Uninstall Adobe CC Apps

[KMak84]

Hi All

In preparation of moving everyone to Adobe CC 2020, we need to first uninstall 2015 & 2018 apps.

Is there script maybe go off? I have tried the CC Cleaner Tool app and then each apps uninstaller with not so great success rate

Any tips and advise would be great

[davidhiggs]

I reported multiple issues to Adobe with the tool not removing multiple products, engineering have acknowledged the problem and are working on a new cleaner tool. No timeframe for that release though, so you may have to do some manual removals scripting until then unfortunately.

[shaquir]

Have you tried using the the Creative Cloud Packager?

While the CCP app no longer works in Catalina, if you have a Mojave machine or older you can still build the uninstaller and run it on your machines.

Some additional info:
https://helpx.adobe.com/enterprise/package/help/create-uninstall-package.html

[donmontalvo]

Adobe has never provided a reliable way to remove any of their Creative Cloud apps.

Lots of attempts but all Hail Mary attempts.

With all the money Adobe has pocketed, and their “revenue healthy” subscription scam, they continue to ignore the need to completely uninstall.

Shysters or clever, or both.

[jwng]

We run variations (changing the year) of this as a post install, after the yearly major version upgrades...

#! /bin/bash

Application Directories

rm -r "/Applications/Adobe Audition CC 2019"
rm -r "/Applications/Adobe Flash CC 2019"
rm -r "/Applications/Adobe Illustrator CC 2019"
rm -r "/Applications/Adobe InDesign CC 2019"
rm -r "/Applications/Adobe InCopy CC 2019"
rm -r "/Applications/Adobe Bridge CC 2019"
rm -r "/Applications/Adobe After Effects CC 2019"
rm -r "/Applications/Adobe Contribute CC 2019"
rm -r "/Applications/Adobe Device Central CC 2019"
rm -r "/Applications/Adobe Dreamweaver CC 2019"
rm -r "/Applications/Adobe Encore CC 2019"
rm -r "/Applications/Adobe Extension Manager CC 2019"
rm -r "/Applications/Adobe Fireworks CC 2019"
rm -r "/Applications/Adobe Flash Catalyst CC 2019"
rm -r "/Applications/Adobe Media Encoder CC 2019"
rm -r "/Applications/Adobe OnLocation CC 2019"
rm -r "/Applications/Adobe Premiere Pro CC 2019"
rm -r "/Applications/Adobe Illustrator CC 2019"
rm -r "/Applications/Adobe Photoshop CC 2019"
rm -r "/Applications/Adobe Soundbooth CC 2019"
rm -r "/Applications/Adobe Animate CC 2019"
rm -r "/Applications/Adobe Prelude CC 2019"
rm -r "/Applications/Adobe InCopy CC 2019"
rm -r "/Applications/Adobe Muse CC 2019"

Current User Path Template

CurrentUser=$(logname)

Current user home folder

CurrentUserHome=(/Users/"$CurrentUser")

rm -rf $CurrentUserHome/Library/Application Support/

rm -r "$CurrentUserHome/"

exit 0

If you want to run it as a preinstall, then you'd have to add rm lines for /library/application Support/Adobe sub-directories as well

For incremental updates throught the year, we user variations of:

!/bin/bash

remoteupdatemanager --action=install
exit 0

We take the above and create custom versions for each individual adobe app in patch management. Use composer to bundle the script as a pkg and we just roll this pkg in the definitions throughout the year. works like a charm.

Then package the uninstall script as a automated removal policy for compliancy purposes afterwards...

For major version upgrades we use the old jamf nation trick of composing the full unpackedvinstallers in /var/tmp with a post install script to fall that installer . Not bad since this only has to happen once a year

[jwng]

the bold items have a hastag on them and are only used when needed

[jwng]

i should also point out that we don't push this on 10.15 yet, works really well in mojave

[mconners]

@k84 we use a script with an array to scan through various folders to remove any occurrence of Adobe folders or files. This also quits any processes spun by Adobe apps before the files/folders are removed.

[dmichels]

Make sure you do NOT have a Restriction for Terminal other wise uninstalling won't work.

