Exit code 6 causes installation failure

Last updated on Aug 1, 2025

Learn how to resolve exit code 6 "Installation failed" during Adobe Creative Cloud app installation.

Exit Code 6 is a common installation error that can occur due to file permission issues, system file corruption, or conflicts with other running processes.

Solution

Before you begin

Follow the steps based on your operating system:

Windows: Make sure you've already attempted to uninstall the Adobe apps you're trying to reinstall via Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
macOS: Use the Creative Cloud Cleaner tool or manually remove the app from the Applications folder.

Follow these solutions in the given order to resolve this issue and install Adobe apps.

Leftover folders from previous installations may be blocking an installation

Leftover files or folders from a previous installation or update attempt may be causing file system read/write errors. To resolve, follow these steps:

Navigate to the installation directory:

macOS: /Applications
Windows: C:\Program Files\Adobe\

Look for folders named after the Adobe apps you're reinstalling. For example, rename Adobe Photoshop CC to Adobe Photoshop CC old.

Check for a folder named AdobePatchFiles and rename it.

(macOS only) Rename the main Adobe folder in /Applications to Adobe_old.

Reinstall your Adobe application.

After successful installation, confirm that your other Adobe apps are working, then delete the renamed folders.

Missing folder permissions may be blocking the installation

You may not have the necessary read/write permissions for certain files or folders required during installation. To resolve this, verify and update file permissions for the folders mentioned in your installation log.

Check the installation log file for error codes and file paths.

Identify the parent folder (or directory) in each error message (the folder directly before the final folder in the path).

Close all Adobe applications.

Now, follow these steps to update permissions for your operating system:

Open File Explorer and navigate to the parent folder. For example: C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe.

Right-click the folder and select Properties.

In the Attributes section, deselect Read-only and select Apply.

Go to the Security tab.

Under Group or user names, select System and ensure that Full control is selected in the Permissions section. If not:

Select Edit.
In the Permissions dialog box that opens, select System.
Under Permissions for System, check Full control under Allow.
Select Apply, and then OK.

Repeat step 6 for Administrators under Group or user names.

Repeat the process for any additional paths listed in the error message logs.

Reinstall your Adobe application.

Corrupted or missing Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable components may cause installation failure (Windows Only)

Your Adobe application installation may fail or crash due to issues with Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable packages. Follow these steps to repair or reinstall the corrupted or missing packages:

Go to Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features.

Look for entries named Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable.

Tip

Check your Adobe install log to find the exact version causing the error. Then, either repair or reinstall only that version.

Right-click each version one by one, select Change, then choose Repair in the dialog box.

Note

If Change option is not available, uninstall the version and then download and reinstall it from Microsoft Download Center.

Restart your computer.

Reinstall your Adobe application.

Background processes or services may be interfering with the installation

Restarting your computer in safe mode can help remove system-level conflicts that may interfere with Adobe application installations. To resolve, follow these steps to restart in safe mode and reinstall the app:

Background processes or services may be interfering with the installation

Restart your computer in safe mode:

macOS: Start in Safe Boot mode | macOS.
Windows 10 and 11: Start your PC in safe mode.

Reinstall your Adobe app while in safe mode.

Windows Installer issues may be blocking Adobe app installation (Windows only)

The Microsoft Windows Installer service may be corrupted or not functioning properly. Follow these steps to repair the Window installer:

Right-click the Start menu icon (or press Windows + X).

Select Windows Terminal (Admin) or Command Prompt (Admin).

Select Yes to the User Account Control request to allow the Terminal app to make changes to your device.

In the Command Prompt window, type sfc /SCANNOW and press Enter.

When the system scan completes, type msiexec/unreg in the Command Prompt window and press Enter.

Type msiexec /regserver in the Command Prompt window and press Enter.

Reinstall your Adobe application.

Review the installation log file

Exit code 6 is a generic error code. To identify the root cause, review the installation log under "There are problems with your installation." The error message describing what went wrong appears below the exit code.

For details on where to find log files and how to review them, refer to Troubleshoot install issues with log files | Creative Cloud.

Error 5 causes installation failure

Exit code 7 causes installation failure

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