Patchers often modify C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts. Open it with Notepad as Administrator. Look for lines containing adobe, licensing, 0.0.0.0 or 127.0.0.1 pointing to software activation servers. Remove those lines (but leave the default 127.0.0.1 localhost).
Patchers often disable Windows security features like Controlled Folder Access, tamper protection, and real-time scanning. Restoring these to default can be difficult.
When executed, patcher-cf2.exe typically performs the following operations, observable via tools like Process Monitor or API Monitor: