[Locked] How do I remove the 'Creative Cloud Files' folder from my PC?

[Estragon Helmer]

I have never used Creative Cloud's storage, and probably never will. I have no files in the folder, and it is thus, irrelevant.

It appeared 2 days ago in file explorer, under /C:/users/ME... and it added a shortcut to itself in the favourites section in file explorer.

I deleted the favourite, and the folder, but the next day, when I turned on my laptop, both had appeared again.

Same thing again today.

Is there a way to permanently remove the folder, or at least stop the favourites shortcut from re-appearing?

[splaniden]

Did Adobe disable this workaround or something? I don't have this key in my registry. I tried searching for System.IsPinnedToNameSpaceTree which brings up one entry unrelated to CC, and Creative Cloud Files which brings up a couple keys

HKCU\Software\Adobe\CreativeCloud

HKU\S-1-5-21-1311244622-3186749096-474215313-1160\Software\Adobe\CreativeCloud

Which have the following strings

Would any of those work to disable it?

[techknight_]

I notice that the key you're looking at is inside of HKCU - was your cursor maybe already in that section when you started searching? Can you try navigating to the top of the registry and then trying a search for System.IsPinnedToNameSpaceTree ? It could also be an operating system difference - I'm in Windows 10

[splaniden]

The key inside HKCU was when I searched Creative Cloud FIles, this is what comes up searching System.IsPinnedToNameSpaceTree. But there's no reference to Adobe or Creative Cloud in any of the folders there. I'm Windows 7

[techknight_]

Ah, okay - I would try changing the value of IsPinnedToNameSpaceTree from 1 to 0, then closing all of your file explorer windows and checking if Creative Cloud Files is still visible.

If it has disappeared, I would right-click the {eea0c191... entry and set the permissions on that as described earlier.

If it didn't disappear, I'm afraid I don't know what I'd try next (except changing the 0 back to a 1)

[splaniden]

Yeah it doesn't even let me change the value. "Error writing the value's new contents". Probably some protected system file or something. I guess I'll just have to wait til Adobe wises up and allows the permanent deletion of it. In the meantime I've renamed it to "Butt" to stick it to the man and make myself feel better 😛

[solomonpierce]

I had the same problem, but I found a solution! You need to give yourself permission to edit that key.

Here's the tutorial I found:

http://www.groovypost.com/howto/take-full-permissions-control-edit-protected-registry-keys/

[Peter J Kovacs]

I just went to the location of the shortcut link and changed it's attributes to hidden. Since I'm running Windows 8.1 my location was C:\Users\Peter\Links\Creative Cloud Files.lnk

Just right-clicked on the file, selected properties, and checkmarked hidden. Then closed and re-opened windows explorer.

[splaniden]

This worked for me! Thanks Peter

[solomonpierce]

The registry hack stopped working for me, so thank you for posting this alternate solution.

Google tried to force G+ on everyone and now they're finally untangling it from their other services. I hope Adobe takes a second to reflect on that and realize that maybe it's not a good idea to coerce users into using their new service. Adobe makes many great products, but I've already chosen my cloud storage provider. Not letting me delete your icon is not going to make me start using your service.

[desnr]

Thanks for the tip Peter!  I've deleted this thing several times and am glad to see it gone now.

[stuartj32651810]

When is ADOBE going fix this?

MALWARE.

[stuartj32651810]

^^

[queo IT]

I've renamed C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Adobe Creative Cloud\CoreSync\CoreSync.exe, deleted the Folder and thats all. This also prevents starting the Sync-Service. Still a dirty hack.

Adobe: I've never chosen to install Dropbox. Please don't think for us and let us choose.

[wharress]

Hi,

We don not recommend that users start editing or changing Adobe system setting, this can lead to further issues being introduced. We are working on further improvements for Creative Cloud all the time and will roll out updates as soon as we have them for our users. We suggest users wait until then instead of trying to fix these issues yourself.

Thanks

Warner

[techknight_]

Hi Warner,

Can you provide a approx. timeline for a fix? Or confirm that this issue will definitely be fixed? None of us are happy at having to dig around the registry, so I think that being more specific would go a long way to showing that Adobe recognizes how user-hostile it is to force an addition to the explorer sidebar.

Thanks,

Derek

[wharress]

Hi,

We will be providing a fix for this in the next Creative Cloud update!. hope this answers your question.

Thanks

Warner

[techknight_]

Yes, that's exactly what I was looking for.

