Creative Cloud won't launch

[#1]

So I downloaded cc a week or so ago, launched it and installed a few programs and messed around with photoshop for a bit. But now when I try to open the desktop app it won't launch at all, I've tried running the program as the administrator and it still won't start. I've looked around at previous discussions and have tried following instructions, but the uninstalling program won't even launch at all either, I'm kinda stuck here for ideas.

[#2 · Accepted solution]

uninstall everything cc, https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/help/uninstall-remove-app.html

lastly uninstall the cc desktop app, https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/help/uninstall-creative-cloud-desktop-app.html

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

restart your computer (don't skip this)

reinstall the cc desktop app, https://creative.adobe.com/products/creative-cloud using compatibility mode (https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb456979.aspx?f=255&MSPPError=-2147217396)

use the desktop app to install your cc programs/trials

[#3]

To uninstall all my CC apps to fix this seems extreme and a real hassle. Programs work, but CC app doesn't. Why do we have to delete them all?

[#4]

I can't uninstall lightroom or photoshop first because when I try to uninstall them they try to start CC, which doesn't work.

[#5]

https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/kb/creative-cloud-missing-damaged.html

if that fails, follow solutions 2 and 3 here: https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/kb/failed-install-creative-cloud-desktop.html

[#6]

I tried all of that. Did not work. The support droid in India was unable to help me. I cancelled my plan.

[#7]

Hi Blaine,

Another option would be to request/use the 2020 direct download links instead, which don't use the Creative Cloud Desktop app.

For starters, try the standalone installer for the CC Desktop app itself and see if that helps:

https://helpx.adobe.com/download-install/kb/creative-cloud-desktop-app-download.html#Problemsinstall...

Some folks have success with that if the regular download/install mechanism doesn't work for them.

Please let us know how it goes.

[#8]

Thanks but nope. I'll tell you what did work, though:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/2977003/the-latest-supported-visual-c-downloads

[#9]

So downloading & installing the latest Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable package fixed the problem for you? If so, that's great to hear.

[#10]

Yes sir, that's what worked. Thank you for your help!

[#11]

Blaine thank you so much for this answer!! This should be the accepted answer because after searching these forums for 2 days straight this is the only thing that worked. I gotta say this is a bad look for Adobe because this was my first time trying to download and use it and it's been a nightmare. Today was the first time I've gotten it to even launch! Not looking forward to continuing my montly subscription at this rate though.

[#12]

things change.  a correct answer 4 years ago may not be currently correct and a correct answer in 2020 may not be correct in 2024.

anyway, bottomline for people having trouble installing the cc desktop app in 2020 whether mac or window, is to update your os.  with windows, updating ms vis c++ too is helpful.

[#13]

Yeah I write software so I'm pretty familiar with how things change.

Bottom line is that if there are well known issues with this software and certain OS, which there obviously are, these fixes should be mentioned in the troubleshooting docs not buried in an obscure post on page 5 of search results.

In this instance, updating ms vis c++ wasn't just helpful it was essential to get the program to even launch, that is worthy of noting in a highly visible area.

[#14]

According to MS, my OS already was up to date. I'm not a programmer though, so to be honest I don't understand how or why the "Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2015, 2017 and 2019" worked; I just know that it did, on both my PCs.