Adobe: Access Denied Error Message
Individuals that have purchased a subscription to Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Creative Cloud through Duke may experience an error indicating "Access Denied" despite having a current license.
Error
Causes
This can be caused by several factors, listed in order of frequency
Cause:
- The "sign in" button in the top-right corner of Adobe Acrobat was clicked.
Solution:
If you receive this error message, it is best to make sure that you can sign in properly. Make sure to sign in via the help menu within the application using the enterprise ID instructions to sign in with your netID.
Cause:
- A user who only has a stand-alone license for Acrobat is going to Adobe.com to sign into Acrobat. That process is for Creative Cloud entitlements only.
Solution:
- For stand-alone Acrobat installs, the Acrobat client software must first be installed before attempting to authenticate. The software can be downloaded from https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/kb/acrobat-dc-downloads.html?t1
Cause:
- The user is attempting to sign in with something other than their netID@duke.edu (or is literally using "netID@duke.edu").
Solution:
- To sign into enterprise Adobe accounts, the user must use their netID@duke.edu, per the instructions that are sent out after ordering- no variation on this will work. Here are some instructions that may be helpful. https://oit.duke.edu/help/articles/kb0025353
Article number: KB0025689
Valid to: November 19, 2025