For anyone who went through with the registry fix, I recommend undoing it before the next Creative Cloud update. Here's how:

1. Open regedit.exe and navigate to the entry that you set permissions on before, which in my example was HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{0E270DAA-1BE6-48F2-AC49-5105624ABF16} (you'll see that it appears empty)
   
   
   
   
   
2. Right-click on the key name, and then on Permissions
   
   
   
   
3. On each entry in the list of users/groups, uncheck the Deny option from both Full Control and Read
   
   
   
   

Click Ok and the registry entry will be back to its previous state, which in my case had IsPinnedToNameSpaceTree set at 0. The Creative Cloud entry in the file explorer sidebar will return on next reboot.

Again, make sure that you do this before the update comes out to prevent any unanticipated consequences.

[stuartj32651810]

@Warner- ADOBE STAFF

NO this doesnt answer the question. How is providing a Creative Cloud update going to help people who have uninstalled this VIRUS (which installed itself, unasked)?

Does that mean that to uninstall Creative Cloud artifacts one has to reinstall Creative Cloud?

Who wrote this software?  Work Experience kids?

outrageous ADOBE.

[Rick Janssen]

Hi Warner,

Adobe CC just updated, but what happened to the fix you promised us here? There's still no option to remove the folder from the navigation pane.

Can you elaborate on the false hopes you've given us?

[wharress]

Hi Rick,

The latest Creative Cloud 2.3.0.150 update has fixed this issue. You can now remove the Creative Cloud files shortcut from Explorer on Windows and Mac, restart your machine and it wont come back. You cannot delete the Creative Cloud Files folder as yet, if you do the folder will come back after a system restart along with the shortcut, Creative Cloud requires this folder to be on your system so please only delete the shortcut for now.

I hope this helps.

Thanks

Warner

[Rick Janssen]

Thank you for your response.

Can you give a detailed explanation on where and how exactly I remove the shortcut so that it disappears from the navigation pane? I see what you mean with the folder itself not being able to be removed, I get why and I (personally) am perfectly fine with that.

However, I do not see any option anywhere (Nor in CC or in Explorer) that allows me to remove the shortcut from the navigation pane.

In case there's a misunderstanding as to what I mean with the navigation pane, see below:

[wharress]

Hi,

So you update to Creative Cloud version 2.3.0.150 which is the latest release. You would then right click on the shortcut and remove/delete it. It wont come back after a system restart. There is no option to delete or remove this within the Creative Cloud application itself. Removing the Creative Cloud files folder could well come in a future release.

Thanks

Warner

[Rick Janssen]

There simply is no 'remove' or 'delete' option available when right clicking the shortcut. Selecting it and pressing 'backspace' or 'delete' also yields no result. I am using Windows 10, might it be the case that this fix is not supported on Windows 10?

Also, I'm running the 2.3.0.151 version of CC apparently...

I understand, you are trying to help. And I might seem like the stupid and angry customer, but I can assure you; I know what I am talking about when I am saying there still isn't any option available to remove this shortcut from the navigation pane.

Can we view a changelog of the recent update? This page doesn't appear to be updated yet. Because I am beginning to think it just hasn't been fixed at all, despite you claiming so. Nothing seems to have changed after the update if you ask me.

To be clear, I am not in any way attacking you in particular. This is directed to all of the Adobe staff.

Your customers pay you a significant amount of money every month, and for that we should expect at least a decent product and transparency towards the community regarding updates and bug fixes. Ever since CC 2015 rolled off the shelf there have been nothing but bugs (Across all applications), even severe ones, and some of them still haven't been fixed. And on top of that you are restricting customers the option of personalizing the way they want to use their computer and manage their files.

But then again I should also blame this issue on Microsoft for allowing these shortcuts to be added in the first place.

I hope you understand my frustration, I am not trying to be rude or rant around for the sake of it.

[wharress]

Hi,

Creative Cloud wont ever bring the shortcut back after its deleted, this was fixed in the latest release, I have personally tested this on Windows 7 and 8.1 and it works perfectly. However in Windows 10,  Microsoft have made it impossible to remove these as you once could in previous version of Windows. I suggest looking on how to remove shortcuts from the Windows 10 navigation bar. OneDrive has the same issue, the shortcut isn't removable at all in Windows 10 without playing about with the Windows registry, I am sure the list goes on of programs who will create a Windows shortcut in the bar and it's not removable at all.

I am sorry I can be of any further assistance on this one, this is truly a Windows limitation, once the Creative Cloud shortcut is gone it wont come back (Unless you delete the Creative Cloud Files folder)

Thanks

Warner

[Rick Janssen]

Alright, thank you for clearing that up.

On with the registry editing it is then!