I'm using Acrobat Reader 6.04 to view pdf files; mainly, attachments in Outlook Express. 
The executable is acrord32.exe which is the default in file associations.
This goes along fine for about 5 days when, suddenly while clicking a pdf, I get 
an error saying it can't find acroread.exe. 
I have to re-associate acrord32 in file associations to get it working again (I do 
click apply and then ok).  About 5 days later, the same problem surfaces, and I have 
to re-associate. This has been going on now for about two months during which I've 
had to redo about 10 times. It's annoying, it's a hassle, and I'd like to know how 
to stop it.

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re: Question about 'Prevent Programs From Changing Your File Types' Wednesday, September 21, 2005 at 4:54 pm Posted by gewg_ (3925 messages posted) |This goes along fine for about 5 days when, suddenly while clicking a pdf, |I get an error saying it can't find acroread.exe. | pscowboy Hmmm. The classic example of "intermittent". I would leave MemTest86 running overnight for several nights. Perhaps just removing and reinserting the RAM sticks will clear it. While you've got them out, burnish the contacts with a soft eraser. While inside the case, be careful about static electricity. You need to follow some simple guidelines: 1) DON'T UNPLUG THE MACHINE. The 3rd prong on the plug is earth ground. You want to leave that connected. Any dangerous voltages are INSIDE the power supply where you can't get at them. The worst-case out in the open would be if you miraculously managed to get between the +12V and -12V supply for a total of 24V. 2) Don't scuff around on the rug while messing around inside your computer. Don't slide in and out of a chair either. 3) Immediately before reaching into your box, touch some shiny (plated, not painted) metal part of the chassis. Screw heads are usually good. The chassis is connected to earth, so your body will be too (as well as its static electricity). A half a second and it's all gone. Repeat this every so often. (As you move about, you may recharge.) If you use a tool (e.g., a vacuum cleaner), touch a metal part of the tool to the chassis before you stick it inside the box. The same cautions apply while handling your RAM when it is unplugged. [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: Question about 'Prevent Programs From Changing Your File Types' Wednesday, September 21, 2005 at 8:13 pm Posted by pscowboy (11 messages posted) You're off on a wrong tangent. My registry is being changed as to a file association. I physically see the old Acrobat executable in place of acrord32. This has nothing to do with intermittent memory failure. On Wednesday, September 21, 2005 at 4:54 pm, gewg_ wrote: >|This goes along fine for about 5 days when, suddenly while clicking a pdf, >|I get an error saying it can't find acroread.exe. >| pscowboy > >Hmmm. The classic example of "intermittent". >I would leave MemTest86 running >overnight for several nights. > >Perhaps just removing and reinserting the RAM sticks will clear it. >While you've got them out, burnish the contacts with a soft eraser. > >While inside the case, be careful about static >electricity. >You need to follow some simple guidelines: > >1) DON'T UNPLUG >THE MACHINE. >The 3rd prong on the plug is earth ground. You want to leave that >connected. >Any dangerous voltages are INSIDE the power supply where you can't get >at them. >The worst-case out in the open would be >if you miraculously managed to get between the +12V and -12V supply >for a total of 24V. > >2) Don't scuff >around on the rug while messing around inside your computer. >Don't slide in and out of a chair either. > >3) Immediately before reaching into your box, >touch some >shiny (plated, not painted) metal part of the chassis. >Screw heads are usually good. >The chassis is connected to earth, so your body will be too >(as well as its static electricity). >A half a second and it's all gone. >Repeat this every so often. (As you move about, you may recharge.) > >If you use a tool (e.g., a vacuum cleaner), >touch a >metal part of the tool to the chassis before you stick it inside the >box. > > >The same cautions apply while handling your RAM when it is unplugged. > [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: Question about 'Prevent Programs From Changing Your File Types' Wednesday, September 21, 2005 at 8:30 pm Posted by gewg_ (3925 messages posted) |I physically see the old Acrobat executable in place of acrord32. | pscowboy I think I'm still missing something. Isn't Acrobat Reader *always* called "acrord32"? How about this? Uninstall any and all Acrobat Readers.