Can't install, unistall CC desktop or apps

[Jim Green]

CC desktop does not run right, and crashes. (I'm running Window 7 sp1.) When I start it, sometimes it can't load the apps. Sometimes it does but I can't get it to install or update any apps. It does start downloading, then it just restarts itself in the middle of the download. After restart.....nothing there, or can't load them. It restarts itself even if I'm not trying to download anything. I've tried all 5 options at Adobe Creative Cloud desktop app doesn't open or shows a spinning progress wheel , some of them several times. Looking at the task manager I see that creative cloud often sucks up more and more RAM until it gets to about 500 MB then I think is when it crashes, then restarts and begins feasting again. I've tried uninstalling my one remaining CC app (bridge 2017) but Windows uninstall can't do it, says it might already be uninstalled. So have not tried to use the CC cleaner tool, since it says to uninstall CC & CS apps first (Use the Creative Cloud Cleaner Tool to solve installation problems ). I also have Acrobat pro 8 installed.

[Jeffrey_A_Wright]

Jim Green I am sorry you are facing difficulties installing the Adobe Creative Cloud desktop application on Windows 7 SP1.  What other Adobe software titles do you have installed on the computer besides Acrobat 8 Professional?

Jim Green please begin by following the steps listed in "Failed to install" error received when installing Adobe Creative Cloud desktop app to install the Creative Cloud desktop app successfully.  If you continue to encounter difficulties with the process then please update this discussion with any specific errors that you are receiving.

[Jim Green]

That's it right now, Bridge CC 2017 and Acrobat Pro 8, oh, and Acrobat Reader 11.0.

I've already tried solution 1 several times and always as administrator (solution 3). Should I try to uninstall them and run the cleaner tool? Should I run it even if I can't uninstall everything? More info: I recently had trouble with licensing on Photoshop CS3 and uninstalled it on advice from Adobe support, but have not yet reinstalled. Somewhere in that process Acrobat says it is no longer activated so the old copy of Reader comes in handy. Oh, and I have Freehand MXa (11.1?) installed but can't imagine that has anything to do with anything. So a bit of a mix of old and new, but I'd sure like to be able to transition to InDesign while keeping my trusty PS CS3 and Freehand running.

[Jim Green]

Still having problems.  I uninstalled all Adobe products except Bridge CC 2017 which won't uninstall...it says it might already be uninstalled -- which is not the case -- and except Macromedia FreeHand. Then I tried reinstalling CC desktop and am having the same problems (periodic restarts and inability to install tryout products, see 1st post for more details). Should I uninstall it and try the cleaner tool even though I can't uninstall Bridge?

On a related matter, I'm trying to reinstall a couple of my older Adobe apps. I was successful with Acrobat Pro 8 but not with Photoshop CS3. The setup runs for an appropriate amount of time then the I get the error "component installation failed."

Any help is appreciated.

[Jeffrey_A_Wright]

Jim Green what happened to this Windows 7 computer prior to the high amount of stability issues you are currently facing?  Did you recover from a malware or virus protection?

At the moment you have multiple issues with using any Adobe software on this computer Jim.  What specific Adobe software titles, and versions, are currently installed, or were installed, on this computer?

[Jim Green]

No viruses etc. I'm pretty protective of my computer and it was a fresh OS install when I got it less the 1.5 yrs ago. Adobe software I've ever had on it:

Macromedia Freehand 11.1

PS CS3 (now uninstalled & won't reinstall)

Acrobat Pro 8 (uninstalled and now successfully reinstalled)

Bridge CS3 (now uninstalled)

Bridge CC 2017 (installed and can't uninstall)

Flash ?? (now uninstalled)

Acrobat Reader 11 (now uninstalled)

InDesign CC 2017 (tryout version now uninstalled)

Jim

[Jim Green]

Oh, and after the latest round of clearing off everything I could I tried reinstalling Creative Cloud but it is still having intermittent restarts and crashes.

[Jeffrey_A_Wright · Accepted solution]

Jim you can try removing all Adobe applications, running the CC Cleaner Tool, and then reinstalling.  The CC Cleaner Tool is available for download at Use the Creative Cloud Cleaner Tool to solve installation problems .  It should only be run after running any available uninstallers.

This would give you the best chance of installing CS3 or CC 2017 successfully on this installation of Windows 7 SP1.  Please do make sure there is no pending Windows updates that may prevent Adobe applications from installing successfully.

[Jim Green]

Well, I'm not happy to be back...

To get beyond all the problems described above with none of the myriad of solutions from Adobe working, I took the drastic step of reformatting my hard disc and reinstalling Windows 7. I applied all updates and then started reinstalling my software beginning with the Adobe products I most desire to have actually work. I have been scrupulous about keeping everything clean and only installing one thing at a time so I could see if a problem crops up. No problems until a few weeks or a month after everything had been running fine and then some of the same problems are back, namely Creative Cloud stops working occasionally and Photoshop CS3 will not open at all: "licensing for this product has stopped working". (as for as CC stopping this does not keep me from using the CC apps I have installed, ID and Bridge, so is more of an annoyance... I'd rather not have that running in the background anyway. Why can't I just start an app when I need it and let the computer have the RAM back when I'm not using it?)  But I would like to be able to use Photoshop. Acrobat 8 works fine and I believe it is from the same era and often the 2 apps (Acro 8 & CS3) have the same licensing problems. I would consider reinstalling PS CS3  but am afraid I'll have to reinstall Acrobat as well and I can't afford to lose it too.

