Adobe Creative Cloud Self-Service [Macintosh]

Owned by Gianna Goodermuth
Last updated: Jun 21, 2023
4 min read

Adobe Creative Cloud 2020 and newer on a UWO Macintoshes

Due to the changes in both the terms of our Adobe license and the mechanism by which our license is applied, beginning on Wednesday, December 18, 2019, the way campus Macintosh users get Adobe applications will change slightly from the à la carte method employed by UW Oshkosh IT up to this point.

Users will now install the “Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop App - Self-Service” item from Managed Software Center (MSC).  You will need to log in to the Creative Cloud Desktop App with your NetID credentials, and install/update/manage the Creative Cloud applications of your choosing. Updates to individual applications will come from within the Creative Cloud Desktop App; MSC will not be managing updates to Adobe Creative Cloud 2020 and newer products on campus (i.e. non-Lab) Macintoshes.

Process for Installing Adobe Creative Cloud 2020 and newer on a University-owned and managed Macintosh

  1. Open MSC on your Macintosh

  2. Find “Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop App - Self-Service” item.

    • If the link here didn't work, it should be listed on the opening page of MSC (as is illustrated by the first screenshot below); you can also find it by searching in the search box.

  3. Click install to begin the installation.

     

  4. You will be presented with a short "Read Me." Because of the changes in licensing, and because of agreements made in the lawsuit between Adobe and Dolby in regards to copyright violations on Adobe's part, all previously installed Adobe products must, and will, be removed from your Macintosh. Every instance and every version of previously installed Adobe Creative Cloud products will be uninstalled. You will be able to re-install newer, compliant versions of all the Adobe Creative Cloud software using the Desktop App interface.

  5. Click "Understood" when you do indeed understand.

  6. MSC will get things in order and you will need to restart your Macintosh.

  7. Upon logging back in to your Macintosh, you'll find the Creative Cloud Desktop App icon in your Menu Bar as illustrated below. Click on it to bring up the window interface of the Desktop App.

  8. Enter your full email address and click Continue.



  9. If you happen to have another Adobe ID registered to that email address, you will be presented with the following screen. You must choose "Company or School Account" as your account type.

  10. You will then be taken to a somewhat familiar UW Oshkosh login screen. Enter your NetID credentials (full email address again) at this screen.

  11. Authentication will take place and you'll eventually be shown the screen below. You'll be able to browse and install any software listed there. You'll also get all updates through the Desktop App and use the Desktop App to uninstall applications, if you're in to that sort of thing. Consult Adobe's website for additional information regarding usage of the Desktop App: https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/desktop-app.html

With NetID credentials, users are given two active installation sessions of Adobe products. Upon attempting to use a third installation, users will be presented with the following window and be asked to deactivate a previous session. This will not uninstall the Adobe programs from the deactivated Macintosh. This will simply log you out from your Adobe session on that Macintosh. When/If you return to the deactivated Macintosh, you’ll be able to repeat the process and re-activate your session.