How do I download the CS6 files in an exe form to a USB?

This will not likely be of any help, but is at least more information to satisfy the curious.

I, too, am a Mac user and was interested in locating the disk image after Illustrator (in my case) had been downloaded by the Adobe Application Manager.  It wasn't in the Trash, so I figured it had to be somewhere.  The only possible file I found was in a hidden temporary folder at the root level, specifically:

[my hard drive name]\private\tmp\[a long hexidecimal key]\

...and therein was a 1.6 GB file named "Illustrator_16_LS16.dmg.aamdownload".  The direct-link download Mac file available on the page previously referenced by karin_newport is listed as  1.8 GB, so I thought this a likely candidate.  I renamed the file, deleting the ".aamdownload" portion, but the disk image would not mount, returning an error of "not recognized". 

It's possible that this download was incomplete (I had previously aborted a  download of Illustrator CS6 using AAM, and one of the additional files present in this same folder was named  "Illustrator_16_LS16.dmg.aamdownload.aamd" that only clocked in at 16.4 KB), but I doubt it.

The folder also contained two xml files, one named "validation" and the other "manifest." Upon opening the latter, it showed an "<asset_size>" of 1607822225 and an "<asset_path>" of http://ccmdl.adobe.com/AdobeProducts/ILST/16/osx10/Illustrator_16_LS16.dmg.  The EXACT size of the 1.6 GB  "Illustrator_16_LS16.dmg.aamdownload" file is actually 1,607,822,225 bytes -- which seems to correspond to the listed <asset_size> value -- so I'm not sure why it would not open as a disk image.  An attempt to open the file with AAM also failed.

So... not much help in addressing the original question(s), but perhaps some closure as to where the giant mystery disk images disappear?

For those of you utilizing the Creative Cloud you can download the trials and install via that method after installing the Adobe Application Manager from https://creative.adobe.com/.  You will then enter the Adobe ID related to the Creative Cloud membership to activate the trial.  It will the register the software using your Creative Cloud account.

When downloading the install files using the Adobe Application Manager you are correct that the files are stored temporarily for the duration of the download and install process.  There is also not an option to adjust the location of the install files.  You can adjust the location of the main components of the applications by utilizing the Preferences feature in the Adobe Application Manager.

Installation and serialization are separate. I have no clue where the current application manager stores its files, since I use perpetual licenses and not yet the cloud but likely candidates are your user home directory and the AAM's own directories, which on windows would be

C:\Users\You\AppData\

C.\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\

and so on, including sub-folders. On Mac these directories should be similar, i.e. Users:You:Application Support:Adobe etc. If the files are downloaded there without any encryption, it would be easy enough to pick them up and copy them to whatever directory or storage media you like. not sure about the rest. It's possible that the AAM stores some obscure configuration data and does not see externally installed programs that have never been downloaded through it. Anyway, nothing's lost by trying. It might work just fine.

Mylenium