FNPLicensingService.exe : What is it and can I delete it?

If you have recently installed Adobe Acrobat 8, you may have noticed that it launches a process called FNPLicensingService.exe every time you start up your PC. This program is a necessary licensing utility that Adobe uses for the Acrobat software.


People have tried many different methods to disable the FNPLicensingService, however, Acrobat WILL NOT RUN without this service.

• If you disable the service by using the Services Control Panel (services.msc) or msconfig, Adobe Acrobat will simply re-enable it without asking.
• If you attempt to rename the files or folders, the Adobe Acrobat software will just create a new folder with the necessary files.

Our Advice

Set the FNPLicensingService.exe to run on Manual. The program uses up a few megabytes of memory while Acrobat is running - however, once you close Acrobat, the active process should release from memory. And by setting it to Manual, it won't run on startup. Here's how:

• Click on Start, Run, then type services.msc and press Enter.
• In the list, find the option for FLEXnet Licensing Service and double-click on it
• Click the Stop button to Stop the service.
• Change the Startup Type option to Manual.
• Click OK.

And if you haven't already, check out the free Foxit Reader - an excellent alternative to the Adobe Reader software. I also recommend a very cool book called PDF Hacks: 100 Industrial-Strength Tips & Tools, so that you can really take advantage of all the cool things that PDFs can do.