[carlo_anselmi]

@mconners Would you mind sharing the actual code of your script here?
I have tried using a full CC2020 "uninstall" pkg created from the Adobe console (the one automatically created along with the full CC2020 installer) and - in Catalina - I can't even run it from the Installer
After the standard steps of asking for local admin password, chosing the disk (default), it fails immediately with no apparent reason, the original .zip files was downloaded from Adobe console from a Mac with Catalina
I have also tried silently running Adobe Creative Cloud Cleaner Tool (thorugh the command line) but it leaves behind some apps (Adobe InCopy 2020 and Adobe Animate 2020)
Many thanks
Carlo

[mconners]

Hello @carlo.anselmi here is my script to remove Adobe as an uninstall script:

!/bin/sh

This script will brute force remove all Adobe related files from the local hardware. This is a destructive removal. Please save all work prior to running this.

This script will not touch the user folders on a computer, only the shared library folders located across the system.

Set the variables

procList="Adobe"

procName=""

Check to see if either of those processes are running

for proc in "${procList[@]}"

do runningProc=$(ps axc | grep -i "$proc" | awk '{print $1}') if [[ $runningProc ]]; then echo "$proc is running with PID: ${runningProc}"

procName=$"$procName $proc"

kill -s HUP $runningProc else echo "$proc not running" fi
done

Set the variables

procList="Cinema"

procName=""

Check to see if either of those processes are running

for proc in "${procList[@]}"

do runningProc=$(ps axc | grep -i "$proc" | awk '{print $1}') if [[ $runningProc ]]; then echo "$proc is running with PID: ${runningProc}"

procName=$"$procName $proc"

kill -s HUP $runningProc else echo "$proc not running" fi
done

This section locates all of the Adobe items located in the /Applications folder and deletes them.

This section locates all of the Adobe items located in the /Applications/Utilities folder and deletes them.

This section locates all of the Adobe items located in various /Library folders and deletes them.

This will NOT delete any user specific locations for Adobe files.

array=(/Applications/Adobe
/Applications/Utilities/Adobe
/Library/Application Support/Adobe
/Library/LaunchAgents/com.adobe.
/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.adobe.
/Library/Logs/Adobe
/Library/Preferences/com.adobe.
/Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/com.adobe.
/Applications/MAXON
/Library/Preferences/19_mca
/Library/UserSettings/Cinema*
)

for i in "${array[@]}"

do if [ -d "$i" ] then sudo rm -R "$i" else if [ -e "$i" ] then sudo rm -R "$i" else echo "No Additional Adobe Files or Folders Found in $i." fi fi
done
exit

[carlo_anselmi]

@mconners many thanks indeed!
I will try to solve my problem with that. I have yet to understand why the CC unistall pkg works perfectly on pre-catalina systems
maybe it's a matter of some security/privacy access of the installer.app with this specific pkg or some Adobe process involved with the installer
I am experiencing the same as to this post by @dan-snelson but I have not figured out how to allow PPPC access to the specific request

[carlo_anselmi]

Solved following @stutz advice and adding PPPC for Creative Cloud app and com.apple.installer SystemPolicyAllFiles access.
Now Adobe "console-created" uninstall pkgs works in Catalina
Thank you all

[beano]

Hi @carlo.anselmi I'm facing the same issue as you - Would you mind please elaborating on how you solved this?

Currently the adobe uninstall packages run (local or from jamf) and complete successfully but then nothing is removed from the Apps folder. I'm not understanding "adding PPPC for Creative Cloud app and com.apple.installer SystemPolicyAllFiles access." - How do I do this?

[carlo_anselmi]

@beano hi, I followed these directions and created the PPPC profile below with PPPC Utility

IDENTIFIER

com.adobe.acc.AdobeCreativeCloud

CODE REQUIREMENT

anchor apple generic and (certificate leaf[field.1.2.840.113635.100.6.1.9] /* exists */ or certificate 1[field.1.2.840.113635.100.6.2.6] /* exists */ and certificate leaf[field.1.2.840.113635.100.6.1.13] /* exists */ and certificate leaf[subject.OU] = JQ525L2MZD)

IDENTIFIER

com.apple.installer

CODE REQUIREMENT

identifier "com.apple.installer" and anchor apple

Both with SystemPolicyAllFiles - Allow

Ando scoped to Catalina & Mojave clients
Hope it helps!

[beano]

Thank you so much for posting your solution @carlo.anselmi I'll give this a go and re-post if successful!

