📎 AI Summary: The thread centers on getting Adobe Creative Suite 2025 installed cleanly on Windows—starting with how to remove the 2024 version without manually uninstalling each app, and then troubleshooting the installer repeatedly getting stuck during the “97%” stage. Key guidance was to use Adobe’s Creative Cloud Cleaner Tool for a one-pass cleanup, but multiple stalls were attributed to third-party/security tools and to the use of a “Master Collection” installer wrapper, which later logs showed hanging specifically during the bundled Maxon/Cinema 4D payload step; the recommended fixes were to switch to the official Creative Cloud Desktop install (installing After Effects first) or skip/avoid the Maxon payload when using the wrapper. Overall sentiment is problem-solving and practical, with the helper responding quickly, interpreting logs, and suggesting increasingly targeted workaround steps as the user’s situation worsened.
I have just purchased Adobe Creative Suite 2025. I have already the 2024 installed and wish to do a clean uninstall before installing 2025. There is no way to uninstall every application. It appears I have to uninstall each application manually one at a time.
You’re right: there’s no “uninstall all apps” button. If you want a clean slate without clicking each app, use Adobe’s Creative Cloud Cleaner Tool. It removes every Creative Cloud app and the Creative Cloud Desktop in one pass, then you reinstall 2025.
Clean uninstall (safe and fast)
Back up what you need
Presets/brushes/profiles/plugins: copy these before cleaning
%AppData%\Adobe\
%LocalAppData%\Adobe\
C:\Program Files\Adobe\YourApp\Presets (varies by app)
Sign out and stop Adobe processes
Creative Cloud Desktop: click your avatar > Sign out, then quit.
Task Manager: end Adobe Desktop Service, CCXProcess, CoreSync, CCLibrary, AdobeIPCBroker (and any Adobe app).
You’re right: there’s no “uninstall all apps” button. If you want a clean slate without clicking each app, use Adobe’s Creative Cloud Cleaner Tool. It removes every Creative Cloud app and the Creative Cloud Desktop in one pass, then you reinstall 2025.
Clean uninstall (safe and fast)
Back up what you need
Presets/brushes/profiles/plugins: copy these before cleaning
%AppData%\Adobe\
%LocalAppData%\Adobe\
C:\Program Files\Adobe\YourApp\Presets (varies by app)
Sign out and stop Adobe processes
Creative Cloud Desktop: click your avatar > Sign out, then quit.
Task Manager: end Adobe Desktop Service, CCXProcess, CoreSync, CCLibrary, AdobeIPCBroker (and any Adobe app).
One‑shot removal (recommended)
Download and run Adobe Creative Cloud Cleaner Tool (Run as Administrator).
Choose the option to remove all Creative Cloud apps and the Creative Cloud Desktop.
Reboot when it finishes.
Optional: tidy leftovers (only after backup)
Delete leftover folders if they remain:
C:\Program Files\Adobe\
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Adobe\
%ProgramData%\Adobe\
%AppData%\Adobe\ and %LocalAppData%\Adobe\ (user specific)
Install 2025
Install Creative Cloud Desktop, sign in, then install the 2025 apps you want.
Restore your presets/plugins as needed.
Notes
Acrobat installs/uninstalls separately; remove it via Apps & Features if you don’t want the older version.
If the Cleaner Tool refuses to remove CC Desktop, first uninstall any remaining app from Creative Cloud Desktop, then rerun the cleaner.
If you prefer manual: uninstall apps from Creative Cloud Desktop one by one, then uninstall “Creative Cloud” from Apps & Features, then remove the folders above.
If you want, tell me which apps you use (Photoshop, Premiere Pro, Acrobat, etc. and I’ll list the exact preset/plugin folders to back up for each.
Got it—when an Adobe installer sits at 97% (post‑install phase) for a long time it’s almost always a stuck background installer, a pending reboot, a security tool blocking writes, or the wrapper itself. Here’s the fastest way to get unstuck and finish the install.
