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How to Fully Uninstall and Remove Adobe Creative Cloud From a Mac

Key Takeaways

  • Uninstalling Adobe Creative Cloud from a Mac requires following a specific multi-step process to completely remove all components and files.
  • Simply dragging the app to the Trash is not sufficient to fully uninstall Adobe Creative Cloud.
  • Using a dedicated uninstaller tool like Adobe’s Creative Cloud Cleaner Tool can help automate and streamline the removal process.

Adobe Creative Cloud is a comprehensive suite of creative applications and services offered by Adobe. While powerful, there may come a time when you need to uninstall it from your Mac, whether due to performance issues, a desire to switch to alternative software, or simply to free up disk space. However, completely removing Adobe Creative Cloud is not as straightforward as dragging the app to the Trash. This article will guide you through the proper steps to fully uninstall and remove Adobe Creative Cloud from your Mac.

Step 1: Quit All Adobe Apps and Processes

Before proceeding with the uninstallation, you need to quit all Adobe applications and terminate any related background processes. Here’s how:

  1. Open the Activity Monitor (found in /Applications/Utilities).
  2. In the Activity Monitor, look for any processes related to Adobe Creative Cloud or its individual apps (e.g., Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.).
  3. Select each Adobe process and click the Quit Process button (or Force Quit if the process is unresponsive).

Step 2: Uninstall Individual Adobe Apps

Next, you’ll need to uninstall each Adobe app installed on your Mac through the Creative Cloud desktop app. Follow these steps:

  1. Open the Adobe Creative Cloud desktop app.
  2. Go to the Apps tab and locate the list of installed apps.
  3. For each app, click the More Actions (three dots) icon next to it and select Uninstall.
  4. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the uninstallation process for each app.

Step 3: Run the Adobe Creative Cloud Uninstaller

After uninstalling all individual apps, you can proceed to uninstall the Adobe Creative Cloud desktop app itself using Adobe’s dedicated uninstaller tool. Here’s how:

  1. Download the Adobe Creative Cloud Uninstaller for Mac from this link.
  2. Double-click the downloaded DMG file to mount the disk image.
  3. In the mounted disk image, double-click the Creative Cloud Uninstaller application.
  4. Enter your admin password when prompted and click OK.
  5. Click Uninstall to begin the uninstallation process.
  6. Once completed, click Close to exit the uninstaller.

Step 4: Remove Remaining Adobe Files and Folders

Even after running the official uninstaller, some Adobe-related files and folders may still remain on your Mac. To remove these leftovers, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Finder and navigate to the following locations, deleting any Adobe-related files or folders you find:
  • /Library/Application Support/Adobe
  • /Library/Preferences/com.adobe.*
  • /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/com.adobe.*
  • ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe
  • ~/Library/Preferences/Adobe
  • ~/Library/Preferences/com.adobe.*
  1. Empty the Trash to permanently delete the removed files and folders.

Step 5: Use the Creative Cloud Cleaner Tool (Optional)

If you’re still experiencing issues or want to ensure a thorough cleanup, you can use Adobe’s Creative Cloud Cleaner Tool. This utility is designed to remove any remaining files, folders, and registry entries that may interfere with a fresh installation. Here’s how to use it:

  1. Download the Creative Cloud Cleaner Tool for Mac from this link.
  2. Extract the downloaded ZIP file and navigate to the extracted folder.
  3. Double-click the AdobeCreativeCloudCleanerTool application.
  4. Follow the on-screen instructions to select the components you want to remove.
  5. Review the log file for any errors or failures, and contact Adobe support if necessary.

By following these steps, you should have successfully uninstalled and removed Adobe Creative Cloud from your Mac, along with all its associated files and components. Remember to back up any important data or preferences before proceeding, as some steps may involve deleting files and folders.

If you plan to reinstall Adobe Creative Cloud or any of its apps in the future, you’ll need to download and install them again from Adobe’s website or the Creative Cloud desktop app.

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