Cannot Install Adobe Program on Windows XP Pro

[Valerie9]

Hi - I have tried to install Adobe Pagemaker 7.01 on
a new Centrino Dell 600m laptop. Nothing happens when I hit the install button and I then receive a
System 16-bit unstable error on the laptop.
The Adobe Pagemaker 7.01 has a 32-bit Setup Installer.
I have tried installing in safe mode and still will not work.
I then tried to install on another XP laptop (IBM) with no problems.
How can I get around the 16-bit/32-bit issue.
Thanks - Valerie9

 

[wolluf]

Any other problems on this laptop? (particularly installing other apps) Is it at service pack 1? Is there much else installed on it?

 

[Valerie9]

Yes - I have other applications loaded -
it looks like it
has something to do with the Adobe Pagemake set-up utility.
But I will try re-installing the service pack.
Thanks - Valerie9

 

[bcastner]

Please take a few minutes to review this:

http://www.atlantictechsolutions.com/pmfaq1.html

If I had to guess, it is the older version of Adobe Distiller that is causing the error.

Is this the error you are getting? : "The selected 16 bit task has timed out. The Win 16 subsystem may be unstable. Press OK to terminate the Win 16 subsystem or Cancel to leave it running."

Distiller tries to install itself as a postscript printer under XP. If you have Adobe Acrobat with the 5.05 patches, it may help to install it first, along with the more recent version of Distiller it contains. Then for PageMaker do a custom installation and tell it not to install Distiller.

 

[Valerie9]

Yes - this is the error that I receive -
"The selected 16 bit task has timed out. The Win 16 subsystem may be unstable. Press OK to terminate the Win 16 subsystem or Cancel to leave it running."
But would you know why when I select the "32-bit" setup installer ( from Pagemaker) the computer immediately hangs apparently caused by a 16-bit error

Thanks for your help!!
VLT

 

[bcastner]

It is not the installer complaining.

It is that you are trying to install a printer device that is completely outdated and not acceptable as a device install under XP. Both you and I know that the Distiller service is a virtual printer, but to XP it is perfectly real as a printer and it does not like it.

Update PageMaker, or pre-install a current release of Distiller, or both.

Before doing that call Adobe. It is possible that someone has hijacked your key and it has been blacklisted. They will give you a new key to permit the installation.