First, check if it’s truly hung
Open Task Manager > Processes. If “Adobe Installer”/“setup.exe”/“msiexec.exe” show 0% CPU and Disk for several minutes, it’s stuck.
Make sure you have plenty of free space (>= 20–30 GB).
Quick unstick steps (do in this order)
1) Reboot once. Many Adobe installs wait for a pending reboot (VC++/drivers). After reboot, don’t start any Adobe apps—go straight to install again.
2) Temporarily pause/exit Kaspersky (and any other AV), and close Windows Security’s Controlled Folder Access if you enabled it earlier. Re‑enable after the install.
3) Run the installer as Administrator (right‑click > Run as administrator).
4) If it still stalls, cancel it: End “Adobe Installer”, “setup.exe”, “msiexec.exe” for Adobe in Task Manager, then:
Reboot.
5) Install one app first (After Effects 2025) using the official Creative Cloud Desktop app. When AE finishes, continue with the rest.
Important note about your installer
Your screenshot shows “Adobe Creative Master Collection 2025 Installer (Version 02.06.2025).” That’s a third‑party wrapper, not Adobe’s official installer. These often hang at the “97%” post‑install step. The most reliable path is:
Install/repair Creative Cloud Desktop (official).
Install apps individually from there (you can queue them).
If you must install offline, use Adobe’s official packages (Admin Console) — consumer “all‑in‑one” packs are prone to issues.
If you want to try finishing with your current attempt
Look for a hidden prompt: sometimes a VC++ or driver dialog is behind the installer. Press Alt+Tab and check the taskbar for flashing icons.
Check logs for the exact blocker:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Adobe\Installers\ — open the most recent .log and scroll to the end for “ERROR” lines.
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Temp\Adobe… or CreativeCloud\ACC\ logs.
Tell me the last 10–20 lines around any ERROR and I’ll pinpoint the failing component.
After you get AE installed
Re‑enable Kaspersky/Defender protections you disabled.
If you see any app failing later, run the Adobe Creative Cloud Cleaner Tool to remove remnants, reboot, then install clean via Creative Cloud Desktop.
If you prefer, I can give step‑by‑step to:
Clean out all Adobe remnants safely with the Cleaner Tool,
Reinstall just the Creative Cloud Desktop,
Then install only the 2025 apps you need (Photoshop/AE/Premiere/etc. with your presets migrated.
Two “Adobe Creative Master Collection 2025 Installer (32‑bit)” wrappers are active, but the inner “Adobe Installer (32‑bit)” is sitting at 0% CPU and 0 disk I/O. That’s a classic “wrapper stuck while a component is blocked” situation.
You have multiple security/utility processes that frequently stall Adobe installs (Acronis Active Protection, Bright VPN, DAEMON Tools, CCleaner, etc..
Fastest way to finish (do these in order)
1) Reboot once. Don’t open any Adobe apps.
2) Temporarily disable anything that can intercept writes:
Acronis Cyber Protect/Active Protection: turn Off (Ransomware protection especially).
Any AV/firewall (Kaspersky, etc.: pause protection.
Controlled Folder Access (if On): Admin PowerShell →
Set-MpPreference -EnableControlledFolderAccess Disabled
3) Run the installer as Administrator. If it stalls again at the same % after 5–10 minutes, cancel it and do the clean pass below.
Clean pass that rarely fails
1) Kill leftover Adobe processes
Task Manager: end “Adobe Installer”, “setup.exe”, “msiexec.exe” (for Adobe), “AGSService/AdobeUpdateService” if present.
2) Clear Adobe install cache (safe)
Run in Admin PowerShell:
Stop-Process -Name "Adobe Installer","setup" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
sc stop AdobeUpdateService; sc stop AGSService
rmdir "C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Adobe\Installers" /s /q
rmdir "C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Adobe\OOBE" /s /q
rmdir "$env😛rogramData\Adobe\OOBE" /s /q
rmdir "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Adobe\OOBE" /s /q
3) Use Adobe’s official tools instead of the “Master Collection” wrapper:
Install/repair Creative Cloud Desktop (official).
