Unable to startup Photoshop CS6 due to "Update Your Browser" error - possible solution

[jonathans63514043]

Disclaimer: I am not an Adobe employee and I can't guarantee this will work for everyone or for all CS6 products.

TLDR: The old Adobe Application Manager apparently needs to be updated to Creative Cloud in order to sign in.

OS: Windows 11 Pro 23H2

I tried to launch Photoshop CS6 today (2024/6/12) and was told I need to sign in to use the application. Prior to today I have been using the application for years without issue. After clicking the sign in button I was greeted with an "Update your browser" error and was unable to proceed. Other users have reported similar issues here (Adobe Design Std CS6 6.0 MLP) and here (Adobe Acrobat CS6). There was no QR code as described here so I could not use that. In addition, I was unable to close the "Update your browser" window and had to kill it from Task Manager.

The problem seems to be that the Adobe Application Manager program included with CS6 explicitly requires Internet Explorer 11 which has been retired and is no longer accessible. However I was able to solve the problem by updating Adobe Application Manager.

Here are the steps:

1. Close any CS6 applications. (If the "Update your browser" window is showing, kill it.)
2. Run the Adobe Application Manager program by itself. I was able to do this by searching for it from the Start menu.
3. Upon startup, the Adobe Application Manager automatically updates itself and installs Creative Cloud Desktop in its place.
4. After the update completes, you should now be able to sign in. After signing in you will need to re-enter your application's serial number.

Points to watch out for:

• The update process will require administrator privileges.
• After signing in you will need to re-enter your serial number, so have it handy.
• The update to the Adobe Application Manager will replace it with the Adobe Creative Cloud app. (Picking Updates from the Help menu in Photoshop CS6 now launches Creative Cloud, for instance.)

After Creative Cloud was installed I launched Photoshop CS6 again and this time was successfully able to sign in. Anyway, this is what worked for me, YMMV. No idea if it'll work for everyone, or for CS6 apps other than Photoshop, but maybe this will help someone.

[HoggyN]

Thanks for this. It worked!

In my case, I didn't have Adobe Application Manager installed (new installation on a brand new laptop) so I downloaded Creative Cloud direct. I signed in and opened PS CS6 from the Creative Cloud list of my apps. PS opened followed a moment later by the "Sign In" box. Trying to sign in opened the dreaded  "Update your browser" message. However, after killing the browser update box I selected "Updates..." from the PS "Help" menu. This started Creative Cloud again and the update process began. When it had finished, I restarted PS and selected "Product Registration", signed in and entered my product key. I then restarted PS and, lo and behold, no sign in window and PS showing as activated in the "Help" menu.

[jonathans63514043]

Great news! I guess I had the Adobe Application Manager because I installed PS so long ago. Glad I managed to point you in the right direction anyway!

[Sigmatics]

I'm running into this too, but neither of the listed solutions appear to be working as of yet - couldn't access adobe application manager alone (fresh install) and installing creative cloud didn't give an option to push PS CS6 through it
I did boot up PS and tried to update application manager visa the update menu there - it did find and install something, but that didn't push it to CC

[ML Graphic Design]

You can find the AAM by

1) When the dreaded "update your browser window" opens, go to task manager

2) right click on the AAM there

3) go to file location

4) close the app

5) click the file it took you to - this will start the updating referred to in the answer

[jasonn127844]

You are the man (or woman) this absolutely worked for me after hours of frustrations.  Thank you so much.  I was staring at pdapp.exe and never put 2 and 2 together.  If I could buy you a coffee and donut, I would in a heartbeat. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

[HoggyN]

Had you managed to get your serial number into PS when you installed it? If not, that could be why it's not showing up in Creative Cloud when you sign in.

[Sigmatics]

Yeah - I have the number in. Photoshop is functioning by the looks of it, but unfortunately the Adobe Application Manager and Creative Cloud refuse to merge, so I can't link it to the account, and CC won't acknowledge it.
I don't have time to keep testing tonight but I'll keep messing around tomorrow and see if I can get it to go- I'm half wondering if the issue is that I installed CC, and then managed to get it to spit out the AAM shortcut after that? Maybe if I try to remove something it'll be forced into one thing as opposed to the two seperate versions I seem to have now.