[beano]

hey @carlo.anselmi - I've almost managed to create the profile in PPPC - but I'm struggling to find the com.apple.installer on the mac system to be able to add it to the profile - do you know where this is located?

Thanks,
Joe

[carlo_anselmi]

@beano Look for /System/Library/CoreServices/Installer.app and add it to PPPC Utility to allow SystemPolicyAllFiles to create that part of the PPPC profile for Adobe uninstall packages

[chrisB]

I once created a script to remove everything from Adobe to solve several kind of issues. So it's more a troubleshooting tool I needed in cases when the Adobe Creative Cloud Cleaner Tool failed …

The script below is still in use and was the source of accRemover. But accRemover is a notarized app for end users.

You can omit each section (e.g. the removal of user prefs or) as you need it:

#!/bin/bash


# Quit Adobe Apps

sudo osascript -e 'quit app "Acrobat Pro DC"'
sudo osascript -e 'quit app "Distiller"'
sudo osascript -e 'quit app "Adobe FormsCentral"'
sudo osascript -e 'quit app "AcroCEF"'
sudo osascript -e 'quit app "AdobeIPCBroker"'
sudo osascript -e 'quit app "After Effects"'
sudo osascript -e 'quit app "Flash"'
sudo osascript -e 'quit app "Flash CC"'
sudo osascript -e 'quit app "Animate CC"'
sudo osascript -e 'quit app "Audition"'
sudo osascript -e 'quit app "Adobe Audition CC"'
sudo osascript -e 'quit app "Adobe Bridge CS6"'
sudo osascript -e 'quit app "Adobe Bridge CC"'
sudo osascript -e 'quit app "Character Animator"'
sudo osascript -e 'quit app "Dreamweaver"'
sudo osascript -e 'quit app "Dreamweaver CC"'
sudo osascript -e 'quit app "Encore"'
sudo osascript -e 'quit app "Extension Manager"'
sudo osascript -e 'quit app "Flash Player"'
sudo osascript -e 'quit app "Illustrator"'
sudo osascript -e 'quit app "Illustrator CC"'
sudo osascript -e 'quit app "InDesign"'
sudo osascript -e 'quit app "InDesign CC"'
sudo osascript -e 'quit app "Lightroom"'
sudo osascript -e 'quit app "Adobe Media Encoder CS6"'
sudo osascript -e 'quit app "Adobe Media Encoder CC"'
sudo osascript -e 'quit app "Media Encoder CC"'
sudo osascript -e 'quit app "Adobe Muse CC"'
sudo osascript -e 'quit app "Photoshop"'
sudo osascript -e 'quit app "Photoshop CC"'
sudo osascript -e 'quit app "Prelude"'
sudo osascript -e 'quit app "Prelude CC"'
sudo osascript -e 'quit app "Premiere Pro"'
sudo osascript -e 'quit app "Premiere Pro CC"'
sudo osascript -e 'quit app "SpeedGrade CC"'


# Remove Adobe Components

sudo rm -Rf /Library/Application Support/Adobe/*
sudo rm -Rf /Library/Application Support/Adobe*
sudo rm -Rf /Library/Application Support/Macromedia/*
sudo rm -Rf /Library/Application Support/Macromedia*
sudo rm -Rf /Library/Application Support/regid*adobe/*
sudo rm -Rf /Library/Application Support/regid*adobe*
sudo rm -Rf /Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Adobe*
sudo rm -Rf /Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Flash*
sudo rm -Rf /Library/Internet Plug-Ins/flash*
sudo rm -Rf /Library/LaunchAgents/com.adobe*
sudo rm -Rf /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.adobe*
sudo rm -Rf /Library/Logs/Adobe/*
sudo rm -Rf /Library/Logs/Adobe*
sudo rm -Rf /Library/Logs/CreativeCloud/*
sudo rm -Rf /Library/Logs/CreativeCloud*
sudo rm -Rf /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/Adobe*
sudo rm -Rf /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/SpeedGrade*
sudo rm -Rf /Library/PreferencePanes/Flash*
sudo rm -Rf /Library/Preferences/com.Adobe*
sudo rm -Rf /Library/Preferences/com.adobe*
sudo rm -Rf /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/com.adobe*
sudo rm -Rf /Library/ScriptingAdditions/Adobe*
sudo rm -Rf /private/var/root/Library/Logs/CreativeCloud/*
sudo rm -Rf /private/var/root/Library/Logs/CreativeCloud*
sudo rm -Rf /Users/Shared/Adobe*/*
sudo rm -Rf /Users/Shared/Adobe*
sudo rm -Rf /usr/local/bin/RemoteUpdateManager
sudo rm -Rf /usr/local/remotedesktop/*
sudo rm -Rf /usr/local/remotedesktop