[1] Run a Registry cleaner. Install the version of Acrobat you want. [1]I'm wondering if an uninstall went wrong and if re-installing the old version *then* uninstalling it might not clear this. [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: Question about 'Prevent Programs From Changing Your File Types' Wednesday, September 21, 2005 at 9:59 pm Posted by pscowboy (11 messages posted) This is a six year old unit. Back in those days, the Reader was version 3. As the new versions came out, we just keep upgrading. Versions 3&4 executable was spelled acroread. Starting with v.5 the executable changed to acrord32. I had no problem with the file association changing until I went to v.6. When I hit version 6, I uninstalled all the old ones for space concerns. Something in the bowels of the sub-system is screwing with the pdf association after I make it right. The maddening thing is, it works okay for awhile. Then ""it"" wants to revert back to the old association. A real "Twilight Zone" mystery maybe never to be solved. On Wednesday, September 21, 2005 at 8:30 pm, gewg_ wrote: >|I physically see the old Acrobat executable in place of acrord32. >| pscowboy > >I think I'm still missing something. >Isn't Acrobat Reader *always* called "acrord32"? > >How about this? >Uninstall any and all Acrobat Readers.[1] >Run a Registry cleaner. >Install the version of Acrobat you want. > > >[1]I'm wondering if an uninstall went wrong >and if re-installing the old version *then* uninstalling it might not clear this. [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: Question about 'Prevent Programs From Changing Your File Types' Thursday, September 22, 2005 at 7:50 am Posted by TOASTER (431 messages posted) this is a shot in the dark but it may work, make a copy of acrord32.exe rename to acroread.exe put it in the same location and see what happens. .. On Wednesday, September 21, 2005 at 9:59 pm, pscowboy wrote: >This is a six year old unit. Back in those days, the Reader was version 3. As the >new versions came out, we just keep upgrading. Versions 3&4 executable was spelled >acroread. Starting with v.5 the executable changed to acrord32. I had no problem >with the file association changing until I went to v.6. > >When I hit version 6, I uninstalled all the old ones for space concerns. > >Something in the bowels of the sub-system is screwing with the pdf association after >I make it right. The maddening thing is, it works okay for awhile. Then ""it"" wants >to revert back to the old association. A real "Twilight Zone" mystery maybe never >to be solved. > > > [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: Question about 'Prevent Programs From Changing Your File Types' Thursday, September 22, 2005 at 9:02 am Posted by pscowboy (11 messages posted) I think that's a great idea. I'll be covered both ways. A big thanks for now. I'll run for a couple of weeks, and see how it goes. Before I post, I'll check the association. On Thursday, September 22, 2005 at 7:50 am, Paxo wrote: >this is a shot in the dark but it may work, make a copy of acrord32.exe rename to >acroread.exe put it in the same location and see what happens. .. > > > [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: Question about 'Prevent Programs From Changing Your File Types' Friday, December 5, 2008 at 6:27 pm Posted by Arminius (116 messages posted) This problem was posted three years ago but this thread was recently linked to from another thread hence the late response. I had exactly the same problem with the file associations changing from ACRORD32.EXE to ACROREAD.EXE several years earlier. In my case the earlier version of Acrobat Reader I had installed previously was 2.1 and I was by then using version 5.0. Acrobat Reader 2.1 did not come with an uninstall routine so the changes made during installation were not undone when the program was removed (deleted). While looking into the problem I found an entry in the WIN.INI file which read: [Extentions] PDF=C:\ACROREAD\ACROREAD.EXE ^.PDF This clearly refered to an earlier installation with the default installation directory of C:\ACROREAD. I removed the line "PDF=C:\ACROREAD\ACROREAD.EXE ^.PDF" from WIN.INI and once gone I no longer had the problem the file association changing from ACRORD32.EXE back to ACROREAD.EXE. Problem solved. Evidently entries in the WIN.INI file can override the registry. (I reinstalled Acroread 2.1 for the purpose of this reply to make sure I got the entry in the WIN.INI file correct.) [Reply or follow-up to this message] Tip: Use one of the [Reply or follow-up to this message] links above to add a message to this thread Search this forum Start a new thread on a different subject Report abuse of the forum Return to the Windows 98 Discussion Forum