I recently updated Media Encoder from v26.0 to v26.0.2. Now it displays a popup requiring a free trial. Other applications (Acrobat & Photoshop) run properly. I have tried…

• Update hosts file with the latest entries. No change.
• Revert to v26.0. That version now also displays the free trial popup.
• Block Internet access for Media Encoder. It then hangs on a popup requiring Internet access.
• Run Media Encoder as administrator. No change.
• Restore and re-patch Media Encoder both with and without the “good patch” option. No change.
• Do the WinTrust > reboot > un-WinTrust > reboot dance. No change.
• Completely clean, reinstall, and patch Creative Cloud and all Adobe applications. No change.

I have read through the entirety of the wiki and guides and can find nothing to resolve this issue. Maybe I missed something. Can anyone offer assistance? Thanks.