# Remove Adobe User Preferences

sudo rm -Rf /Users/Shared/Adobe/*
sudo rm -Rf /Users/Shared/Adobe*
sudo rm -Rf /Users/*/Library/Application Scripts/com.adobe*
sudo rm -Rf /Users/*/Library/Application Support/Adobe/*
sudo rm -Rf /Users/*/Library/Application Support/Adobe*
sudo rm -Rf /Users/*/Library/Application Support/com.adobe*
sudo rm -Rf /Users/*/Library/Caches/Acrobat/*
sudo rm -Rf /Users/*/Library/Caches/Acrobat*
sudo rm -Rf /Users/*/Library/Caches/Adobe*/*
sudo rm -Rf /Users/*/Library/Caches/Adobe*
sudo rm -Rf /Users/*/Library/Caches/com.adobe*
sudo rm -Rf /Users/*/Library/Caches/CSXS/*
sudo rm -Rf /Users/*/Library/Caches/CSXS*
sudo rm -Rf /Users/*/Library/Containers/com.adobe*
sudo rm -Rf /Users/*/Library/Cookies/com.adobe*
sudo rm -Rf /Users/*/Library/Group Containers/Adobe*
sudo rm -Rf /Users/*/Library/Group Containers/com.adobe*
sudo rm -Rf /Users/*/Library/LaunchAgents/com.adobe*
sudo rm -Rf /Users/*/Library/Logs/Adobe*
sudo rm -Rf /Users/*/Library/Logs/amt3*
sudo rm -Rf /Users/*/Library/Logs/CreativeCloud/*
sudo rm -Rf /Users/*/Library/Logs/CreativeCloud*
sudo rm -Rf /Users/*/Library/Logs/CSXS/*
sudo rm -Rf /Users/*/Library/Logs/CSXS*
sudo rm -Rf /Users/*/Library/Logs/FlashPlayer*
sudo rm -Rf /Users/*/Library/Logs/Fuse*
sudo rm -Rf /Users/*/Library/Logs/NGLClient*
sudo rm -Rf /Users/*/Library/Logs/oobelib*
sudo rm -Rf /Users/*/Library/Logs/PDApp*
sudo rm -Rf /Users/*/Library/Logs/RemoteUpdateManager*
sudo rm -Rf /Users/*/Library/PhotoshopCrashes
sudo rm -Rf /Users/*/Library/Preferences/Adobe*/*
sudo rm -Rf /Users/*/Library/Preferences/Adobe*
sudo rm -Rf /Users/*/Library/Preferences/adobe*
sudo rm -Rf /Users/*/Library/Preferences/ByHost/com.adobe*
sudo rm -Rf /Users/*/Library/Preferences/com.Adobe*
sudo rm -Rf /Users/*/Library/Preferences/com.adobe*
sudo rm -Rf /Users/*/Library/Preferences/com.macromedia*
sudo rm -Rf /Users/*/Library/Preferences/Macromedia/*
sudo rm -Rf /Users/*/Library/Preferences/Macromedia*
sudo rm -Rf /Users/*/Library/Preferences/Shockwave*
sudo rm -Rf /Users/*/Library/Saved Application State/adobe*
sudo rm -Rf /Users/*/Library/Saved Application State/com.adobe*
sudo rm -Rf /Users/*/Library/Saved Application State/com.macromedia*
sudo rm -Rf /Users/*/Library/WebKit/com.adobe*


# Remove Adobe Receipts

sudo rm -Rf /private/var/db/receipts/adobe*
sudo rm -Rf /private/var/db/receipts/com.adobe*


# Remove Adobe Apps

sudo rm -Rf /Applications/Adobe*/*
sudo rm -Rf /Applications/Adobe*/
sudo rm -Rf /Applications/Utilities/Adobe*/*
sudo rm -Rf /Applications/Utilities/Adobe*/


# Force Quit Adobe Acrobat Pro

sudo killall AdobeAcrobat
sudo killall Distiller
sudo killall Adobe FormsCentral
sudo killall AdobeResourceSynchronizer


# Force Quit Adobe Creative Cloud App

sudo killall Creative Cloud
sudo killall AdobeCRDaemon


# Terminate (some) Adobe Processes

sudo killall Adobe Desktop Service
sudo killall AdobeIPCBroker


exit 0

[NPU-Casper]

Hi,
I just tried this method and it worked for me.

