Unable to start trial of a Creative Cloud app

After you install a trial Creative Cloud application (such as Photoshop) using the Creative Cloud desktop application, the following error message is displayed:

Unable to start trial

Starting a trial could fail due to one of the following reasons:

  • The product's installation or launch files have changed.
  • Permissions for installation or launch files have changed.

To resolve the issue, try the following solutions:

Adobe folder permissions

Set the permissions for Adobe folder correctly. Verify that the following users and groups have these permissions:

Windows

  • Administrators (Full Control)
  • SYSTEM (Full Control)

Mac OS X

  • User (Full Control)
  • Group (Full Control)
  • Everyone (Full Control)

Adobe folder locations

  • Windows 32 bit:  \Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\
  • Windows 64 bit:  \Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Adobe\
  • macOS:  /Library/Application Support/Adobe/

For information on verifying permissions, select your operating system below. You need the folder permission and location information below to complete the steps.

  • macOS 10.5 and 10.6
  • Windows Vista and Windows 7

Verifying permissions by operating system

To complete the steps below, you need the folder location and permissions from the solutions above. Use the links to obtain the information where necessary. In the example below, Adobe PCD is the folder name used. Replace the folder with Solutions folder name.

Mac OS X 10.5 and 10.6

  1. Using Finder, navigate to the folder to modify.

  2. Control+click the folder, and select Get Info.

  3. Expand the Sharing & Permissions section.

  4. Click Details to show the various owner and group options.

  5. Click the lock icon in the lower-right corner. Enter your administrator user name and password when prompted, and click OK.

  6. Set the permissions according to the Folder Permissions section in your solution.

  7. Click the gear icon, and select Apply To Enclosed Item.

  8. Close the Get Info dialog box.

Windows Vista and Windows 7

  1. Choose Start > Computer.

  2. Choose Organize > Folder And Search Options, and click the View tab.

  3. Scroll to the bottom of the Advanced Settings section, and deselect Use Sharing Wizard (Recommended).

  4. Click OK.

  5. Using Windows Explorer, navigate to the folder to modify.

  6. Right-click the Adobe folder, and choose Properties.

  7. In the Attributes section, deselect the Read-Only option.

  8. Click Apply, and then click OK to close the Confirm Attribute Changes dialog box.

  9. Click the Security tab.

  10. Set the permissions according to the Folder Permissions section in your solution.

  11. To change the settings, follow these steps:

    1. Click edit.

    2. If the User Account Control (UAC) elevation prompt appears, follow the instructions to accept it.

    3. Make the necessary changes.

  • To uninstall an app, see the steps here.
  • To install a trial version of an app, click Try in the Creative Cloud desktop app.