Fix "This Unlicensed Adobe App Is Not Genuine and Will Be Disabled Soon" Error

If you’re getting a Your Adobe app is not genuine and will be disabled soon error, despite being subscribed, we’re here to help.

This might happen for a few reasons: the software integrity service is buggy, you’re logged in with a wrong adobe account, the installation is corrupt, Adobe services are blocked by your device or you purchased from a non-official source.

Whether it’s Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, or another Adobe app, you can fix this error. Here’s how.

How to remove Adobe unlicensed app disabled error

NOTE

This error affects both Windows and Mac, but these steps are for Windows. If you’re using macOS, check out our guide for fixing Adobe not genuine issues on Mac.

1. Check Your Subscription Status

1. Sign in to your Adobe Creative Cloud Account.
2. Go to Plans → Manage Plan.
3. Ensure your subscription is active and payment went through.
4. If it’s expired, renew or update payment info.

If you’re using multiple Adobe products, a Creative Cloud subscription is your best bet. You get a bang for your buck and seamless access to all apps, plus regular updates, cloud storage and the possibility to use Adobe’s AI features in real time.

Adobe Creative Cloud

Resolve the Error for Good – Download Official Adobe Creative Cloud & Get Limited Offer

40% Off Visit website

2. Disable the Adobe Genuine Software Integrity service

2.1 Remove the Adobe Genuine Software Integrity Service via Task Manager

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
2. Find the Adobe Genuine Integrity service in the Processes tab, right-click it, and choose Open file location. It should open a folder named AdobeGCIClient.
   
   
3. Go back to Task Manager, click on the Adobe Genuine Integrity process, and then hit End Task.
   
4. Delete the AdobeGCIClient folder opened in Step 2.
5. Restart your computer and check if the problem is gone.

If the issue still exists after the folder was re-created, try to rename it to something similar instead of deleting it.

Alternatively, you can do the same thing but in a more advanced way that guarantees the complete removal of the Adobe Genuine Software:

2.2 Delete the Adobe Genuine Software Integrity Service via CMD

1. Type cmd in the Windows search box, right-click the result, and select Run as administrator.
   
2. Then, in cmd, type the following command and press Enter: sc delete AGSService
   
3. After doing that, close Command Prompt.

Read more about this topic

• Lightroom Not Working? 5 Quick Fixes to Try
• How to Blur Background in Photoshop: 3 Ways to do it
• Windows on Arm now supports Adobe Illustrator, and there is a beta for it if you want to join
• Adobe clarifies Terms of Service update which users alleged will help train its AI

3. Block Adobe app through the Windows Firewall

1. Close the Adobe app and End any Adobe-related processes from Task Manager.
2. Open Windows Security.
3. Navigate to Firewall & Network Protection.
4. Open Advanced Settings.
5. Select Inbound Rules.
6. Click on New Rule.
7. Choose Program and click Next.
8. Enter the path of your Adobe product and click Next.
9. Block the connection and click Next.
10. Apply to Domain, Private, and Public profiles and click Next.
11. Name the rule and click Finish.
12. Select Outbound Rules.
13. Create a New Outbound Rule.
14. Repeat the same steps as for the inbound rule and click Finish.

4. Remove the Adobe Updater Startup Utility

1. Type cmd in the Windows search box, right-click the result, and select Run as administrator.

   

2. Type the following command and press Enter: sc delete AAMUpdater
   
   
3. To remove the task, type Task Scheduler in the Windows search box and select Task Scheduler.
   
4. Now find and delete the AdobeAAMUpdater task.
   

Prevent Future Adobe Errors

The best way to stop the Your Adobe app is not genuine message is to use an official, up-to-date version.

If you have a Creative Cloud subscription, keeping your account active and signed in with the correct Adobe ID (Step 1) is the best option. This gives you access to all apps, updates, and cloud features.

However, if you only use one Adobe product like Photoshop or Illustrator, you might prefer buying that app alone instead of the full Creative Cloud suite. This way you get a genuine license without paying for extra tools.

Here’s the list of Adobe products and the links to their official pages:

Adobe Product Name	Download link (clickable)
Adobe Acrobat Reader DC	Official Webpage Link
Adobe After Effects	Official Webpage Link
Adobe Dreamweaver	Official Webpage Link
Adobe InCopy	Official Webpage Link
Adobe Animate	Official Webpage Link
Adobe Audition	Official Webpage Link
Adobe Bridge	Official Webpage Link
Adobe Captivate	Official Webpage Link
Adobe Creative Cloud	Official Webpage Link
Adobe Illustrator	Official Webpage Link
Adobe InDesign	Official Webpage Link
Adobe Lightroom	Official Webpage Link
Adobe Photoshop	Official Webpage Link
Adobe Premiere Pro	Official Webpage Link
Adobe Spark	Official Webpage Link

If you followed the steps correctly, the Adobe software you are using is not genuine pop-up message on Windows 10 should now be gone, and you should be able to continue your work without any interruptions.

And if you want to learn more about Adobe issues, you can check out this guide on what to do when Adobe apps aren’t available or this walkthrough on fixing Adobe Reader installation failures.

For any other questions or another fix to the Adobe unlicensed software pop-up, reach for the comments section below, and we’ll be sure to take a look.