adobe_licutil quit unexpectedly

[JG@Cape]

I'm using Phototoshop Elements 2024 for Mac.

Anyone know how to fix "adobe_licutil quit unexpededly"

I tried deleting the PE app and Organizer, as many folders and files in /Library/Application Support and /Library/Preferences. Then I downloaded a new install from Adobe, but the "adobe_licutil quit unexpededly" still pops up upon opening a photo.

Any help appreciated.

[Quackerback]

I am having the same problem.  Started about a week ago.  This is on a 2018 MacBook Pro.  Don't know if it is related, but a few days after having this issue, the computer started shutting down without warning.  I did a SMC reset and that appears to have solved that problem, but adobe_licutil still quits whenever I open PE.  Found an article that explains what it does here:  https://malwaretips.com/blogs/adobe_licutil-exe-what-it-is-should-i-remove-it/

[JG@Cape]

My PE will open without quiting, but I get a pop up window as seen in the screenshot. 

From the screenshot, Reopen & Ignore do the same thing since PE is already open. Report goes to Apple not Adobe.

I scanned my iMac using the free version of Malewarebytes and no detections found.

[Whimsical_thinking5CA2]

I'm having this same issue but with Acrobat. Started right after updating the macbook to Sequoia. What OS are you running right now?

[JG@Cape]

I'm on Monterey 12.7.6 and it could be the issue started after a minor update to Monterey. Both Sequoira and Monterey might have had the same parts of an update.

I have discovered something about the issue which leads me to believe this is not a PE issue, but maybe an Apple issue.

I use an accounting software called Account Edge Pro. I use it as a subscription service. This means every tiime I open Account Edge, it searches to make sure my subscription is up to date, paid, and used on the same machine ID.

I believe PE does something similar. Certainly I believe it checks the machine ID.

Account Edge is giving me the same Unexpededly quit warning with the Reopen, Ignore and Report

So both apps I have, that search for credentials upon opening,  are doing the same thing.

Seems to me this has something to do with the OS and not PE.

[Quackerback]

I have 2 MacBook Pros.  I don't have this problem (yet) on my 2021 MBP with Sonoma but do have the problem with the 2018 MBP with Monterey.  I hadn't done any updates to Monterey in probably a year (that I recall), so I would think that would rule out the OS whereas I think PE has updated itself periodically.

[JG@Cape]

Okay, good to know. The only thing though is my accounting software is giving me the same unexpectadely quit message. So maybe my accounting software and PE, both of which need to check some credentials before opening,  are having issues with Monterey.  That's what it seems like to me.

[Quackerback]

I don't use PE as much on my Sonoma machine, so could be that I just haven't encountered that yet, but yeah, does seem like it might be something between Monterey and Adobe's auto update.

[JG@Cape]

When I have time in the next few days I'll post something in the Apple Support Community/Monterey and post back if I hear anything that is helpful.

[fiorenzob42038346]

I have two mac, a macbook pro 2015 witn Monterey and everithing works properly. The new one, a mini M4 2024 with Sequoia has this issue. In addition, on the new one, if I double click on a picture in Organizer, I can open only a white window with a question mark in the center. Mocbook pro does not do this.

[Be.eM]

Same here, with Acrobat Pro DC (2015, perpetual license) on a Macbook Pro (last Intel version). Started in October, neither Acrobat nor the OS (Monterey) have been updated in that time range. It just started out of the blue. I don't think it's an issue on the computer, but rather suspect it has to do with licensing servers or the communication to said servers.

[Keith MacIsaac]

This issue started immediately after Adobe released Photoshop Elements 2025 (last week) and went to a 3 year subscription service.  This is not your computer but some form of software glitch tied to verification process..  Adobe needs to be up front and address the issue.

[JG@Cape]

This is a definately a recent issue for me so maybe it is associated with with 2025 PE release. 

If so maybe a forthcoming update is all that's needed. 

[nigel_8747]

Having the same issue...  2017 MacBook Pro Ventura 13.6.7

It seems to have started when Photoshop Elements 2025 was released???

[Quackerback]

I am still using PE 2024, but maybe they made the upadate for this particular piece of it was put in both versions.