Sign in, then install ONE app first (e.g., After Effects 2025). When it completes, queue the rest.
If you truly need offline, use Adobe Creative Cloud Cleaner Tool to remove partial installs, then use official packages or install per‑app from CC.
If you want to keep using the “Master Collection” package
Close all third‑party tools (Acronis/DAEMON Tools/Bright VPN/CCleaner).
Run the installer as Admin with just one instance open.
Watch C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Adobe\Installers\ for the latest .log file. If it hangs again, open the newest log and look at the final 20–30 lines for “ERROR” and paste them here—I’ll tell you exactly which component is blocking.
Quick checks
Free space: ensure 20–30 GB free on C:.
Pending reboot: if the installer asks to restart, do it before continuing.
Windows Installer service:
sc query msiserver
(It should start on demand during installs.
When done, re‑enable Acronis/AV and, if you had it enabled before, turn CFA back on:
Set-MpPreference -EnableControlledFolderAccess Enabled
If it still sticks, post the last 30 lines of the newest file under C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Adobe\Installers\ and I’ll pinpoint the blocker.
0x800106ba = Microsoft Defender Antivirus isn’t running on this PC (it’s in passive/disabled mode), so Set‑MpPreference can’t change Controlled Folder Access. On a machine with Kaspersky (or similar) active, CFA is unavailable. Pausing Kaspersky doesn’t make Defender active; Windows still won’t let you toggle CFA.
What to do now (fastest path to finish the Adobe install)
Don’t chase CFA on this PC. Instead, whitelist or temporarily disable the third‑party tools that commonly block Adobe installers:
Kaspersky Internet Security
Settings > Security/Protection:
Turn off Firewall and File Anti‑Virus during install, or
Add explicit allow rules: Threats & Exclusions > Manage exclusions > add your Adobe installer folder (and C:\Program Files\Adobe, C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Adobe, C:\ProgramData\Adobe). Firewall > Packet rules: add Allow Inbound TCP 445 from “Any” or from your printer/LAN if scanning; for install you mainly need local file writes, so focus on exclusions.
Application Control/Intrusion Prevention: locate “Adobe Installer”, “Windows Installer (msiexec.exe)”, “setup.exe” and set to Trusted/Allow all.
Acronis Cyber Protect/Active Protection: turn off “Active Protection/Ransomware protection” while installing.
Re‑run the installer as Administrator after disabling the above.
If you still want CFA control on this PC, you must make Defender the active AV (not recommended just for an install):
Uninstall Kaspersky (and reboot). Defender will auto‑activate, then you can run:
Set-MpPreference -EnableControlledFolderAccess Disabled
Reinstall Kaspersky after you finish.
If you’re unsure which AV is active on this PC:
Admin PowerShell:
Get-CimInstance -Namespace root/SecurityCenter2 -Class AntivirusProduct
Get-MpComputerStatus | Select AMServiceEnabled,AntivirusEnabled,RealTimeProtectionEnabled,PassiveMode
If anything besides “Windows Defender” appears, manage exclusions/disable there; CFA toggles will keep failing until Defender is the active AV.
Need help with exact Kaspersky UI steps for your version? Tell me the KIS build (e.g., 21.3.x) and I’ll give the click‑by‑click to add the exclusions and a temporary install profile.
Thanks for the log — it pinpoints what’s happening.
What the log shows
The wrapper is installing After Effects + the “Maxon” payload (Cinema 4D/Cineware): Package AdobeAfterEffects25AllTrial_maxon.
It killed node.exe (Adobe CCX/CEP) as a “conflicting process.”
Extract to C:\adobeTemp succeeded, then the hang occurs in the INSTALL phase of the Maxon payload. This is a common stall point with “Master Collection” wrappers.
Fastest ways to get unstuck (pick A or B)
A) Finish with official Creative Cloud (most reliable)
1) Kill installers (Task Manager: Adobe Installer/setup.exe/node.exe), then reboot.
