How to kill AAM (Adobe Updater) completely

Report · Oct 09, 2012

I'm trying to figure out how to stop AAM from launching every time I boot the computer. Unchecking the 'automatic preference check' does NOT remove the entry from /Library/LaunchAgents, which means the thing is still active. I've tried editing that file and deleting the contents, as well as removing it, but it keeps coming back.

Anyone know how to completely and permanently disable this automatic launch, so that it only runs when I manually want it to (i.e. when I'm not on metered data)?

I'm afraid the answer is you can't (after all, the preference to 'ask me for updates' in the new flash updater is constantly overridden).

Report · Oct 09, 2012

I've moved your question to the Downloading, Installing, Setting Up forum where there are engineers and others who may be able to help.

Report · Oct 09, 2012

Do you have AAM listed in the "Login Items" in the System Preferences?

Go to System Preferences-->User accounts-->login items

Uncheck AAM.

What version of Mac are you on?

Report · Oct 10, 2012

As I noted, it keeps appearing in /Library/LaunchAgents (there's no entry in login items). Happens on 10.7.x and 10.8.x.

There's absolutely no reason this thing needs to run at boot, or be running in the background all the time.

Report · Nov 27, 2012

There is no listing in login items, and it occurs on both 10.7 and 10.8 - this is a design choice by your developers (though I'd argue it is a bug).

The file com.adobe.AAM.Updater-1.0.plist keeps getting recreated by Photoshop in ~/Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchAgents even if I delete it. I've tried leaving the file there and removing just the contents, but it still is recreated, and the darn thing keeps launching.

Folks, not everyone is always on high-speed internet and has CPU cycles and download bandwidth to spare. When we disable automatic update checks, this behavior should stop completely. AAM should never be run automatically. Period. We will update the software when we want to.

This reminds me of the 'forced Growl' install problem with CS5. Neither are necessary, wanted, or appropriate.

Please log this bug in the database, and provide a workaround to stop this behavior. Note: I don't want AAM to launch and then quit. I don't want it to launch by itself in the first place.

Report · Nov 27, 2012

Thank you for your feedback Lhotka. I will certainly be happy to provide your feedback to our engineering team. You are welcome to also provide your own feedback at https://www.adobe.com/cfusion/mmform/index.cfm?name=wishform.

It should be noted that the Adobe Application Manager is responsible for more than just checking for updates. Without the Adobe Application Manager being available it would not be possible to license and run your Adobe Creative Software. I am unable to provide a workaround at this time due to this necessity.

Report · Nov 27, 2012

That's absurd - it can, and should, be done only when the application launches, then terminate along with that application. We're not talking about enterprise software here where it's licensed by the cores in use, this is a desktop application. There is *absolutely* no technical reason why it needs to run in the background when no Adobe software is active. Period.

And frankly, I don't buy that it's required to run the software, as I regularly block the attempts to phone home in my firewall (that's how I know it keeps re-launching), and the applications run just fine. Perhaps what it's really doing is gathering usage data for use in marketing activities, and that's why it runs all the time?

I guess I'll have to hack around with launchctl, chmod, mv etc to try to keep the darn thing from launching.

Report · Mar 06, 2015

Just create locked folders with the names of the items you're trying to prevent. It's worked for me to keep Google's updaters off my machine for years.