[Elestrial]

For anyone who might find this useful - I followed these steps up until the part after Creative Cloud installs. It made me log in, then said it was 'updating' except it was just sitting there completely stalled. So I xed out of that mess and tried to open Acrobat (the app that wasn't letting me use it anymore) and it worked! The application manager was the issue for me

Thank you so much @jonathans63514043 for sharing these steps

[Jakub31471185u004]

For me it seems to work. But with some issues.

I had the 7 days trial run. I could not find the Application Manager as a stand alone app but I used the "Help/Update" menu and this way I was able to download and update the Application Manager.  At the end it updated itself to Creative Clound app. I had to log in few times,  BUT at the end I received a note that my serial number is outdated... however Photoshop seems to work. I will see in 7 days if it will be deactivated or it wil still work. 

[taylorm95465399]

I had this exact problem and your solution worked for me. Thank you so much!

A note to others:

When I first opened Adobe Application Manager, it showed updates available for Application Manager as well as some other programs. I updated Application Manager and other programs that I use. Then restarted my computer. When I opened Photoshop CS6, it gave me the same "Sign in to use the application" > "Update your browser" issue.

I went to control panel and closed all Adobe apps and background processes, then opened Adobe Application Manager again - and followed the process outlined by the original poster, with success this time. So don't give up if your first round of updates doesn't solve the problem! At least this is what worked for me.

[KaribouOfDoom]

THIS WORKS!!! I installed CS6 with my S/N, then got the dreaded "Update Browser" error. I found this thread and was confused for a while because my Start Menu did not yield results for the Adobe Application Manager -- but I knew it had to be on my machine because that is the process I had to keep ending when I closed the non-functional "update browser" window.  For those who cannot find the Adobe Application Manager in the start menu, here is where it is located: 

• /Program Files(x86)/Common Files/Adobe/OOBE/PDApp/core/PDApp.exe

I followed the remaining instructions exactly as written. The first time it tried updating the AAM, it filled the bar and then sat there doing nothing, but it DID place an AAM icon on my desktop. I got an error message saying the update had failed, but when I clicked on the AAM icon that had been placed on my desktop, it ran fine AND INSTALLED CREATIVE CLOUD IN ITS PLACE!! AND THEN I COULD LOG IN! (Can you see I'm excited?!)  I am so incredibly thankful for your detailed instructions!!

[Donald38213875zrmk]

I tried updating Adobe Application Manager but no success (no updates available).  I then tried directly installing Creative Cloud.  Also didn't give a way to push through PS6.  When I returned to my adobe account, it turns out the serial number of my license was revoked.  It was valid earlier today when I installed the software.  Not sure when in the course of trying to get the software registered that this happened.  Is this a common Adobe practice?  Is there any way to get the serial number reinstated?  Admitedly, it is from 2012, but still it was paid for an still useful to me.

[swrutherford]

Installed > "Sign in Later" > Help...Updates > WORKED!

Thank you!

[ML Graphic Design]

I tried the above but couldn't get it to work - not sure what stars needed to align (as warned)  but was worth a try!

What did work for me was (YMMV!)

1) Tell it that I can't access the Internet (there's a link saying that in the registration prompt)

2) That gives you a code, which you can input at https://exception.licenses.adobe.com/aoes/aoes/v1/t1?locale=en 

3) Put in this code and serial number, and you'll get another code you can input in the registration window...

4) and you should be good to go!

[Mark384237017j05]

This worked for me, but honestly at this point, with adobe trying its hardest to not let me use a product i PAID FOR. i think im just going to start pirating their software from here on out. What a horrible company, that should at this point have an anti trust suit done to them for how theve monopolized the market, and then proceeded to screw people over knowing full well nobody that needs it, can live without it.

[simon-tav]

Thanks Jonathan, this worked to allow me to install Lightroom 6 on a new Win 11 PC.

I know LR6 is old, but I've paid for it, it works and I don't need anything else at the moment!!

[moresco-01]

Thank you for your information. Your explanation sounded really interesting, but... I tested it, unfortunately without success. The setup program always reinstalls the application manager, I can't prevent that, then I have to enter the serial number and then the error message appears. I also tried to install the trial version, same result! Many thanks for your response !