Check Adobe Reader is installed (C#)?

Question

How can I check whether Adobe reader or acrobat is installed in the system? also how to get the version? ( In C# code )

Solution 1

using System;
using Microsoft.Win32;

namespace MyApp
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            RegistryKey adobe = Registry.LocalMachine.OpenSubKey("Software").OpenSubKey("Adobe");
            if(null == adobe)
            {
                var policies = Registry.LocalMachine.OpenSubKey("Software").OpenSubKey("Policies");
                if (null == policies)
                    return;
                adobe = policies.OpenSubKey("Adobe");
            }
            if (adobe != null)
            {
                RegistryKey acroRead = adobe.OpenSubKey("Acrobat Reader");
                if (acroRead != null)
                {
                    string[] acroReadVersions = acroRead.GetSubKeyNames();
                    Console.WriteLine("The following version(s) of Acrobat Reader are installed: ");
                    foreach (string versionNumber in acroReadVersions)
                    {
                        Console.WriteLine(versionNumber);
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

Solution 2

The only solution which works for me is:

    var adobePath = Registry.GetValue(
@"HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Software\Adobe\Acrobat\Exe", string.Empty, string.Empty);

Then I check if adobePath != null then Adobe reader is installed.

This way I will get also the path to the acrobat reader executable.

Solution 3

Please also consider people running 64bit operating systems and potentially running either 32bit or 64bit versions of adobe reader.

The following code is a modified version of Abmv's posted solution, but this will check to see if 64bit versions of adobe reader are installed first before checking for 32bit versions.

Hope this makes sense! :-)

using System;
using Microsoft.Win32;

namespace MyApp
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            RegistryKey software = Registry.LocalMachine.OpenSubKey("Software");

            if (software != null)
            {
                RegistryKey adobe;

                // Try to get 64bit versions of adobe
                if (Environment.Is64BitOperatingSystem)
                {
                    RegistryKey software64 = software.OpenSubKey("Wow6432Node");

                    if (software64 != null)
                        adobe = software64.OpenSubKey("Adobe");
                }

                // If a 64bit version is not installed, try to get a 32bit version
                if (adobe == null)
                    adobe = software.OpenSubKey("Adobe");

                // If no 64bit or 32bit version can be found, chances are adobe reader is not installed.
                if (adobe != null)
                {
                    RegistryKey acroRead = adobe.OpenSubKey("Acrobat Reader");

                    if (acroRead != null)
                    {
                        string[] acroReadVersions = acroRead.GetSubKeyNames();
                        Console.WriteLine("The following version(s) of Acrobat Reader are installed: ");

                        foreach (string versionNumber in acroReadVersions)
                        {
                            Console.WriteLine(versionNumber);
                        }
                    }
                    else
                        Console.WriteLine("Adobe reader is not installed!");
                }
                else
                    Console.WriteLine("Adobe reader is not installed!");
            }
        }
    }
}

Comments

[OregonGhost]

If what you actually want to do is to check if a PDF viewer is installed on the system, DON'T check for Adobe Reader. I and some of my co-workers are using Foxit Reader, which is way better than Adobe Reader.

[Chuck Savage]

Adobe is either putting it somewhere else or my Windows8 machine has it differently, modified the above code to try find Adobe in Software.Policies

[Nada N. Hantouli]

Is there a way to check in c# code if the installed adobe reader is up to date, or if there is a new update available?

[Nada N. Hantouli]

Is there a way to check in c# code if the installed adobe reader is up to date, or if there is a new update available?

[Fabián Romo]

I uninstalled acrobat, but the registry is maintained, and the version (adobe variable) is not null and has the latest version.