To install Adobe Acrobat Reader on Windows, most of us simply visit the Adobe website, download the web installer, and hit “Run”. The problem with this standard approach is Adobe’s use of dark patterns to bundle unnecessary bloatware alongside the reader. In my case, Adobe installed McAfee Security Scan Plus, Adobe Express, and the Acrobat extension for Chrome, none of which I use or need. These dark patterns are so effective that I didn’t notice them until it was too late.
So, I learned my lesson. I immediately uninstalled McAfee and Adobe Express and denied permission to install the Chrome extension. If you want to avoid this clutter from the start, I will show you how to install Adobe Acrobat Reader without McAfee or other bloatware using the web installer, the offline installer, and Winget (the expert way). Let’s get started.
Quick Navigation:
- Using the standard web installer
- Using the offline installer
- Using the Winget (The Expert Way)
Method 1: Using the Standard Web Installer
You can avoid bloatware while installing Acrobat Reader using the standard web installer recommended by Adobe. However, you have to watch all the options on the web page carefully before clicking the Download button.
Step 1: Open the Adobe Acrobat Reader download page. Before clicking the Download button, look for the “More download options” link and click it. It is usually located under the download button in tiny font (see image below for reference).
Note: You could just uncheck the “Option Offers” (titled ‘Include with your download’) in the middle of the main page, but you will miss the Acrobat Chrome extension. Clicking “More download options” shows all the optional extras included in the web installer.
Step 2: Now, select your operating system (Windows 10 or 11), language, and version on the left panel. On the right page, uncheck all the checkboxes. These are the optional extras (McAfee, Express, Chrome extension, etc.) included with the web installer.
Step 3: After unchecking, click the “Download Acrobat Reader” button.
Step 4: Once downloaded, double-click the file to install Acrobat Reader without bloatware.
Method 2: Using the Offline Installer
Most don’t know this, but Adobe provides an official Acrobat Reader offline installer for their enterprise users that’s free from all the bloatware. While it is for the enterprise users, any user can download and use it. You just need to know where to find it. Because it is an offline installer, you don’t need an active internet connection to install Acrobat once you’ve downloaded the file.
Step 1: Go to this special Adobe Acrobat enterprise download page. Here, select your operating system (Windows 10/11), language, and version (64-bit in most cases), and click the “Download Acrobat Reader” button. This downloads the offline installer (>800MB).
Note: For some languages, you might not see the “64-bit” version. In that case, select “All Languages (MUI)” from the “Language” dropdown.
Step 2: After downloading, double-click the file to start the installation. Usually, the file will be located in your Downloads folder.
Step 3: Let the installer extract the files.
Step 4: Next, click the “Install” button to install Acrobat Reader.
Important note: If you don’t want to use Acrobat Reader as your default PDF viewer, uncheck the “Set as default PDF viewer for browsing and file preview” before clicking the “Install” button.
Step 5: With that, you’ve installed Adobe Acrobat Reader without McAfee and other bloatware. You can open the PDF reader by clicking the “Launch now” button or searching in the Start menu.
Method 3: Using Winget (The Expert Way)
Both Windows 10 (v1709 and higher) and Windows 11 include a built-in package manager called “Winget“. This tool lets you install software without clicking through the installation wizard or dealing with bloatware. It’s all command-line-based yet pretty simple.
Step 1: Right-click the Start button on the taskbar and select “Terminal“. Windows 10 users can select “Windows PowerShell”.
Step 2: Copy (Ctrl + C) and paste (Ctrl + V) the following command in the terminal/PowerShell window and press “Enter” to execute it.
Note: If you see a UAC (User Access Control) prompt, click “Yes“.
winget install Adobe.Acrobat.Reader.64-bit --source winget
Winget will automatically download and install Acrobat Reader.
That is all. By following any of the three methods shown above, you can install Adobe Acrobat Reader without bloatware. If you have any questions or need help, comment below.
