Install and activate ABBYY FineReader PDF

ABBYY FineReader PDF is made by ABBYY. Our catalogue lists it as "Microsoft ABBYY FineReader PDF", but it is a third-party product: Microsoft does not make it, and you install and activate it with ABBYY, not with Microsoft. You receive a serial number with your order. This guide covers the rest.

What you received

Your order confirmation email contains the serial number for FineReader PDF. You find the same number in My Library. No installer is part of the order.

• Microsoft ABBYY FineReader PDF with no term in the name is a perpetual licence.
• 12 months, 24 months and 36 months are subscriptions that run for the period in the name.
• ABBYY ties a serial number to one version and one product. A number that belongs to another product or version is refused at activation.

Before you start

ABBYY gives these requirements for FineReader PDF on Windows:

• Windows 11 or Windows 10, 64-bit.
• At least 2 GB of RAM, 4 GB recommended.
• 1.6 GB of disk space for a typical installation, plus 1.6 GB of free disk space.

The full list is on ABBYY's specifications page.

Get the software

1. Open ABBYY's FineReader PDF website and go to the download page.
2. Download the installer for Windows.
3. Save it in Downloads or another folder you will find again.

Lizensa supplies the serial number, not the software. Your order email and My Library contain the number. Download the installer from ABBYY's website only.

Install

1. Double-click the installer and select Yes when Windows asks whether the app may make changes.
2. Follow the instructions of the installer.
3. Wait for the setup to finish, then start FineReader PDF.

Activate

If an activation window appears, use it.

1. In the activation window, enter your serial number. Paste it from the email.
2. Follow the steps of the Activation Wizard until the activation is complete.

If no activation window appears, start the activation yourself:

1. Start FineReader PDF.
2. Open Help > About.
3. Select License Info.
4. Select the Activate... button.
5. Enter the serial number you received and follow the Activation Wizard.

ABBYY describes these steps in How to activate FineReader PDF if the activation window does not pop up. ABBYY states that registration is not required for activation.

Check it worked

1. In FineReader PDF, open Help > About > License Info.
2. The window shows your licence information. A subscription runs for the term in its product name. If the information does not match your order, contact our support.

If something goes wrong

"This serial number cannot be activated automatically". ABBYY shows this message when the serial number has been blocked. ABBYY states that the licence itself was not deactivated and asks you to contact its customer service. You can also contact our support with your order number and the exact message.

"This serial number cannot be used for ABBYY FineReader PDF". The serial number belongs to another product or another version. Check that you installed FineReader PDF and not another ABBYY program, and that the version matches your order.

"The serial number is already in use" when you reactivate a subscription. ABBYY has a help article for this message. Look for the article of the same name in ABBYY's Activation and Licensing section, or write to our support.

The activation window does not open. Follow the manual steps in the section above: Help > About > License Info > Activate....

Activation fails without a clear message. Note the step at which activation fails and contact our support with your order number.

Still stuck? Contact our support. Send your order number, the product name and the exact message.