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il_walti
Participating Frequently
May 9, 2025
Answered

Cant' update and/or reinstall Photoshop on MacOS Sequoia

  • May 9, 2025
  • 3 replies
  • 1867 views

Hi, I've a strange problem with PS update... Both update to 26.6.1 and install of PS Beta 26.8 fails with this error message: 

 

Exit Code: 181
-------------------------------------- Summary --------------------------------------
 - 1 fatal error(s), 1 error(s), 0 warnings(s) 

FATAL: Error occurred in install product workflow with error code 181 error message 
ERROR: Can't install to a case sensitive drive
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

I have installed all Adobe ecosystem in /Applications folder, that in MacOS is a link to /System/Volumes/Data, and this volume IS NOT a case sensitive drive! (see attachment)

I've had no problems updating LR, LrC, Camera raw and so on, that are installed in the same folder.

I've also tried to completely uninstall PS Beta and now I can't reinstall it.

 

Any ideas? Thanks

 

Correct answer kglad

As I wrote above, it's /Applications, the standard one on a Mac

And, BTW, this is the path on which the current version of PS is actually installed (and working without a single problem)

Adobe support closed my issue with "After reviewing the error logs, we identified that the issue is related to the drive being case-sensitive, which is incompatible with Adobe installations." 

Totally wrong.

 

 


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

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

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

check for, and if available, update your os

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>


3 replies

Nancy OShea
Community Expert
Nancy OSheaCommunity Expert
Community Expert
May 11, 2025

System Requirements:

- https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/system-requirements.html
- https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/system-requirements.html
- https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/kb/photoshop-cc-gpu-card-faq.html

Nancy O'Shea— Product User & Community Expert
John T Smith
Community Expert
John T SmithCommunity Expert
Community Expert
May 9, 2025

>this volume IS NOT a case sensitive drive! 

 

Something about that drive/volume is being mis-identified by the installer... I'm on Windows, so I don't know why

    I
    il_waltiAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    May 9, 2025

    Adobe Support is stuck repeating that the drive IS case sensitive, but this is wrong... I'm (was) an Unix system engineer for 40+ years, so I think I do know what I see... 

    A simple test:

     

    $ cd /Applications
$ touch Test
$ rm test
$ cd /Volumes/Extra/Applications (A CASE SENSITIVE DISK!!)
$ touch Test
$ rm test
rm: test: No such file or directory

     

    That's so simple...

    I
    il_waltiAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    May 10, 2025

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

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

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

    check for, and if available, update your os

    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>



    Hi, Keith, a good hint, but...

    That is (almost) what the Adobe technician made on my Mac via remote connection, without success... he also instructed me to change permissions on /Application folder, tried to install in a subfolder of /Applications, made me try an install using root user... no dice.

    The problem is that NOW the PS installer can't understand that the /Applications is  located in a non-case sensitive partition. I wrote now, because I've installed PS in this partition about an year ago, and updated it all the times a new version was available.

     

    I can't really understand why in the hell PS needs a non-case sensitive partition for his installation, but this is another story and it isn't pertinent.

    kglad
    Community Expert
    kgladCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    May 9, 2025

    are you using a case sensitive hard drive?

    I
    il_waltiAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    May 9, 2025

    No, of course not.

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