For anyone else who is having this problem, ensure that the program has not defaulted to run in compatibility mode for Windows XP, Vista or 2k as this was the case for this computer (was defaulted to XP in 256 color and 620x480 resolution). Dell had created a primary administrator account when they built this computer for him (he is a teacher) so his permission level was also not set up properly for Adobe.
Windows 7 recently updated to Adobe Reader X 10.1.1 from 10.0 and now, every time I try to open a pdf file, the screen flashes, changes from 1368x720 down to 640x320, reduces screen size and open a dialog box stating "There is a problem with your system configuration". It gives options to open in protected mode, protected mode disabled, or always open in protected mode.

Chowhound
Comic Vine
GameFAQs
GameSpot
Giant Bomb
TechRepublic