Creative Cloud Desktop keeps opening - despite auto open being turned off

[WOW-CEREALLYPEOPLE]

Photoshop requires a subscription (messed up, but got it)... that subscription reqiures Creative Cloud Desktop (ummmm... okay, but got it)... Creative Cloud Desktop has a bug that launches the Creative Cloud Desktop every time you tab between multiple monitors (see attached screenie). WTF?

I cannot find a Windows PC fix anywhere here in the Adobe help community or online in general. Couple of articles around it, but nothing that fixes it. I have Launch Creative Cloud Services at login turned off in preferences (see attached), but there's nowhere else that I can tweak any other settings.

I finally narrowed down when it's happening. When I tab between my monitors... it pops up. Like Paperclip from Microsoft Word in the late 90's. Anooying? I cnanot tell you the degree of which this is annoying... yes. It's annoying. It's not only popping up when I use Adobe products, though. CC will be turned off... and despite a fresh boot, when I hit "ALT TAB"... "Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop here!!!! Let's sell you stuff!"

So... I cannot buy Photoshop (I had bought it, but they phased it out and pushed me to a subscription model now). That sucked. And licensing Photoshop now requires all these background desktop apps... which you cannot turn off, launches itself when you tab between monitors (even when you're not using Adobe products), and... to top it off... pushes adverts to you for other... ummm... "great" products you can license (see adware attached).

Question... how do I use Photoshop without adware taking over my system (even when I'm not using Adobe products in that session)? This is my attempt at a decent, civilized, genuine request.

[WOW-CEREALLYPEOPLE]

And just in case... the Adobe Help Community submission requirement is to select one of 4 "Topics" to assign your post to... so if this "Collaboration" "Topic" is off based, it's because the other "Topics" had nothing to do with this help request. Potato.

[kglad]

i haven't heard that before, so i'm not sure of a fix, but the reset is easy enough to try.

reset the cc desktop app by making sure it's in the foreground, then press:

Win: Ctrl + Alt + R
Mac: Cmd + Opt + R


if that fails, repair per https://helpx.adobe.com/download-install/kb/creative-cloud-install-stuck.html


if that fails, uninstall using the correct uninstaller from https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/help/uninstall-creative-cloud-desktop-app.html#sa_src=web-mes... and then reinstall using*


if that fails, do a clean cc install carefully following each applicable step:

uninstall every cc app including preferences per https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/help/uninstall-remove-app.html

then uninstall the cc desktop app, again using the correct uninstaller per https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/help/uninstall-creative-cloud-desktop-app.html#sa_src=web-mes...

clean your computer of cc files per http://www.adobe.com/support/contact/cscleanertool.html

check for, and if available, update your os

if windows is your os, repair all ms visual c++ versions that can be repaired (use google if you don't know how to do this)

if windows is your os update your ms visual c++, if it can be updated (use google if you don't know how to do this)

restart your computer (don't skip this)

reinstall the cc desktop app using the "alternative download links" at the bottom of the page at https://helpx.adobe.com/download-install/kb/creative-cloud-desktop-app-download.html

use the desktop app to install your cc programs/trials

NOTE: win 11 users that have trouble with the latest win 10 installer often have success with the older win 10 installer.

[Takeone.Digital]

My feeling is that CC (creative cloud) is just a spy /license-detecting that is designed to work even if you close it. task manager is full of Adobe oriented threads even after you close CC and all other Adobe Apps. I edit photos in LR and Premiere for videos but the alternatives improving quickly so I won't stay with the adobe renting model for long.  

[kglad]

for better or worse (and i can't think of much on the better side), adobe software has always been intrusive and difficult/impossible to control.  ie, this predates adobe's subscription model.

[Takeone.Digital]

You can add to the list the most clumsy and unintuitive user interface I've come across.

[Bluffy]

I have a similar problem. When Photoshop opens the Creative Cloud window will open as well, sometimes with a delay. It is especially annoying when I'm already in the process of selecting something with Polygon Lasso Tool and the pop-up resets the selection back to 0.

[kglad]

fwiw, i never see this problem.  but then i let the cc desktop app autostart, i'm always signed in (which is 1/2  the key to preventing it opening unexpectedly) and i let it auto-update (which is the 2nd 1/2 to preventing it open a window).

[Bluffy]

I prefer to have as few background programs running as possible. But if letting the cc desktop app run on the background prevents the window pop-up when opening Photoshop, then that is an acceptable fix.

[kglad]

to be sure, if you're not running and signed-in to the cc desktop app in the background, and you try to open any app, the cc desktop app should expect to see the desktop app open and prompt your sign in.