2) Temporarily disable Kaspersky/Acronis/DAEMON/VPN. Close CCleaner.
3) Run Adobe’s Creative Cloud Desktop (official), sign in, and install After Effects 2025 first. Let it install Cinema 4D via the official path.
4) Install the rest of the apps from Creative Cloud. If anything refuses to install, run Adobe Creative Cloud Cleaner Tool, reboot, then retry.
B) If you must use the “Master Collection” wrapper
1) Clean cache and reset temp:
End Adobe Installer/setup.exe/node.exe in Task Manager.
In the products folder, temporarily rename the Maxon payload so the wrapper skips it:
E:\products\AEFT\AdobeAfterEffects25AllTrial_maxon.zip → AdobeAfterEffects25AllTrial_maxon.zip.bak
Run the installer again (After Effects installs without the Maxon add‑on).
After AE is installed, install Cinema 4D/Cineware using the official Maxon App (optional), or from the payload you renamed.
3) If you still want the wrapper to install Maxon, try a clean‑boot install:
msconfig → Hide Microsoft services → Disable all. Task Manager → Startup → Disable all. Reboot.
Disable Kaspersky/Acronis. Run the installer as Administrator. Watch for any hidden Maxon installer window behind the main UI.
Quick checks right now
Make sure nothing “node.exe” is running: taskkill /f /im node.exe
Free space: ensure ≥30 GB free on C:.
No pending reboot: reboot before retrying.
Don’t run two copies of the wrapper at once (your earlier screenshot showed two).
Why this works
The stall is inside the bundled Maxon/C4D step. Installing AE from Creative Cloud, or skipping the Maxon payload in the wrapper, avoids the hang. You can always add C4D later via the Maxon App.
If it stalls again, grab the newest log under:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Adobe\Installers\
and paste just the last 30–50 lines around “ERROR” after the INSTALL step starts. I’ll call out the exact failing sub‑installer and the one change to make.
Acronis Self‑Protection is blocking service control. Open Acronis > Settings > (Security/General) and temporarily turn off “Self‑protection,” then repeat the commands. Turn it back on when you’re done.
Got it. When Command Prompt/PowerShell won’t open, it’s usually a shell association/terminal issue, policy block, or a security tool (Kaspersky/Acronis) intercepting launches. Try these in order.
1) Launch a shell via alternate entry points
Task Manager: Ctrl+Shift+Esc → File > Run new task → type:
In Safe Mode open PowerShell/Command Prompt and run:
sc stop "Acronis Active Protection Service"
sc stop "Kaspersky Security Service" (or use services.msc to stop Kaspersky)
sc stop "AdobeUpdateService"
Reboot normally and try the installer again.
4) Check for policy blocks (only if you can open regedit)
Admin CMD:
net stop "Acronis Active Protection Service"
6) Then re-run the Adobe install
Reboot once, keep Kaspersky/Acronis disabled, run the installer as Administrator.
If it stalls on the Maxon/C4D step again, install After Effects from the official Creative Cloud app (most reliable), or rename the Maxon payload in the package so the wrapper skips it, then add C4D later.
If none of the entry points in step 1 open (even services.msc), tell me exactly what happens (any message, window flash, nothing at all), and whether the Win+X menu items launch. I’ll give the next move (WinRE Command Prompt to flip the needed registry/service keys offline).
The “service name is invalid” just means the Display name you typed isn’t the actual service name. Find the real name first, then stop it.
Do this (Admin)
Option 1 — Command Prompt
List all Acronis services (note the short Name in the left column):
sc query type= service state= all | findstr /i acronis
Then stop by service name (examples):
sc stop ActiveProtectionService
sc stop AcrSch2Svc
sc stop mms
sc stop afcdpsrv
sc stop tib_mounter_monitor
sc stop syncagentsrv
If a service says STOPPED already, that’s fine.
