How do I resolve the error "Another installer is currently running, which must be closed before updating" when updating CC on MacOS 10.9.4?

[cervelo_s3]

Creative Cloud keeps alerting me to an available update but whenever I try to install it it tells me there is another installer running which must be shut down first.

I've now shut down and restarted the Mac completely and nothing else is running but it still gives me the same error (Error code: 81). See screen shot below.

I'm running Mavericks (OSX 10.9.4). How do I resolve this?

[Rajashree Bhattacharya]

Please try the mentioned steps:

1. Navigate to Applications/Utilities/Adobe Installer and look for CC desktop, if present run the uninstaller to uninstall it.

2. Navigate to Applications/Utilities and look for Adobe Application Manager folder and Creative cloud folder. If present move to trash and empty it.

3. Navigate to Library/Application Support/Adobe/OOBE and rename to OOBE.old

4. Download CC desktop from: https://creative.adobe.com/products/creative-cloud and try to install again.

Other references are:

• Troubleshoot CCM Applet installation and download
• Re: Adobe application manager fails to update/install

Regards

Rajshree

[cervelo_s3]

Hi Rajshree,

I followed instructions 1-4 (although there was no “Creative Cloud” folder to delete in step 2)

But when I ran the installer I downloaded in step 4 it returned the same error message (Error code: 81) as the updater before hand (see screenshot below).

There is nothing else running except Outlook, Chrome and iTunes.

Any suggestions?

Regards,

Tim Robinson | Marketing & Communications Manager

Risk Management Technologies | Tel: +61 8 9322 1711 | Mob: +61 0 402 444 718

[cervelo_s3]

Also, now when I open Acrobat I got this message

Regards,

Tim Robinson | Marketing & Communications Manager

Risk Management Technologies | Tel: +61 8 9322 1711 | Mob: +61 0 402 444 718

[cervelo_s3]

Hi again,

It seems I am now getting similar messages for all the CC apps although I don't seem to have lost any functionality.

This is what came up in Photoshop and I also got one in InDesign which was much like the Acrobat one.

Regards,

Tim Robinson | Marketing & Communications Manager

Risk Management Technologies | Tel: +61 8 9322 1711 | Mob: +61 0 402 444 718

[Rajashree Bhattacharya]

Since the issue can not be resolved, it will be best to contact customer support at http://adobe.ly/yxj0t6 , moving to download & install.

Regards

Rajshree

[chriscurnow]

Goodness gracious it just should not be this hard.

I have exactly the same issue – including exactly the same screen shot as above.

What happened in my case was that the installer hung at 5% (it stayed at 5% for two hours). So I forced it to quit.

Obviously the installer has set a flag somewhere to say it is installing and as it was force quit it did not clear the flag. So now overtime I go to install it sees the flag and refuses to install.

Now the Adobe installer should really anticipate this situation and give the user a way to handle it. It is a very predictable scenario.

However it doesn't so the next best thing would for Adobe to tell us which file we have to delete and it would be all honky dory.

Oh, and as you can see from the screen shot above there is a link saying "Contact Customer Support". In my case it says "Get Help". Clicking the link takes me to the front page of the Adobe help system!!! From there I am on my own. Even searching for Error: 81 doesn't help.

What has happened to Adobe? I have been with you guys ever since there was Macintosh (ie 1984) and it never used to be like this.

[missdetails]

Hi, Did you figure out how to fix this Chris? I am getting the same error and it will not even let me uninstall and reinstall.

Thanks for any direction on here, I have been trying to fix this for a few hours now.

[HowieTAussie]

Absolutely same.. Hacked off with this..paying a monthly anpport

[Govardhan.V · Accepted solution]

Ok , First check whether any Mac updates are running .

If multiple users are logged on ( Switch User)    , log off from all user account.

Restart the computer.

Launch Activity Monitor , make sure the view option is set to All Processes.

Look for processes named like AAMupdater, PDAPP , Install , Setup ., if present , Force Quit it.

Then try to update/ install again.

Still same??

Try Safe boot mode :

Try safe mode if your Mac doesn't finish starting up - Apple Support

Still same?? let us know .

[chrisa82999241]

Running Mac updater to completion completion and restarting Mac worked for me.

[Bahvee2397490526m8]

Rajashree!!!  Thank you!  My dear if you lived here I would take you out to coffee!! You were the ONLY one that could solve this for me!!  Thank you!!!!My apps are finally installing after a half a day trying!

[carolineh30578980]

I tried following these steps. I restarted my computer and tried step 1, where I am supposed to use the Uninstall Adobe Creative Cloud app inside Utilities/Adobe Installers, BUT I got the message "Couldn't uninstall Creative Cloud for desktop. You still have Creative Cloud applications installed on your computer that require it."

Does this mean that I have to delete and reinstall all my adobe apps? It would take a long time to reinstall them. This is really frustrating. Any help would be appreciated.

[Govardhan.V]

No need to delete other Adobe apps.

Adobe Creative Cloud app manages installed Adobe apps like Photoshop, Lightroom...etc , that is the reason its telling it is required by other apps.

You can try Adobe Cleaner tool to remove Adobe Creative Cloud desktop app alone:

Use the Creative Cloud Cleaner Tool to solve installation problems

[georgef84131404]

We have just had this issue on one of our users laptops.

We tried the cleaner tool and and reinstalling and still got error 81.

We went into the library folder and changed the OOBE file to OOBE.old and this didn't work.

Changed the whole Adobe folder to Adobe.old and tried the cleaner tool and reinstall, didn't work.

We tried login in as the local admin account on the laptop and the reinstall worked(completed the install) and allow us to test by login in with the users account. We then logged in as the user and login without issue.

[C_G]

i) Go to Activity Monitor. 

ii) It will normally start on the CPU tab, select the network tab.

iii) Select Adobe Creative Cloud from the list and quit it.

 It will resume the installation.

[Futures59]

This worked for me. Thanks! Note: The program I had to quit from the Activity Monitor was called Adobe Desktop something or other, but it still did the trick.

[smab5CE0]

Hey

Another installer is currently running which must be closed before updating this product. Please close other installers (Error code: 81)

problem please solve all this issue

[defaulte74vpkrgqrfp]

I deleted the adobe installer and creative cloud in Utilities and installed the update available on my Mac High Sierra and the Photoshop Elements began installing. Hope this helps