I created a policy to delete the app I wanted to uninstall. For me/us we are moving from 2019 version to current version as of this post, 2021.

The only thing the policy is doing is running an execute command using a terminal command I found from this Adobe page
https://helpx.adobe.com/enterprise/using/uninstall-creative-cloud-products.html

sudo /Library/Application Support/Adobe/Adobe Desktop Common/HDBox/Setup --uninstall=1 --sapCode=AUDT --baseVersion=12.0 --platform=osx10-64 --deleteUserPreferences=true

Hope this helps folks!
In this case it is uninstalling Audition

[shannon_pasto]

Here's something I wrote. Not sure if it'll work with 2015 and 2018 so please check the script and the dirs on your machines. There's a Jamf Nation link in the script at the top too.

#!/bin/sh

###################
# AdobeCC_Cleaner.sh - remove all Adobe CC apps
# Shannon Pasto <shannon.pasto@monash.edu>
# 
# removeAdobeApps function used from
# https://www.jamf.com/jamf-nation/discussions/37240/uninstalling-adobe-creative-cloud-with-a-script
#
# v1.0 (22/05/2021)
###################

## uncomment the next line to output debugging to stdout
#set -x

###############################################################################
## variable declarations
uninstallDir="/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Uninstall"
setup="/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Adobe Desktop Common/HDBox/Setup"
deleteUserPrefs="false"

###############################################################################
## function declarations

function removeAdobeApps {

  adobeAppList=$(find "${uninstallDir}" -type f -maxdepth 1 -name "*.adbarg")

  IFS=$'
'
  for i in ${adobeAppList}; do
    sapCode=$(grep -e "^--sapCode=" "${i}" | awk -F "=" '{print $2}')
    prodVer=$(grep -e "^--productVersion=" "${i}" | awk -F "=" '{print $2}')
    prodPlatform=$(grep -e "^--productPlatform=" "${i}" | awk -F "=" '{print $2}')
    /bin/echo "Uninstalling ${sapCode}, ${prodVer}"
    "${setup}" --uninstall=1 --sapCode="${sapCode}" --productVersion="${prodVer}" --platform="${prodPlatform}" --deleteUserPreferences="${deleteUserPrefs}"
  done
  unset IFS
}

###############################################################################
## start the script here

if [[ -d "${uninstallDir}" ]] && [[ -f "${setup}" ]]; then
  if ps auxwww | grep [c]affeinate >/dev/null; then
    /bin/echo "Already caffeinated"
  else
    /bin/echo "Caffeinating..."
    /usr/bin/caffeinate -dims &
    CAFPID=$!
  fi

  /bin/echo "Attempting Adobe CC uninstall 1..."
  removeAdobeApps

  /bin/echo "Attempting Adobe CC uninstall 2..."
  removeAdobeApps

  /bin/echo "Uninstalling the Creative Cloud Desktop App"
  /Applications/Utilities/Adobe Installers/Uninstall Adobe Creative Cloud/Contents/MacOS/Creative Cloud Uninstaller -u

  /bin/echo "Uninstalling Acrobat DC"
  /Applications/Adobe Acrobat DC/Adobe Acrobat.app/Contents/Helpers/Acrobat Uninstaller.app/Contents/Library/LaunchServices/com.adobe.Acrobat.RemoverTool Uninstall /Applications/Adobe Acrobat DC/Adobe Acrobat.app

  for X in $(/usr/sbin/pkgutil --pkgs | /usr/bin/grep com.adobe.Enterprise.install); do 
    /usr/sbin/pkgutil --forget ${X}
  done

  /bin/echo "Adobe CC uninstaller complete."

  if [ ${CAFPID} ]; then
    kill ${CAFPID}
  fi
else
  /bin/echo "No Adobe installation detected."
fi

exit 0