[Quackerback]

One more thought.  If the purpose of this extension is to check to see if you are using the latest version of PE, does that mean all of us with this problem won't be notfied of an update?  If so, we might have to manually download the next version when it is released.

[relhender]

As noted by another cooment in a different Adobe discussion thread, this issue for me started after I updated my iMac to macOS 15 Sequoia. In view of issues many Mac users have had with Sequoia, I think at least part of my problem with adobe_licutil is related to Apple's messy update. However, for those of you who have not updated to Sequoia, perhaps it has something to do with Adobe's release of PSE 2025 (as noted in this thread). In any case, I hope for some clarification from Adobe.

[Glenn 8675309]

This is a discussiion from 6 years ago which appears to contain a good solution:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/download-install-discussions/multiple-copies-of-quot-adobe-licutil-qu...

[relhender]

Glenn, thank you for your suggestion. However, the suggested procedure refers to the path "Applications/Utilities/Adobe Application Manager/P6" but I do not have a P6 folder (only a P7 folder). I guess I will need to live with this until Adobe or Apple fixes the issue, although past experience suggests that Adobe has no interest in fixing versions of PSE older than the newest.

[Glenn 8675309]

Adobe only supports the current version, and the previous version.   It's quite rare for them to issue any fixes for a previous version, once the new version released.

[JG@Cape]

In reference to the Glen8675309 link,  in my /Adobe Application Manager, I have both the P6 & P7 Folders. However I don't have the "adobe_licuti" script in either folder. Could that be part of the issue.

Also, has anyone with the unexpedely quit issue upgraded to PE 2025 and had the issue resolved by the upgrade.

[JG@Cape]

I think I solved the problem at least for myself, but I'm not positive what steps I took fixed it.

First, the way I've been opening PE is from the Dock.

If you open PE from Applications/Adobe PhotoshopElements 2024.app, it brings you to a welcome type screen like in my screenshot. Click Photo Editor and it opens up the Editor. It's the Photo Editor I keep in the Dock.

These are the steps I took.

I used the Applications/Utilities/Adobe Installers/Uninstall Adobe PE 2024, restarted the computer in Safe Boot, then restarted as normal. I was curious to see if the Uninstaller removed the preference files in /Library/Application Support/Preferences and it did not. I deleted everything Adobe as the only Adobe product I use is Photoshop.

I installed a fresh copy of Photoshop Elements. Instead of first dragging the Photo Editor to the Dock and opening from the Dock, I opened the Applications/Adobe Photoshop Elements 2024.app, which brings you to the welcome type screen. Clicked Photo Editor, PE opens with no "adobe_licutil quit unexpededly" message.

Now what I keep in the Dock is the Adobe Photoshop Elements 2024.app, not the Photo Editor. I can click on the Adobe Photoshop Elements 2024.app in the Dock/Photo Editor and PE opens with no message. I can select a photo on the Desktop/right click/Open with Photoshop Elements 2024 and the photo opens in the Editor with no error message.

So not sure what part of that process fixed it for me, but it appears to fixed at the moment.

Hope this helps and it's not too confusing.

[Whimsical_thinking5CA2]

This worked for me! I think it was deleting the preferences that did the trick. As of right now, my user is reporting that the message is not coming up anymore so I hope it is able to remain fixed. 

[JG@Cape]

Bad news. Error message is back for me. As an experiment, I deleted all the preferences again and restarted the computer. Error message still there. So it appears it's not specifically the preferences.         

Something I did as described in the above message worked, but didn't last.

It's possible there is nothing we can do to fix it without some sort of update.

[tburkes]

I have the same issue on a 13 inch 2018 MacBook Pro after updating to Sequoia 15.0.1. Installing Sequoia 15.1 did not fix the problem. Every time I open Adobe Photoshop Elements 2020 or 2024, adobe_licutil gets a memory exception. Since the error occurs with both older and newer versions of PE that I have, I assume the change to Sequoia has triggered the issue.

From the error report:

Exception Type:        EXC_BAD_ACCESS (SIGSEGV)

Exception Codes:       KERN_INVALID_ADDRESS at 0x0000000000000000

Exception Codes:       0x0000000000000001, 0x0000000000000000