When trying to install Adobe apps, seeing “Error Code: 4” can be super frustrating — it basically says, “Sorry, the installer failed.” Usually, it’s because there’s not enough free space on the drive, but that’s just the most common cause. Honestly, it can pop up due to a handful of other hiccups like corrupted installer files, leftover cache from previous installs, or even interference from security software blocking parts of the process. If you’ve hit this error, here’s a realistic walk-through of what might fix it, based on real-world experience.
Sometimes, just running the installer with admin rights helps clear up permission problems that cause the installer to choke. On Windows, right-click the installer and pick “Run as Administrator”. On macOS, make sure your user account has admin rights, because of course, Mac has to make things a little more complicated.
1. Check and free up space on your drive
If your system (or the drive where you’re trying to install) doesn’t have at least 10-15 GB of free space, you’re asking for trouble. This isn’t just about space — Adobe apps need room to breathe, especially during install when temporary files and unpacking happen. If your disk is close to full, that’s the most likely reason for the error. Even if it looks okay, double-check by opening File Explorer on Windows or Finder on Mac and seeing if there’s enough free space. Sometimes, it’s worth running a cleanup of old files or temporary caches to free up extra room.
2. Clear Adobe installer cache & run the Cleaner Tool
Leftover installer caches or partial installs can cause conflicts, especially if you’re trying to reinstall or update existing Adobe software. It’s annoying but you gotta clear this out. The best way is to use Adobe’s official Creative Cloud Cleaner Tool. On some setups it’s a bit glitchy, so make sure to run it as administrator — right-click the downloaded file and select “Run as Administrator”.
- Download the tool from Adobe’s site.(They have a dedicated page for it.)
- After it’s downloaded, right-click the file and pick “Run as Administrator”. Because permissions can make or break this step.
- When the tool launches, it should prompt you to choose a language — press ‘E’ for English and hit Enter.
- Next, accept the terms by pressing ‘Y’ and then Enter.
- The interface will show options — if you’re troubleshooting errors, choose ‘1’ to remove all Adobe products. That’s usually safest for Error 4, especially if previous installs failed or left corrupt files laying around.
- The app will list installed Adobe apps. Enter the number for ‘Clean All’ (often ‘2’), then wait for the cleanup to finish.
- Once it’s done, restart your PC and try the installation again. Sometimes, it’s a matter of clearing out all trace files before the installer can do its thing.
3. Use the offline installer & re-download if needed
Online installers can be flaky — they often fail if your internet connection drops or if the download gets corrupted midway. If you keep seeing errors, switch to the offline installer from Adobe’s official site. It’s a bigger download, but it’ll be a full package, reducing chances of corruption. Just double-check you’re using something recent, because older installers might not work with the latest apps.
4. Temporarily disable antivirus & security software
If your security software is hyper-vigilant, it might block key installation steps by mistake. It’s kind of weird, but on some setups, disabling antivirus temporarily helps stable installs. Just remember to turn it back on immediately after. To do this, go to your antivirus settings, turn off real-time protection, or find the toggle for temporarily disabling it. Be cautious here — only do it if you’re sure the installer comes from a trusted source.
If after doing all this, error 4 still stubbornly refuses to go away, it’s a good idea to reach out to Adobe Support. Sometimes, there’s a more obscure issue on your machine that needs specific troubleshooting.
That’s pretty much the core of it. Installing Adobe software isn’t always straightforward, but these steps cover the most common pitfalls. It’s kind of a pain, but with patience, most errors can be sorted out without too much pounding the head against the desk.