If you are a Creative Cloud subscriber chances are that you have been experiencing problems with updating the Creative Cloud Desktop client.
Every now and then a new updated version is available and while it should be as easy as 1-2-3 to update that is hardly ever the case. At my office we have 5 computers with Creative Cloud subscriptions and never once have we been able to update the Creative Cloud Desktop client without problems.
The best part of it is the error message:
A not so useful error message…
“We’ve encountered the following issues: Creative Cloud desktop failed to install.“. Seriously? Why did it fail? What should I do to fix it?
I’ve tried rebooting, killing irrelevant processes, running Creative Cloud Cleaner Tool (which requires you uninstall ALL CC applications and subsequently installing them again wasting hours), changing registry records, deleting the AAMUpdater file, renaming the OOBE folder and just about anything else I could read on the net.
Sometimes it worked on some of the computers but never on all of them. The funny thing is that all 5 computers are the same make and brand, running the same OS, installed on the same day and all running the same applications. So why would it work on two of the computer but not the remaining three. Beats me..
Solution to the Creative Cloud Desktop failed to install problem:
Anyways I have found a solution that has worked consistently on all five computers for the last two updates. Whenever a Creative Cloud update is available I always try and install it normally first just to see if the problem is fixed (which it isn’t). When that fails we reboot the computer and start it up in Safe Mode with Networking. Then I open the Creative Cloud application from the program list and it updates without any problems what so ever. Once it’s done just reboot your computer again and your Creative Cloud Desktop is updated without any problems.
The above trick worked for me when Creative Cloud was giving me the “We’ve encountered the following issues: Creative Cloud desktop failed to install” error message. If you are getting other error messages which contains actual error codes such as “A12E1” or “Installation failed. Error Code: U44M1P7” then the above mentioned approach might not work.
27 Comments
Thank you – your solution worked brilliantly for me – end of masses of frustration with creative cloud updates.
You’re welcome Hilary. This has been driving me nuts for months so I am happy to share this with other people experiencing the same frustrating issue.
I have had Adobe CC since April 2013. Each update since then has resulted in Error message: A12E1. I have been on the phone with Adobe’s customer support in India 4 times. I found a lengthy work around (similar to what you have suggested above). But I got tired of that and since I’m paying for this service, it should work. So . . . I called Adobe in California, got a receptionist on the phone, told her my dilemma and told her I did not want to speak with India (because a) they are hard to understand, sorry not racist, it just is what it is, and b) they have failed to help me with a permanent solution). She put me in touch with a guy in Oregon who is part of the Adobe solutions team that find and implement solutions to software problems. I have had umpteen e-mail exchanges, had one of their software engineers take over my Mac remotely to try and diagnose a problem and have sent multiple log files to them to try and find a fix. They assured me that the most recent CC update (April 3rd) would fix the problem. No luck! Contacted them again and will wait and see what happens. Feel this problem will never be fixed. May have to abandon Adobe CC altogether and buy their programs like the good ole’ days. Ugh!
I know you put some effort in your post and I thank you, however:
The message states: “We experienced the following issues – creation cloud desktop failed to install”
That means the program did not install, in which case it won’t matter what mode you place your computer in if you don’t have the application installed.
Hi Joe,
No this post won’t help you much in that case. This post is only related to the problem of “Creative Cloud failed to install” when it is updating an existing client on the machine.
There is a “Creative Cloud Cleaner” tool available (sorry but don’t have the link) and this completely deletes all references to CC on the machine. Perhaps clearing a faulty install can help you finally getting it installed on your computer.
/Michael
Thanks so much! CC was failing to install and failing to do updates before I uninstalled it. Well this post worked like magic!
Thank you so much! I have spent two days jumping through every imaginable hoop and this was the answer. Thanks for sharing this brilliant tip.
Finally done!
Thank you so much!
Andreas
This fixes the dreaded error 50 on install also.
thanks very much Michael
Thanks for letting me know that error 50 also is fixed by this approach Al.
/Michael
You know, considering that safe mode is needed to make it work, maybe it’s a permissions issue. I run it on Windows, and I always have update problems too. I’m going to try your solution and also check the permission settings for the Creative Cloud app. Thank you.
So I had an error saying that a DLL file wasn’t designed to run on Windows or was corrupt and then the Error 50 message. Having seen the tips here I tried on thing.
Despite my Windows user account being an Administrator, I tried Right-Clicking on the app and choosing ‘Run as Administrator’ – no DLL error and no Error 50 message…
🙂
Thank you!
