Zombie Adobe Reader 9.5.3 Updater will not die!

Try downloading http://www.piriform.com/mac/ccleaner and checking which programs are set to run at startup. You might be able to delete the offending update program from there.

You don't mind re-installing Adobe 10.x, do you? And I'm guessing you don't want to futz with Terminal commands that edit your plists. So here's something to try: 1. Download AppZapper. It is nagware, but gives you five free zaps. 2. Use AppZapper to zap Adobe Reader. Zap Adobe Updater if you find it in Applications or Applications/Utilities. Also check the Applications folder in your home directory. (/Applications, /Applications/Utilities, and ~/Applications.) 3. Get an update prompt again? Reinstall 9.5.x as you did before, then zap it. 4. Swear never to use anything by Adobe again. Or, okay, download and reinstall Adobe 10.x. 5. Optionally, zap AppZapper itself. No promises, but AppZapper does a good job hunting down the various bits and pieces of applications.

OK, downloaded CCleaner. Neat program, but none of the Adobe programs are set to run at startup. I do believe this is hidden deeper. Other ideas?

Thanks, doctor_negative! I think that did the trick. (Disclosure: doctor_negative is a friend IRL, but I hate to bother him with something petty like this...) And thanks, too, woodman and RedOrGreen, those are both very useful apps and I'm going to grab them and use them going forward.

For future reference: If you hold the command key, and click on the dock icon of an application, it will reveal that application's location in the Finder. So when an Annoying Updater App is open, you could do that, and then simply trash the updater app.

An update to the above solution: Turns out the source of the zombie Reader update request was actually an old copy of Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro, not Adobe Reader. Acrobat 9 Pro has it's own Check for Updates preference, and this needed to be disabled as well. I would never have discovered this without vasi's tip - thanks!