Scanning in Acrobat 9.2 Results in Windows DEP Closing Acrobat

Question

I started having this issue about a month ago and have done some systematic testing regarding this.  First some particulars:
OS = Windows XP SP3, all updates installed and current.
Scanner = RICOH IS330DC with TWAIN driver
Adobe Acrobat Pro 8.x and 9.2 (see S.O.E below for explanation)
Scanning operations were typicaly done through AA using the scanners "Native" interface.  MSOffice Document Scanning was also used.
Sequence of Events:
Installed WXP aprox. June of 2008, have been installing all updates automaticaly
Installed AA 8.x at the same time, installing all updates as they are released.
Performed scanning operations on a daily basis of over a year with NO DEP errors (thousands of scan operations on a daily basis)
Scanning operations slowed beginning of October of 2009 but still had not received any DEP errors.
Scanning resumed November 5, 2009.  Started scanning process from within AA (Create new PDF from...Scanner).  AA scan dialogue window opened, selected scan button.  Waited for Adobe to open "Native" scanner interface.  Received the following message instead:  "To help protect your computer, Windows has closed this program".
Attempted to scan with AA 9.2 NOT using native scanner interface, received identical result.
Upgraded to AA 9.2, on November 10, 2009
Scanned a document both with and without using "Native" scanner interface.  No change in DEP message.
Attempted to add AA 9.2 to "exclusion" list in DEP settings (OptIn setting).  I did not receive the message regarding DEP "must be enabled for Adobe Acrobat" that some have reported (possibly specific to Vista/W7 installations?).  Although windows allowed adding AA to DEP exclusion list, results were the same. Note that when adding items to the DEP exclusion list, it will only allow the addition of ".exe" (executables).  I have not been able to find a way of adding .dll files or any other extension types.
Scanned a document using MS Office Document Scanning feature and using scanner "Native" interface.  NO DEP MESSAGES RECEIVED.
Scanned a document using MS Office Document Scanning feature WITHOUT using scanner "Native" interface.  NO DEP MESSAGES RECEIVED.
Disabling DEP (AlwaysOff) does resolve the problem but is NOT recommended as DEP is a critical security feature.  As such this work-around is NOT acceptable.
The results of the testing were:
Windows and specificaly DEP are allowing the Microsoft supplpied MS Office Document Scanning utility to use the same RICOH supplied drivers and "Native" scanner interface that DEP is NOT allowing Adobe Acrobat to use.  Simply put, even though in WXP I can add Acrobat 9.2 to the exclusion list, Windows DEP still will not allow Acrobat 9.2 to exectue programs or drivers on it's own.  Which is why I believe this is not a RICOH driver issue but either a Microsoft issue or Adobe issue or most likely Microsoft having an issue with Adobe Acrobat.
Yes, a workaround would be to use MS Document Scanning and right now that is what I am having to do.  However I find it terribly inconvenient that I have to go an extra step to convert thousands of pages of text from tiff to pdf. when I have paid hundreds of dollars for Acrobat to do it directly to .pdf .  Besides, the custom programming and batch job features I use and rely on were developed specificaly for Acrobat and REQUIRE me to use it and not some other utility.  It is simply NOT cost effective for me to use MS Document Scanning and still be able to provide the services I provide.
My questions are these:
Is Adobe actively addressing this issue?
Why is MS Office Document Scanning able to use the scanner drivers and dialogue window when Adobe Acrobat can not?  Why is MS Windows specificaly identifying secondary code execution by Adobe Acrobat as a problem while secondary code execution by MS office is considered acceptable?
What happened over the last three months that suddenly made DEP aware of Adobe Acrobat being untrustworthy in regards to code execution where as before it WAS trustworthy, at least in regards to Windows XP installations.
Prior to this issue I had NEVER even heard of DEP (again Windows XP user).  Did Microsoft release a DEP upgrade to Windows XP users that we were not aware of?  Did Microsoft include DEP as a new feature in a recent WXP SP3 security update (over the last three months) and this is why we are seeing this now?
Regardless of When DEP was released and for who (WXP, Vista, W7), my questions #1 and #2 are still valid.  Can someone at Adobe please address this?

Answer 1

I started having this issue about a month ago and have done some systematic testing regarding this.  First some particulars:
OS = Windows XP SP3, all updates installed and current.
Scanner = RICOH IS330DC with TWAIN driver
Adobe Acrobat Pro 8.x and 9.2 (see S.O.E below for explanation)
Scanning operations were typicaly done through AA using the scanners "Native" interface.  MSOffice Document Scanning was also used.
Sequence of Events:
Installed WXP aprox. June of 2008, have been installing all updates automaticaly
Installed AA 8.x at the same time, installing all updates as they are released.
Performed scanning operations on a daily basis of over a year with NO DEP errors (thousands of scan operations on a daily basis)
Scanning operations slowed beginning of October of 2009 but still had not received any DEP errors.
Scanning resumed November 5, 2009.  Started scanning process from within AA (Create new PDF from...Scanner).  AA scan dialogue window opened, selected scan button.  Waited for Adobe to open "Native" scanner interface.  Received the following message instead:  "To help protect your computer, Windows has closed this program".
Attempted to scan with AA 9.2 NOT using native scanner interface, received identical result.
Upgraded to AA 9.2, on November 10, 2009
Scanned a document both with and without using "Native" scanner interface.  No change in DEP message.
Attempted to add AA 9.2 to "exclusion" list in DEP settings (OptIn setting).  I did not receive the message regarding DEP "must be enabled for Adobe Acrobat" that some have reported (possibly specific to Vista/W7 installations?).  Although windows allowed adding AA to DEP exclusion list, results were the same. Note that when adding items to the DEP exclusion list, it will only allow the addition of ".exe" (executables).  I have not been able to find a way of adding .dll files or any other extension types.
Scanned a document using MS Office Document Scanning feature and using scanner "Native" interface.  NO DEP MESSAGES RECEIVED.
Scanned a document using MS Office Document Scanning feature WITHOUT using scanner "Native" interface.  NO DEP MESSAGES RECEIVED.
Disabling DEP (AlwaysOff) does resolve the problem but is NOT recommended as DEP is a critical security feature.  As such this work-around is NOT acceptable.
The results of the testing were:
Windows and specificaly DEP are allowing the Microsoft supplpied MS Office Document Scanning utility to use the same RICOH supplied drivers and "Native" scanner interface that DEP is NOT allowing Adobe Acrobat to use.  Simply put, even though in WXP I can add Acrobat 9.2 to the exclusion list, Windows DEP still will not allow Acrobat 9.2 to exectue programs or drivers on it's own.  Which is why I believe this is not a RICOH driver issue but either a Microsoft issue or Adobe issue or most likely Microsoft having an issue with Adobe Acrobat.
Yes, a workaround would be to use MS Document Scanning and right now that is what I am having to do.  However I find it terribly inconvenient that I have to go an extra step to convert thousands of pages of text from tiff to pdf. when I have paid hundreds of dollars for Acrobat to do it directly to .pdf .  Besides, the custom programming and batch job features I use and rely on were developed specificaly for Acrobat and REQUIRE me to use it and not some other utility.  It is simply NOT cost effective for me to use MS Document Scanning and still be able to provide the services I provide.
My questions are these:
Is Adobe actively addressing this issue?
Why is MS Office Document Scanning able to use the scanner drivers and dialogue window when Adobe Acrobat can not?  Why is MS Windows specificaly identifying secondary code execution by Adobe Acrobat as a problem while secondary code execution by MS office is considered acceptable?
What happened over the last three months that suddenly made DEP aware of Adobe Acrobat being untrustworthy in regards to code execution where as before it WAS trustworthy, at least in regards to Windows XP installations.
Prior to this issue I had NEVER even heard of DEP (again Windows XP user).  Did Microsoft release a DEP upgrade to Windows XP users that we were not aware of?  Did Microsoft include DEP as a new feature in a recent WXP SP3 security update (over the last three months) and this is why we are seeing this now?
Regardless of When DEP was released and for who (WXP, Vista, W7), my questions #1 and #2 are still valid.  Can someone at Adobe please address this?