Troubleshoot Creative Cloud app licensing and user account issues

Last updated on Sep 17, 2025

Learn how to fix issues with your Creative Cloud app when it cannot store or retrieve user credentials or license information.

The Creative Cloud desktop app and Creative Cloud 2019 and later apps store user and license information in the macOS Keychain and Windows Credential Manager. You may encounter a licensing issue with your account if:

You see an error stating the app can't access the Keychain (macOS) or Credential Manager (Windows) for user or license information.
You're prompted to sign in repeatedly, even after doing so.

To fix such common licensing issues, follow the solutions for your operating system.

Credential Manager may be facing a temporary glitch

Press the Start key and type Services. Then press Enter to open Services manager.

In the list of Services, select Credential Manager.

Windows Services Manager window displaying a list of services. — You can access Credential Manager in Windows Services.

Select Restart.

Note

If the given steps don't resolve the issue, sign out of your computer and sign back in.

Adobe Intermediate CA and Adobe Content certificates may be outdated

Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog box

Enter certmgr.msc in the Run dialog box and select Enter to open Certificate Manager.

In Certificate Manager, expand the AdobeCertStore folder and select Certificates. In the list of certificates, delete all certificates beginning with Adobe Intermediate CA or Adobe Content. Similarly, delete all the Adobe Intermediate CA and Adobe Content certificates in the Personal folder.

Remove all Adobe Intermediate CA and Adobe Content certificates in the Personal folder. — Delete all Adobe Intermediate CA and Adobe Content certificates from both Personal and AdobeCertStore folders.

Close Certificate Manager after deleting the certificates, and restart the app.

Adobe User and Adobe App certificates may be outdated

Select the Windows button and enter Credential Manager. Then go to Windows Credentials.

Remove all certificates starting with Adobe User and Adobe App.

Restart the app.

Keychain on Mac may be facing a temporary glitch

Press Command + Spacebar to open the Spotlight Search window.

In the Spotlight Search window, type Terminal and press Return.

In the Terminal window, enter the following commands to lock and unlock Keychain access:

Lock: security lock-keychain
Unlock: security unlock-keychain

Note

If the given steps do not resolve the issue, sign out of your computer and sign back in.

Adobe Intermediate CA and Adobe Content certificates may be outdated

Press Command + Spacebar to open the Spotlight Search window.

In the Spotlight Search window, type Terminal and press Return.

In the Keychain Access window, select login under the Default Keychains section. In the search bar, enter Adobe Intermediate CA or Adobe Content to find any Adobe-related certificates.

Delete all the Adobe-related certificates.