Option 2 — PowerShell
List names:
Get-Service acronis | ft Name,DisplayName,Status,StartType -Auto
Stop a specific one:
Stop-Service -Name ActiveProtectionService -Force
If you get “Access is denied”
Acronis Self‑Protection is blocking it. Open the Acronis app > Settings > turn off Self‑protection (or “Active Protection”) temporarily, then retry the sc/Stop‑Service commands.
Or boot to Safe Mode (Settings > System > Recovery > Advanced startup > Restart now > Startup Settings > 4), stop the services there, reboot normally.
Temporarily disable at startup (optional)
sc config ActiveProtectionService start= disabled
Later, re‑enable:
sc config ActiveProtectionService start= auto
sc start ActiveProtectionService
After stopping the Acronis services, re‑run the Adobe installer as Administrator. Re‑enable Acronis when you’re done.
There is an issue with Windows. It is behaving abnormally in terms of everything has slowed down and things aren't opening. For Example I am unable to open Acronis True Image.
Understood. Let’s stabilize Windows first, then circle back to Adobe. Follow these steps in order. They’re safe and reversible.
Phase 1 — Stabilize (15–30 min)
1) Boot to Safe Mode with Networking
Settings > System > Recovery > Advanced startup > Restart now > Startup Settings > press 5.
In Safe Mode, don’t run the Adobe “Master Collection” installer.
2) Stop the usual blockers
Press Win+R → services.msc
Stop and set Startup type = Disabled for:
Acronis Active Protection Service (and other Acronis services)
Any Kaspersky services (Firewall/Application Control) — or temporarily uninstall Kaspersky
Still in elevated CMD:
chkdsk C: /scan
sfc /scannow
DISM /online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
Reboot normally.
Phase 2 — Clean boot test
1) Clean boot
Win+R → msconfig → Services tab → check “Hide all Microsoft services” → Disable all.
Startup tab → Open Task Manager → Disable all startup items.
Reboot and test: do apps open at normal speed?
2) If things are normal in clean boot
The slowdown is a third‑party service/driver. Re‑enable items in batches (Acronis/Kaspersky/others) until the slowdown returns to find the culprit.
Phase 3 — Return to Adobe (reliable path)
Skip the “Master Collection” wrapper for now—it’s been hanging on the Maxon payload. Use Adobe’s official flow:
1) Install/repair Creative Cloud Desktop (official).
2) Sign in and install one app first (After Effects 2025). It will pull any Maxon components the supported way.
3) Then queue the rest of the 2025 apps you need.
If you must use the wrapper: rename the Maxon payload to bypass it (you can add Cinema 4D later via Maxon App):
A Task Manager screenshot sorted by CPU and another by Disk (Processes view),
Results of sfc/DISM (any errors reported),
Event Viewer > Windows Logs > System: any Disk, Kernel‑PnP, or Service Control Manager errors around boot.
If corruption persists, do an in‑place repair upgrade (keeps apps/files): mount the official Windows 11 ISO, run setup.exe, choose “Keep personal files and apps.”
Tip: When you’re ready to reinstall Acronis/Kaspersky, install the latest builds and re‑enable gradually. During any Adobe installs, keep Acronis Active Protection and Kaspersky Firewall off, then re‑enable afterward.
The thread centers on getting Adobe Creative Suite 2025 installed cleanly on Windows—starting with how to remove the 2024 version without manually uninstalling each app, and then troubleshooting the installer repeatedly getting stuck during the “97%” stage. Key guidance was to use Adobe’s Creative Cloud Cleaner Tool for a one-pass cleanup, but multiple stalls were attributed to third-party/security tools and to the use of a “Master Collection” installer wrapper, which later logs showed hanging specifically during the bundled Maxon/Cinema 4D payload step; the recommended fixes were to switch to the official Creative Cloud Desktop install (installing After Effects first) or skip/avoid the Maxon payload when using the wrapper. Overall sentiment is problem-solving and practical, with the helper responding quickly, interpreting logs, and suggesting increasingly targeted workaround steps as the user’s situation worsened.
