Adobe Creative Cloud is a suite of software tools used worldwide by professionals in design, photography, video and more. However, there are occasions where users may need to uninstall it—whether due to technical issues, transitioning to alternative software or simply freeing up system resources. Uninstalling Adobe Creative Cloud completely, however, can be more complicated than removing a typical application. Adobe installs background processes and keeps various files on your system even after the main app is uninstalled.
TLDR: To completely remove Adobe Creative Cloud from your system, you must uninstall all associated applications, use Adobe’s official uninstaller, delete leftover files manually and ensure all services and background processes are stopped. Simply dragging the app to the trash or using standard uninstall methods won’t be enough. On both Windows and macOS, precise steps must be taken to avoid leaving remnants behind. Use caution and make a backup if needed, before proceeding with these steps.
Why Completely Uninstall Adobe Creative Cloud?
There are several legitimate reasons to fully uninstall Adobe Creative Cloud:
- Performance Issues: Adobe processes may consume considerable system resources in the background.
- Switching Software: A transition to alternative products means Creative Cloud may no longer be needed.
- Troubleshooting: Reinstalling Creative Cloud from scratch often requires a full removal first.
- Privacy Concerns: With a suite that communicates regularly with external servers, some users prefer fewer background services running.
Step 1: Remove All Creative Cloud Applications
Before removing the Creative Cloud desktop app itself, you must first uninstall all Adobe applications associated with it (e.g., Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro).
To uninstall Adobe apps:
- Open the Creative Cloud Desktop app.
- Go to the “All Apps” tab.
- Click on the “More actions” (three dots) next to each installed app.
- Choose Uninstall and follow the prompts.
You must repeat this process for each software listed under your account. Failure to remove these before the next step may result in errors during uninstallation.
Step 2: Use the Adobe Creative Cloud Uninstaller
Once all Adobe programs are removed, you can remove the Creative Cloud desktop app using Adobe’s official uninstaller.
Windows:
- Download the Creative Cloud Uninstaller for Windows.
- Run the executable file.
- Click Uninstall when prompted and follow on-screen instructions.
- You may be prompted to enter your administrator password.
macOS:
- Download the Creative Cloud Uninstaller for macOS.
- Open the DMG file and run the Uninstall Creative Cloud app.
- Follow on-screen instructions to complete the removal.
Important: If you try dragging the Creative Cloud app to the trash, it will not remove background services or associated files.
Step 3: Remove Adobe Background Processes
Even after uninstalling Creative Cloud, some background tasks may continue to run, like Adobe IPC Broker or AGSService. These can sometimes auto-launch or persist in the task manager.
Windows:
- Open Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
- Scroll through the list and end processes such as:
- AdobeIPCService.exe
- CreativeCloud.exe
- AGMService.exe
- Right-click each and choose End Task.
macOS:
- Open Activity Monitor (under Applications > Utilities).
- Search for Adobe entries like:
- Creative Cloud
- Adobe Desktop Service
- Click the “X” icon at the top-left to force quit them.
Step 4: Delete Remaining Adobe Files and Folders
After officially uninstalling programs and closing background tasks, residual files still remain on your system. You’ll need to manually delete these.
Common folders to delete on Windows:
C:\Program Files\AdobeC:\Program Files (x86)\AdobeC:\ProgramData\AdobeC:\Users\[Your Name]\AppData\Local\AdobeC:\Users\[Your Name]\AppData\Roaming\Adobe
Note: These directories might be hidden. Use File Explorer’s “View” tab and enable “Hidden items” to reveal them.
Common folders to delete on macOS:
/Applications/Adobe/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Library/Preferences/com.adobe.*~/Library/Application Support/Adobe~/Library/Caches/Adobe
Tip: Use the Finder shortcut Command+Shift+G to navigate directly to these folders.
Step 5: Clean System Registry or Plist Files (Advanced)
This step is optional but recommended if you want to remove all traces of Adobe from your system.
For Windows Users:
- Type regedit into the Start menu and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
- Navigate to these keys and delete folders associated with Adobe:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\AdobeHKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe
- Be very cautious—editing the registry improperly can destabilize your system.
For macOS Users:
- Navigate to
~/Library/Preferences/. - Look for files starting with
com.adobeand delete them. - Double-check the
~/Library/LaunchAgentsand/Library/LaunchDaemonsfolders too.
Important: Make a system backup or create a restore point before editing registry or system preferences files.
Step 6: Restart Your System
After all removals, restart your computer. This ensures any background services are fully terminated and changes take effect. Once restarted, revisit the previously listed folders and confirm that Adobe directories and files are gone.
Final Thoughts
Completely uninstalling Adobe Creative Cloud is not an instant task—it involves multiple steps and moderate technical skill. Adobe’s software ecosystem is integrated deeply into a system, often running services you don’t visibly see. Following the guide above will help you remove every known component, improve system performance and gain back control over your operating system’s processes.
Regular users may want a cleaner, less intrusive computing experience or simply to transition to different platforms. In such cases, this guide provides a comprehensive approach to safely and effectively removing Adobe Creative Cloud for good.
If you encounter any errors along the way, Adobe offers the Adobe Cleaner Tool, designed to fix issues and ensure a cleaner uninstallation. Use this as a last resort if manual steps do not suffice.
