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How do I get rid of this? Windows Explorer is showing this icon for everything related to Adobe and it started out of nowhere. I made sure Creative Cloud was logged in and updated, and to no avail. So random...
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Do you have a plugin that has an expired trial?
What program is associated with opening those files from Windows Explorer?
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No, I do not have any plugins in any of my Adobe software. Acrobat opens the PDFs, and Illustrator opens the AIs.
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Unfortunately none of the solutions within that thread helped me.
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This icon looks suspicious. You propably have installed some kind of scareware which has replaced the default PDF icons with this one. If PDF still open with Acrobat, you can propably ignore this. If not, you're operatings system might be been deeply changed by malicous software and this icon is just the tip of the iceberg.
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I can still open everything with Acrobat or Illustrator, but the icon itself is annoying. Especially since I use thumbnails to preview my files before opening them. That's the main reason I want to get rid of that icon.
Also, other people have had this issue but none of their solutions worked for me. Apparently it's not a new thing.
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It's not a new thing, but it's not an Adobe thing either. It's some other app taking over the icons, near as anyone can tell. I did a lot of research and couldn't find out what app was doing it. The red PDF icon is (stolen) from Adobe, but the weird light-bulb-with-eyes is something I've never n anywhere else.
What happens when you double click on a PDF in File Explorer? Does it run Acrobat, run something else, or fail?
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When I double click the PDF in File Explorer it runs Acrobat.
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Actually, I found a lead on this. Are you (or were you ever) in the business of printing customized apparel (tee shirts etc.)?
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Yes, I am actually! How come?
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See here: https://community.adobe.com/t5/illustrator-discussions/demo-expired-icons/m-p/11626259#M253780
In Microsoft fora, there are reports on this from 2016 and 2018.
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As I mentioned, I already looked at that solution. I don't have (or have never had) anything from Digital Art Solutions. That thread did not work for me.
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In other forum discussions, I found the statement "I had an application from Digital Art Solutions installed."
Well, I'd never heard of them, but I found they were purchased by InkSoft and rebranded as GraphicsFlow: "GraphicsFlow is a cloud-based graphics productivity tool that helps decorated apparel shops manage its artwork and art approvals while storing graphics, logos, and art files."
So, pretty specialist. If you're in that market, I'd say this is certainly the cause. Whether you (or someone in your company) had a license to one of these products which expired, or tried a demo: it's left this gift behind for you...
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Ah, unfortunately we have never used GraphicsFlow. All of our artwork is printed on transparencies and then stored in hanging file folders. And we store all of our graphic approvals, logos, art files etc on a local server in the shop. We have never used any type of cloud storage for our stuff.
However, we do use CorelDRAW occasionally. I opened it today to transfer some artwork to Illustrator, and in the top right it says Invalid License (see attached). Maybe this could be the culprit?
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No I really don't think it's anything else. If it were a widely used app we'd hear about it more often than every few years. My opinion (without looking at your computer of course) is that, without your knowledge, someone has tried a demo, trial, or similar - of something specialist to your work, and it is that you need to sort out. Did you look at the list of things you can uninstall? (However, other discussions talk about "deep down registry examination"; still, looking for things to uininstall seems a good bet). Also look at the folders in Program Files and Program files (X86) -- but don't delete manually.
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Oh wow! Turns out the CorelDRAW plugin is called Smart Designer Pro 2017, made by... Digital Art Solutions.
I am attempting to uninstall it, but the uninstall wizard keeps freezing every time I try. Any suggestions on how to force remove something?
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Make sure to end the process in Task Manager before trying to uninstall.
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There is no process in the Task Manager.
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I tried Revo Uninstaller, didn't work.
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You may have to contact the support of the Plugin Smart Designer Pro 2017 then. This isn't something we can help you with, I'm afraid.
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This is a third-party program hijacking the icons. Besides that it is bad practice by this provider, Adobe, and users of Adobe software can't further help, if what has been exposed here does not help. If you think Corel is the culprit, ask in the Corel forum.