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JG@Cape
Participating Frequently
Oct 7, 2024 10:27 PM UTC
Question

adobe_licutil quit unexpectedly

I'm using Phototoshop Elements 2024 for Mac.

Anyone know how to fix "adobe_licutil quit unexpededly"

I tried deleting the PE app and Organizer, as many folders and files in /Library/Application Support and /Library/Preferences. Then I downloaded a new install from Adobe, but the "adobe_licutil quit unexpededly" still pops up upon opening a photo.

Any help appreciated.

    42 replies

    wannago35
    Participant
    Jan 7, 2025 6:09 PM UTC

    I am having the same issue and it's annoying as all get out.

     

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    dlc_tech
    Participating Frequently
    Apr 14, 2025 8:05 PM UTC

    I recently fixed this issue by completely removing the Adobe Genuine Service software. I tried many of the solutions I found on the web before, and nothing fixed it for me until I removed that. 

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    relhender
    Participating Frequently
    Apr 14, 2025 9:32 PM UTC

    Thank you dlc_tech! That worked for me on an iMac running Sequoia. It suggests strongly (to me at least) that it was Adobe rather than Apple who was mainly at fault.

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    tburkes
    tburkes
    Participant
    Dec 19, 2024 1:46 AM UTC

    I bought a new MacBook Pro with the Apple chip and installed my PE. The problem disappeared.

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      fiorenzob42038346
      Participant
      Dec 19, 2024 7:47 AM UTC
      I have a new Mac Mini M4 but the problem is still alive. It works properly on my Mac Book pro 2015 running Monterey

      Inviato da iPhone
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      Kent33008594bygk
      Participant
      Dec 18, 2024 7:53 PM UTC

      Running Sonoma 14.7.1 and PSE 2024 and having the same issue.  Started about 2 months ago after no such message had ever come up!  Tried uninstall of PSE and re-install... still receives the same message.  Guess I will live with it until I read somewhere where this issue is fixed by either Adobe or Apple.  Frustrating.

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      tburkes
      tburkes
      Participant
      Nov 10, 2024 10:44 PM UTC

      I have the same issue on a 13 inch 2018 MacBook Pro after updating to Sequoia 15.0.1. Installing Sequoia 15.1 did not fix the problem. Every time I open Adobe Photoshop Elements 2020 or 2024, adobe_licutil gets a memory exception. Since the error occurs with both older and newer versions of PE that I have, I assume the change to Sequoia has triggered the issue.

       

      From the error report:

       

      Exception Type:        EXC_BAD_ACCESS (SIGSEGV)

      Exception Codes:       KERN_INVALID_ADDRESS at 0x0000000000000000

      Exception Codes:       0x0000000000000001, 0x0000000000000000

       

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      Glenn 8675309
      Glenn 8675309
      Legend
      Oct 13, 2024 12:12 AM UTC

      This is a discussiion from 6 years ago which appears to contain a good solution:

      https://community.adobe.com/t5/download-install-discussions/multiple-copies-of-quot-adobe-licutil-quot-appearing-slowing-down-mac/m-p/9855177#M133560

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      relhender
      Participating Frequently
      Oct 13, 2024 2:09 AM UTC

      Glenn, thank you for your suggestion. However, the suggested procedure refers to the path "Applications/Utilities/Adobe Application Manager/P6" but I do not have a P6 folder (only a P7 folder). I guess I will need to live with this until Adobe or Apple fixes the issue, although past experience suggests that Adobe has no interest in fixing versions of PSE older than the newest.

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      Glenn 8675309
      Glenn 8675309
      Legend
      Oct 13, 2024 12:01 PM UTC

      Adobe only supports the current version, and the previous version.   It's quite rare for them to issue any fixes for a previous version, once the new version released.

