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How to fix the Adobe error 16 on Windows 10/11
8 min. read
Updated onOctober 4, 2023
updated onOctober 4, 2023
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Key notes
This article will focus on how to fix Adobe error 16 on Windows 10 and hopefully, a lot of Windows 10 users using Adobe software suites will find this piece very helpful and instructive.
Adobe error 16 can prevent you from running your favorite Adobe applications, and speaking of this error, here are some similar issues that users reported:
How can I fix the Adobe error 16 on Windows 10?
1. Uninstall and re-install Adobe Creative Cloud
1.1 Uninstalling Adobe Creative Cloud
1.2 Reinstalling Adobe Creative Cloud
Having a problematic installation of an Adobe product can be sometimes linked to the Creative Cloud. That is why the first and the safest way is to remove and re-install the Creative Cloud.
2. Launch the Creative Cloud app with Administrator rights
2.1 Use a recurrent method
Ifnothing happens when you click on Run as administrator, your may need to take care of that issue before moving any further. Try to run an antivirus scan or create a different user account.
If this method works for you, you’ll have to repeat it every time you want to run Creative Cloud. However, you can force the application to always run with administrative privileges by doing the following step.
2.2 Run Creative Cloud as an administrator all the time
After doing that the application should always start with administrative privileges and the problem should be resolved.
According to users, sometimesAdobe error 16can appear if you don’t have the necessary privileges. Users claim that you needadministrative privilegesin order to run Creative Cloud applications.
3. Restore permissions to licensing folders
3.1 Show hidden files and folders
3.2 Change permissions for Adobe PCD and SLStore
AdobePCD
SLStore
Perform this procedure two times, once each for the Adobe PCD and the SLStore folders. You can find these folders in the following locations:
3.3 Change ownership
The instructions above will help you set permissions to the Adobe PCD and SLStore folders in Windows 10.
4. Update your graphics card driver
According to users, sometimes you might be able to fixAdobeerror 16simply by updating yourgraphics carddrivers.
Many users claim that they managed to solve the issue simply by updating their drivers, so you might want to try that.
Updating your graphics card driver is quite simple, and in order to do it, you just have to visit your graphics card manufacturer’s website and download the latest version for your model.
We also have a detailed guide onhow to update the graphics card driver, so you might want to check it out.
If you don’t want to download drivers manually, you can also use automated software that will download the necessary drivers for you with just a single click.
5. Create a new SLStore folder
Now try to start the application again and check if the problem is resolved.
According to users, sometimesAdobeerror 16can occur if you don’t have the SLStore directory on your PC.
This directory should be located in the installation directory of yourAdobeproduct, but if the directory is missing for some reason, you might encounter this error.
If you experience thecannot create a new folder in Windows 10error, check your antivirus or try to fix your registry.
If you keep gettingAdobeerror 16, you might be able to fix the problem simply by installingAdobeApplication Manager. This is a tool created byAdobe, and you can download it for free fromAdobe’s website.
Once you download and installAdobeApplication Manager, the issue should be completely resolved and you’ll be able to run applications without any problems.
7. Paste adbeape.dll into the installation directory
Sometimes missing DLL files can causeAdobeerror 16to appear, but you might be able to solve the problem by copying adbeape.dll to the installation directory.
To obtain this file, it’s best to copy it manually from another PC that hasAdobeproducts installed.
Once you copy this file to the installation directory, simply run the problematic application as an administrator and the issue should be resolved.
8. Change the attributes of the SLStore folder
After making these changes, try to start the application again and check if the problem is still there.
As we already mentioned in one of our previous solutions, the SLStore directory can sometimes cause theAdobe error 16to appear.
However, you can fix the issue simply by changing a few attributes from the SLStore folder.
9. Reinstall your Adobe products
If you keep gettingAdobe error 16, you might be able to solve the problem simply by reinstalling the application. Sometimes your installation might be corrupted and that can lead to this and many other errors.
To fix the problem, it’s advised to remove the problematic Adobe product from your PC. In addition to uninstalling the application, you also need to remove the following directories:
C:Program FilesAdobeC:Program FilesCommon FilesAdobeC:Program Files (x86)AdobeC:Program Files (x86)Common FilesAdobeC:ProgramDataAdobe
By removing these directories you’ll ensure that all leftover files are removed. After doing that, simply install the application again and the issue should be resolved completely.
Removing leftover files manually can be a problem, but there are special tools that can help you with that.
If you want to completely remove an application from your PC, including both leftover files and registry entries, you can do that easily with specialized applications.
Uninstaller software are specialized tools that will remove the selected application along with all of its files and registry entries.
Manual uninstallations from the apps GUI or from Windows settings may leave these unwanted files behind, cluttering your PC and preventing you from properly reinstalling the application in the future.
Thebest uninstaller softwareavailable are equipped with forced uninstall features that can remove stubborn or malicious apps without having any negative impact on your system.
After you remove the problematic application with a specialized tool, simply install it again and the issue should be completely resolved.
If you have any difficulties, we have a complete guide onhow you can remove software leftovers from your Windows 10 PC.
As you can see, fixing theAdobeerror 16 is relatively simple, and we hope that you solved this problem by using one of our solutions.
If you have any other suggestions or questions, don’t hesitate to leave them in the comments section below and we’ll be sure to check them out.
More about the topics:Adobe Acrobat Reader,Adobe After Effects,Adobe Creative Cloud,Adobe XD
Milan Stanojevic
Windows Toubleshooting Expert
Milan has been enthusiastic about technology ever since his childhood days, and this led him to take interest in all PC-related technologies. He’s a PC enthusiast and he spends most of his time learning about computers and technology.
Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Now, he’s one of the Troubleshooting experts in our worldwide team, specializing in Windows errors & software issues.
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Milan Stanojevic
Windows Toubleshooting Expert
Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Now, he’s specialized in Windows errors & software issues.
