How to Fix Most Adobe Creative Cloud Issues

This article is for troubleshooting issues with accessing Adobe Creative Cloud software. This article assumes that you have already installed the software.

For instructions on how to install the software: https://hdkb.clemson.edu/phpkb/article.php?id=361

  1. First, we need to verify whether this is an issue with the Adobe account or with the Creative Cloud install
    1. Go to www.adobe.com and log in using the Sign In link in the top right
    2. When logging in, be sure to use username@clemson.edu
    3. If asked what kind of account you are using, choose "Company or School Account"
    4. You will either be automatically signed in or be taken to a Clemson login page. Log in here with the same username and password that you use for iRoar
    5. If you are unable to log in, please put in a ticket to ithelp@clemson.edu and include the line "please route to Software Licensing". 
    6. If you are able to log in, click "Open" under the Creative Cloud apps section and see if you are able to access any of the apps. If you are, continue to the next step. If you are not, please put in a ticket to ithelp@clemson.edu and include the line "please route to Software Licensing". 
  2. THIS FIX IS FOR WINDOWS ONLY, IF YOU ARE NOT USING WINDOWS, PROCEED TO THE NEXT STEP. If you are able to sign into the website just fine, but are not able to access the software on your computer itself, the issue may be with your specific install of Adobe. To test this, let's first tackle the most common issue, a problem with Adobe's temporary files.
    1. On your computer, click Start and go to This PC
    2. Go to the following file path: C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Adobe\OOBE\CONFIGS
    3. Find the ServiceConfig file and move it to your desktop
    4. Right click on this file, click Open With, and choose Notepad.
    5. In Notepad, look for a section that has the tags <visible> and </visible>. If the value between these tags says "false", change it to "true". If it already says true, disregard.
    6. Save this file and put it back in the Configs folder. Replace the previous file if you haven't already done so
    7. Restart the machine
    8. Open the Adobe Creative Cloud app and see if it works now
  3. Sometimes, Adobe can store old credentials and certificates in your computer, and thus won't be able to log in. To remove these, follow these steps: https://helpx.adobe.com/download-install/kb/adobe-license-issues-keychain-credential-mgr.html 
  4. Most of the steps below will involve steps from this page (https://helpx.adobe.com/enterprise/kb/resolve-trial-and-license-expired-errors.html). Feel free to follow the steps on this page first, and then return to this step-by-step to see if there's anything that was missed if those do not work.
  5. If the above steps didn't work, let's try simply logging out and logging back in.
    1. Open your Adobe Creative Cloud app, click the Profile icon (round icon in the upper righthand corner).
    2. Click Sign Out
    3. Immediately sign back in
    4. See if that fixes the issue. If not, proceed to the next step
  6. Let's make sure that this is not an issue with your browser's cache and cookies, since Adobe uses your browser to sign in.
    1. For EVERY Internet browser that is installed on your computer (Internet Explorer, Edge, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Safari, etc.) perform these steps: https://kb.iu.edu/d/ahic
    2. Perform step 3 (sign in and sign out) once more. If that doesn't work, proceed
  7. THIS FIX IS FOR WINDOWS ONLY, IF YOU ARE NOT USING WINDOWS, PROCEED TO THE NEXT STEP. Let's try another fix that involves temporary files in Windows.
    1. Navigate to C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc and drag the file called "hosts" to your desktop
    2. Open the file in Notepad or a similar plain text editor (similar to step 2)
    3. Remove (or add a # to the beginning of) any lines referencing Adobe.com and save the file. Note: You may have to open the text editor in Administrator mode to enable you to save back the file. Or if in Windows 10 you may need to save the file as a different name, and then rename the original file to something else, and rename the new file to hosts.
    4. Add the file back to the original folder (similar to step 2)
    5. Restart the machine
    6. Open Creative Cloud Desktop app
    7. If this doesn't fix the issue, try repeating step 3
    8. If it still doesn't work, proceed
  8. Since none of the above worked, our next step is to try uninstalling and reinstalling the software completely.
    1. Completely uninstall ANY software marked as "Adobe" on your computer. The most important one is the Adobe Creative Cloud app, but it is also recommended to uninstall any Creative Cloud applications (such as Adobe Photoshop), Adobe Reader, and others. Software such as Adobe Connect is likely exempt from this since it has no relation. That said, if you want to be 100% sure, you can uninstall anything Adobe related on the machine as well
    2. How to uninstall on Mac: https://computer.howstuffworks.com/macs/how-to-uninstall-on-mac.htm
    3. How to uninstall on Windows: https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/uninstall-programs-windows-10
    4. Once you have followed these steps, it is also recommended to remove any and all remaining files relating to Creative Cloud that the uninstallers did not catch. For Windows machines, you can check Program Files, Program Files (x86) and ProgramData to see if there is any, and delete these. Please be careful when removing any files from these folders. If you are not sure about doing so, please contact a technician to assist with this part (see step 9).
    5. Once the uninstalling is complete, restart the machine
    6. Follow the instructions here to reinstall the software: https://hdkb.clemson.edu/phpkb/article.php?id=361
  9. If step 6 does not work either, try repeating steps 2-5 for this new install
  10. If even this does not work, please contact a support person for further assistance:
    1. Students - visit our chat support at support.clemson.edu for remote assistance. Here, we can screen share with you. You can also visit us in-person at the CCIT Support Center on the 2nd floor of Cooper Library or give us a call at 864-656-3494. Here are our hours and other information: https://ccit.clemson.edu/support/
    2. Employees - send a ticket to ithelp@clemson.edu and include the line "please route to local IT support." If you know a specific name that generally works with you, you can also include their information. From there, this ticket will be sent to your local IT support who will work with you from there. You are also free to contact CCIT directly like the instructions for students, though it is generally recommended that you go directly through your local IT support if possible.

Article ID: 1394
Created: May 4, 2020
Last Updated: October 30, 2024
Author: Austin Bannister

Online URL: https://hdkb.clemson.edu/phpkb/article.php?id=1394