I've already tried most of the fixes at Error: "Licensing has stopped working" | Windows (as I did 3 months ago). I'm getting tired of this and the time waste is ridiculous. How about a compromise Adobe? You give me a free year of CC Photoshop and I'll take it from there. Save us both some time.

[Jeffrey_A_Wright]

Jim, I am sorry you are continuing to face difficulties with your installation of Creative Suite 3.  Were you able to resolve the current error that the "Licensing has stopped working?"

Also, you mentioned you also had CC apps installed on the Windows 7 SP 1 computer.  Which specific Adobe CC applications do you now have installed?  Which Creative Suite 3 applications did you install on the computer?

[Jim Green]

Jeff, thanks for the reply.

No, PhotoShop still will not start. I started to go through the 9 steps in Error: "Licensing has stopped working" | Windows  but came to my senses rather quickly as I remembered the amount of time wasted the last time I went though the steps to no avail. After my clean OS reinstall things worked better for a time and now I'm back where I was. Here's my Adobe install list at the moment:

CC: InDesign and Bridge....   they operate fine, but I keep getting a dialog about Creative Cloud stopping or restarting. Even if I don;t restart, ID and Bridge continue to operate, so I don't know what benefit I get from the CC desktop app. I don't use the cloud aspects of it...storage, stock photos, etc. I guess I might like to look for fonts now and then or I guess it is how I'd update my main apps or try a new one. Is there a way to only start it when needed? I sense it may be the problem.

PhotoShop CS.....  won't run

Bridge CS3.....  runs.  I don't need it, but not sure if I can uninstall separately from PS.

Acrobat Pro 8.... runs. Using downloaded nonactivation version.

Here's the usual CC error notice and below that a new error today.

[Jeffrey_A_Wright]

Jim, the solutions listed in Error: "Licensing has stopped working" | Windows do lead to a resolution of the error.  Did you implement Solution 4 which discusses updating the file permissions for the FLEXnet folder?

I am unsure why the current installation of CS3 became damaged, Jim.  As a next step, you could try creating a new local administrator account.  This would resolve any permission issues with the FLEXnet folder.  It may also resolve several of the errors you are facing when attempting to open Photoshop CS3 or Acrobat 8.  Information on how to set up a new local administrator account can be found at https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/13951/windows-create-user-account .

[Jim Green]

I resumed the 9 step plan. Moved to Solution 4 this morning and got lost on step 16-17. I tried to find my way through as I realize details change from time to time, but nothing matches up from this point. There is no "edit" button on the permissions tab, only a change permissions button, and if I go there I never see the "Replace Permission Entries On All Child Objects With Entries Shown Here That Apply To Child Objects option" mentioned in step 18. Simply applying/closing what I had done up to then did not fix the problem. Solutions 5 & 6... I have no such C:/Program Files/Common FIles/Adobe PCD folder or anything with PCD nor under (x86). So I took your advice and created a new administrator account and PS still did not run. So I tried Solutions 1-4 on it and no difference, same missing buttons and folders and same result. [note in my scree captures below that the system, administrators and users accounts are each listed twice with different "Inherited From". Any significance?]

[Jim Green]

Jeff or anyone,

What do you make of "I have no such C:/Program Files/Common FIles/Adobe PCD folder or anything with PCD nor under (x86)."

or

the system, administrators and users accounts are each listed twice with different "Inherited From".

DO you think trying to reinstall will have any better chance of working?

I need to do something.

Jim

[Jeffrey_A_Wright]

Jim, make sure you are able to view hidden files and folders.  If you are not seeing the necessary folders, but CS3 is installed, then it is because they are hidden.  Details on how to make hidden folders and files visible can be found at https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/14201/windows-show-hidden-files​.

[Jim Green]

Yes, Hidden and system files are both visible.

I looked harder and found a PDC folder under C:/Program Files (x86)/Common FIles/Adobe/Adobe PCD

So I went the the reset permissions steps on it to no avail. Note again that the instructions diverged from what I found and I could not really tell that I was close to doing what was asked.

I also tried solution 6 now that I could locate the folder and deleted cache.db (no cache.db-journal) under C:/Program Files (x86)/Common FIles/Adobe/Adobe PCD/cache.  No help.

Jim

[Jeffrey_A_Wright]

Ok, continue going through the steps listed in Error: "Licensing has stopped working" | Windows until you no longer receive the error, Jim.  The document was also written during the Windows XP and Vista period.  You may need to adapt some of the instructions for Windows 10.

The document has an outstanding success rate, Jim.  If you are only receiving the "Licensing has stopped working error," then you will be able to resolve the error within the eight solutions given.