK) was from here:
Note the two other inclusions, I untick both.

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