Error 81 causes installation failure

Last updated on Aug 1, 2025

Learn how to resolve error code 81 "Another installer is already running" during Adobe Creative Cloud or Adobe Acrobat installation.

Error 81 occurs when another Adobe installation process is already running in the background, causing a conflict that prevents new installations.

Alert

Before closing any apps, save your work to prevent data loss.

Solution

Try any one of the following solutions based on your operating system.

A background installer process may be already running

This error is triggered when a previous installation hasn't been fully closed, or a related process is still active in the background. To resolve the issue, follow these steps to close the background processes for your operating system:

Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager.

Select the Details tab.

In the search box, look for any of the following processes you want to close.

Setup.exe
Setup. exe for any Adobe app
Adobe Installer

Right-click the process and select End task to terminate it.

Once all related processes are closed, select Retry to download the Creative Cloud app again.

Error 72 causes installation failure

Error 82 causes installation failure

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