How do I stop creative cloud leaving background processes running

[gp7024]

Using windows 7 and 2015.1 release of creative cloud with just lightroom, photoshop and bridge installed.

I do not use any of the cloud storage services on online resources and have these set to off in the creative cloud desktop interface properties.

I find that various background process get started and constantly access my disk even when I am not using and even when I have never started lightroom etc.

As far as I can determine these processes are doing nothing that is useful to me. Note that I am not using any of the cloud features.

They are certainly irritating me and littering my Temp folder with log files, not to mention adding to the wear and tear of my disk.

How do I get rid of these processes and stop them running?

I expect that as I am not using any features that require Sync that processes such as CoreSync would be switched off and never run at all.

So why are they running at all?

Any why do they not stop when I am not using lightroom etc?

On my system with my usage profile the creative cloud process has nothing to do other than occasionally check that I have an active licence, so why am I burdened with all this other stuff?

[kglad]

you can disable the cc desktop app from starting when you sign in.  you only need to run it once every 30-91 days.

[gp7024]

I have the cc control interface set to 'not start on login'.

However the background processes still start automatically and it not obvious where or how it gets activated.

Having said that I use a feature in my Norton anti-virus package to delay the start of the task and will try blocking it completely.

BUT why should I as a user have to go to such extreme measures to stop stuff that has no business running in the first place.

This is bad design, this is Adobe not bothering to consider how we want to use our computers.  They just coded it the easy way, let it run regardless.

This is my machine not Adobe's I don't want this stuff running on MY computer (unless its doing something useful).

I hope someone from Adobe design sees this. I am a retired, software engineer and I think I am entitled to expect Adobe to respect my opinion.

Also there is the issue of why so many files get created in the Temp folder and do not get cleared out.  Why is it left up to me the user to keep this folder tidy? It's sloppy design.

[gp7024]

OK so what I have done is block Creative Cloud start-up app from running (using a feature in my anti virus package) but allow the 'Updater' process to run.

Thus the recent update was recognised but generally the troublesome processes do not run.

This does temporally resolve the issue but from my viewpoint is an unsatisfactory state, in that the updating sequence removed my block and I had to reset everything.

I view this as basically sloppy and lazy coding by Adobe.

Surely there must be many users like me who do not use the cloud stuff.

By the way why is there no advice on the Creative cloud FAQ on how to disable these features, by which I mean positively confirm they are totally blocked.

Also since raising this issue my Temp folder has accumulated over 50 Mb of Adobe's rubbish files!

Again sloppy and lazy coding.

[The TechSmith]

I am like you - I occasionally use PS and LR, but most of the time I'd prefer not to have them running, as I am not an imaging professional.  I don't use their Cloud services.  So I have been angered & annoyed to see my process list in Task Manager include several Adobe CC-related ones that are among the top consumers of CPU and disk I/O.  In my case, I grumble loudly and close the offending processes.

Now, someday I'm going to run into a situation where one of these closed processes is actually needed, and if it doesn't reload itself then, I may have a headscratcher issue that will resolve with a reboot. And then I'll curse Adobe again for making this all difficult.

HELLO ADOBE: I don't want or need you rifling my disk when I'm not there, or running my CPU all the time to support, what?, better-educated guesses at what I might want to buy from you next?  As gp7024 says - I'm paying you to do something specific on my computer, and I don't want you doing other unwanted stuff and absorbing my resources doing it.

[gp7024]

Well said TechSmith, relieved to see I am not alone in this concern.

Further to the issue: I tried the CC 2015.2.1 update and found that the entire Lightroom task would not terminate when closed. I had to kill the process manually.

Have tried to report this through the bug forum but got no acknowledgement from adobe.

This was the real problem with the update for me, not the import change.

So hoping Adobe are aware of the shutdown issue and will fix it properly.

[Rob_Cullen]

the entire Lightroom task would not terminate when closed. I had to kill the process manually.

Try this, Follow procedure-

• Open Lightroom , and then open the Task Manager. (CTRL+ALT+DELETE)
• Right-Click on the App Adobe Photoshop Lightroom-
• Select the option "Go to details"-
• Right-Click on "Lightroom.exe"  to Set Priority to "High", close Task Manager.
• Reset the Preferences of Lightroom by holding [SHIFT+ALT] as you open Lightroom.
• Restart the computer, and then see if it helps.

[brilliant_practice15A8]

Amen. I don't think it is just specific to Adobe, though. Too many companies are leaving too many things running. Why do I need an updater running all of the time? Why can't the program just check when I start or, better yet, close it?

[physics9c]

I have this problem too. So many companies do it, though Adobe is the worst offender, and it makes me hate the companies that do it.

Maybe I don't want 6 idle background processes running just because I opened a pdf once. Not only that, every company thinks... well it's just a small background process.. But it's 4-6 processes for every company that decides to do it. NVIDIA is another huge offender.

And Apple, windows.

[Neural]

The amount of garbage processes that Adobe spawns is ridiculous, and it affects system performance.  Some processes, like adobeipcbroker.exe can't even be terminated without going through ridiculous steps, *and* if you follow some suggestions, it prevents cloud from running at all.

[chariiebrown]

This irritated me too so I wrote a short PHP script to stop the processes:

<?php

// Save this as Adobe_Killer.php

// Get a list of all processes

$output= '';

exec('ps aux', $output);

foreach($output as $one_process) {

// Find just the Adobe ones...

if (false !== strpos(strtolower($one_process), 'adobe')

// ...but not this one 🙂

&& false == strpos(strtolower($one_process), 'adobe_killer')) {

// Separate the process list columns. The username is in the first column [0] What we want is the process id and that's the second col [1]

$parts = explode(' ', preg_replace('!\s+!', ' ', $one_process));

// Stop the process

exec("kill {$parts[1]}");

}

}

That works for me on a mac:

$ sudo php Adobe_Killer.php

[VK777VK]

Can some one help me please ? I am using Photoshop with my Mac and Adobe runs many apps on the background. I would like thtat Photoshop only runs when I am using it. Does someone know how to do this ? In advance thank you very much for your help. I don't unsertand why Adobe makes it so complicated. 

[JivanP]

The background services do such things as continuously check for:

• software updates
• cloud sync changes
• attempts to circumvent software license

There are ways to get around this, but they are not convenient. The simplest way is to open Activity Monitor on your Mac and close processes with "Adobe" in the name that you don't want running. You will likely have to do this every time you log in, and every time you open an Adobe app.

If you are more technically inclined, I have recently written a terminal/Bash script for macOS which assumes you only run Adobe XD, and will kill everything except Adobe XD. It could be adapted to not kill other Adobe CS/CC apps such as Photoshop, too: https://gist.github.com/jivanpal/30af7741721e597575e10f5ef8560062

[JivanP]

I made a Bash script to kill the background processes: https://gist.github.com/jivanpal/30af7741721e597575e10f5ef8560062

[BreadcrumbBoi]

I have a solution that worked for me. I disabled it on startup with the task manager. I then restarted my computer and closed out a few little adobe things still there.

[MichaelGL73]

I've never subscribed to Adobe's online CC services. I use Ps Elements.

I've found  SIX instances... 3-IPC Helper, 1-Desktop Services and 1-Update Service.

I've disabled these... they now use no CPU. HOWEVER... They all still use RAM.

Isn't that kind of like tying your car's steering wheel so it just goes in circles and you don't even have to be in it?

Can one 'rename' the .exe file something like .exx to make it not execute?