I have tried everything(I thought) to get Creative Cloud to update.Booting in safe mode was the one thing I didn’t think of and it worked!!
Thanks again,
Ed
Thank you so much, worked first time for me.
I couldn’t even do the 1st step of the Adobe solution which was uninstall Creative Cloud manager as it just kept saying that programs were running on Creative Cloud, very frustrating.
^_^
Wow. I wish I’d found this page a few days ago before my Adobe installation nightmare began.
I was sent a project file created in Premiere CC 2015, and thought – since I’m a Creative Cloud member, upgrading to the latest version of the software would be easy.
First, the Creative Cloud update failed. I followed Adobe’s advice and uninstalled it. The re-install failed again, but at least my programs still worked. Then I made the mistake of calling Adobe Support. The support person spent 90 minutes deleting files and changing permissions on my computer. With each try, she could get no further than I did, installing Adobe Creative Cloud.
Finally she gave up, suggesting that maybe it’s a network issue. Her suggestion – lug your computer somewhere else and connect to a different network to see if you can download the software there. Oh – and call us tomorrow to tell us how things went. She promised to send me an email with contact information, so that we could follow up.
After hanging up, I decided to try my software. Now even the previous versions won’t load. I no longer have the software – and there’s no way to get it either, because I can’t download Creative Cloud. Great. Thanks Adobe. This is what I get for being a long time paying customer? What do I tell my clients? Sorry, I’m out of business because my software vendor is ignoring my plight?
On a whim, I moved my computer to another room in the house, connecting it directly via ethernet cable. Lo and behold, the Adobe Cloud software downloaded first try, without a hitch! My guess is this ‘safe mode’ solution described here would have worked just as well. So why doesn’t Adobe know about, or share any of these possible solutions with frustrated customers?
By the way, I’m still waiting for that email from Adobe Support.
Any solution for updating Premiere CC 2015? The 9.0.1 patch won’t install. I get the following:
“Update Failed
Updates could not be applied
This patch is not applicable to you. Please check for updates from the help menu in your product to see a list of updates available.”
When I do that, it tells my my old version of CC 2015 is up to date when in fact it’s not. I’ve been mucking with this since Aug 1.
I’m sorry – I’m not aware of any specific solution to that problem.
Michael,
Many thanks for this useful advice. Headache solved!
Well done
You’re welcome Gordon. Happy it helped!
Brilliant, thank you. This had been a regular headache for years now with one user having no trouble ever and the other always having the same failed installs. One caveat, often during Cloud manager update failures, the previous version had already been uninstalled by the installer and failed before installing the updated version. So once it fails, going into safe mode there is no cloud manager to “update” anymore. So make sure you have a fresh exe to install an updated manager from.
After 2 hours on phone and remote log in Adobe had no fix…I just tried your method and it worked 1st try on my Macbook.
Thank you.
It’s so sad that this article is over 2 years old and we’re still experiencing the same problem!!! Thank you for the fix – hopefully Adobe will a) start recommending this to customers who call in or b) FIX THIS!
Ha ha yeah it is actually pretty sad that this 2 year old article still addresses a problem with their software today. I’m just happy that this is helping people 🙂
Thank you so much, I’ve reinstalled/uninstalled/cursed the heavens etc for a long while now. This fixed it immediately!
Hi, thanks.
When Adobe Captivate installation initializes on Win7-64 bit Pro, after completing more than 99%, the dialogue simply disappears. And nothing appears after that. Nor can I initiate new setup (it says a previous installation is already pending).
Can you pls guide me towards some direction?
I would probably do the following. Restart your computer, install CC Cleaner and use it to clean all the temp files and also perform a registry clean-up to remove errors and faults in the registry. Restart your computer again and try and install Captivate once more.
When I installed Creative Cloud manger for the first time and my apps it all went well. But Lightroom took over the job of tethering my Canon 5Ds and the Canon Utility 3 application wouldn’t run. Couldn’t fix it and adobe were no use at all. Did a sys-restore and the Canon software worked again. Then tried installing CC Manager (planning not to install Lightroom as I didn’t need it anyway) but CC stuck at 5%. researched did a Safe mode with Networking and installing CC Manager now got to 100% but wouldn’t complete just said “1 minute remaining” forever. Found I could download the the Photoshop Application directly which installed perfect and works but I get a dialogue on opening that the CC Manager is not installed and my license may not be verified, I DON”T CARE as long as Photoshop works I’m registered and signed in. Surely Adobe could have done better than this mess.