Fatal Error Adobe cannot connect to a DDE server.

Question

Just started getting this error message "Fatal Error Adobe cannot connect to a DDE server." Can save files to PDF but then cannot open them. Using current Adobe 11 with Windows 8, using Norton Security Suite. Sometimes it will say Fatal error Adobe and at other times it will say Acrobat.

Answer 1

Hi snowbird1,
Thank You for posting on the forums. The probable cause of the error is, multiple processes of Acrobat/Reader running in the background.
Kindly follow the steps mentioned below and check, if it helps.
1) Press CTRL+ALT+DEL together
2) Go to the Task Manager
3) Go to Processes in the Task Manager and kill al the processes related to Acrobat/Reader.
4) Launch Reader/Acrobat (It should launch without an error).
To further isolate the issue you might want to run Acrobat/Reader in an environment where no other services are running.
This can be achieved via "MSCONFIG"
1) Click on start type run
2) Type MSCONFIG in the run prompt
3) Go to services and click on hide all Microsoft services
4) Click disable all
5) Go to the startup in configuration window and disable all startup items
6) Restart your system
7) Launch Acrobat/Reader
If, it is launched without an error, a service on your system is conflicting with Acrobat/Reader.
Thanks,
Vikrantt Singh