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      relhender
      Participating Frequently
      Oct 12, 2024 2:37 AM UTC

      As noted by another cooment in a different Adobe discussion thread, this issue for me started after I updated my iMac to macOS 15 Sequoia. In view of issues many Mac users have had with Sequoia, I think at least part of my problem with adobe_licutil is related to Apple's messy update. However, for those of you who have not updated to Sequoia, perhaps it has something to do with Adobe's release of PSE 2025 (as noted in this thread). In any case, I hope for some clarification from Adobe.

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      kerry_9907
      Participant
      May 10, 2025 12:26 AM UTC

      I can confirm that after I updated to Mac OS 15 I started having this issue. I am using Acrobat 2017.

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      dlc_tech
      Participating Frequently
      May 10, 2025 5:15 AM UTC

      Have you tried removing the Adobe Genuine Services? That fixed it for me. (Use the uninstaller).

      ~/Applications/Utilities/Adobe Genuine Sevice Folder/AdobeCleanUpUtility.app

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      nigel_8747
      Participant
      Oct 9, 2024 6:22 AM UTC

      Having the same issue...  2017 MacBook Pro Ventura 13.6.7

      It seems to have started when Photoshop Elements 2025 was released???

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      Quackerback
      Inspiring
      Oct 9, 2024 5:10 PM UTC

      I am still using PE 2024, but maybe they made the upadate for this particular piece of it was put in both versions.

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      Quackerback
      Inspiring
      Oct 9, 2024 5:15 PM UTC

      One more thought.  If the purpose of this extension is to check to see if you are using the latest version of PE, does that mean all of us with this problem won't be notfied of an update?  If so, we might have to manually download the next version when it is released.

       

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      Keith MacIsaac
      Participant
      Oct 8, 2024 10:40 PM UTC

      This issue started immediately after Adobe released Photoshop Elements 2025 (last week) and went to a 3 year subscription service.  This is not your computer but some form of software glitch tied to verification process..  Adobe needs to be up front and address the issue.

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        JG@CapeAuthor
        Participating Frequently
        Oct 9, 2024 2:42 PM UTC

        This is a definately a recent issue for me so maybe it is associated with with 2025 PE release. 

         

        If so maybe a forthcoming update is all that's needed. 

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        Whimsical_thinking5CA2
        Participant
        Oct 8, 2024 2:03 PM UTC

        I'm having this same issue but with Acrobat. Started right after updating the macbook to Sequoia. What OS are you running right now?

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        JG@CapeAuthor
        Participating Frequently
        Oct 8, 2024 2:27 PM UTC

        I'm on Monterey 12.7.6 and it could be the issue started after a minor update to Monterey. Both Sequoira and Monterey might have had the same parts of an update.

         

        I have discovered something about the issue which leads me to believe this is not a PE issue, but maybe an Apple issue.

         

        I use an accounting software called Account Edge Pro. I use it as a subscription service. This means every tiime I open Account Edge, it searches to make sure my subscription is up to date, paid, and used on the same machine ID.

         

        I believe PE does something similar. Certainly I believe it checks the machine ID.

         

        Account Edge is giving me the same Unexpededly quit warning with the Reopen, Ignore and Report

        So both apps I have, that search for credentials upon opening,  are doing the same thing.

         

        Seems to me this has something to do with the OS and not PE.

         

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        Quackerback
        Inspiring
        Oct 8, 2024 3:43 AM UTC

        I am having the same problem.  Started about a week ago.  This is on a 2018 MacBook Pro.  Don't know if it is related, but a few days after having this issue, the computer started shutting down without warning.  I did a SMC reset and that appears to have solved that problem, but adobe_licutil still quits whenever I open PE.  Found an article that explains what it does here:  https://malwaretips.com/blogs/adobe_licutil-exe-what-it-is-should-i-remove-it/

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        JG@CapeAuthor
        Participating Frequently
        Oct 8, 2024 12:01 PM UTC

        My PE will open without quiting, but I get a pop up window as seen in the screenshot. 

         

        From the screenshot, Reopen & Ignore do the same thing since PE is already open. Report goes to Apple not Adobe.

         

        I scanned my iMac using the free version of Malewarebytes and no detections found.

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