We purchased Adobe Creative Suite 6 years ago, but started getting the popups about non-genuine software. This popup was non-stop, so I called the number. They said the software we purchased was counterfeit, and they can move us to a subscription based software instead. We did purchase the software from EBay in 2013, so 5 years ago. I accidently allowed Adobe to install Adobe Application Manager. I want to uninstall it, but it's not in the list of programs in the control panel. The file location folder has no way of reinstalling the program or uninstalling it. Here set Adobe Acrobat Update and Adobe Genuine Software Integrity Services to manuall. From Windows Task Manager → Start-up Tab disable the Adobe related programs. Download Autoruns utility and disable here also various Adobe related programs like Adobe Updater Startup Utility and Acrobat Assistant (AcroTray) and maybe Adobe Acrobat.
AGSService.exe file information AGSService.exe process in Windows Task Manager. The process known as Adobe Genuine Software Integrity Service or AGS Service belongs to software Adobe Genuine Software Integrity Service or AGS Service or Adobe Common File Installer by Adobe Systems (www.adobe.com). Description: AGSService.exe is not essential for Windows and will often cause problems.
Active5 months ago
The problem I am having is that whatever I do or disable I cannot stop AcroTray.exe from Adobe starting at boot and doing... whatever it is that it is doing, until it is stopped manually via task manager:
Naturally I disabled it on 'Start-up':
And even set to 'stopped' all services that are related with Adobe:
- AdobeARMService
- AGSService
Adobe DC, Acrobat Reader X & Creative Cloud are all set to manual or no updates (inside the applications).
I have tried:
- Deleting the exe - just gets put back silently, like a virus
- Quarantining the app via virus protection software - This sort of works, but I get a popup at each start up warning that AcroTray.exe has tried to start which is just as frustrating
- 'Locking' the folder via 3rd party app - stops it, but pops up a warning every boot again
I understand that this app does something but I want explicit control of when it does that and I absolutely hate that it ignores being disabled. All the other Adobe helper apps launch when one of the suite of programs is started and that is totally fine, that's what they are supposed to do, but AcroTray seemingly can't be prevented from running at boot and sitting there in the running processes, glowering at me.
Is there anyway to stop AcroTray.exe starting at boot other than uninstalling Adobe DC &/or Acrobat Reader X (that doesn't also replace it starting with some kind of warning or pop up)?
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Uninstall Adobe Genuine Software Integrity
tymothytymtymothytym
2 Answers
- Go to Services.msc (hit Win and write in searchservices.msc) and run it as Administrator. Here set
Adobe Acrobat Update
andAdobe Genuine Software Integrity
Services to manuall. - From Windows Task Manager → Start-up Tab disable the Adobe related programs.
- Download Autoruns utility and disable here also various Adobe related programs like
Adobe Updater Startup Utility
andAcrobat Assistant
(AcroTray) and maybeAdobe Acrobat Synchronizer
. But be careful, if you are not sure about something,then leave it be. - Download ShellExView, go to Options and select Show 32-bitShell Ex extensions. Now disable the
Adobe Acrobat Create PDF from Selection
,Adobe Acrobat Create PDF Helper
andAdobe Acrobat Create PDF Toolbar
. Now in Options deselect Show 32-bit Shell Extensions and disable again the above items plusAcrobat Elements Context Menu
. - Now Kill the AcroTray.exe from Task Manager. Sign out and Sign in into Windows. Open Task Manager and observe the Task Manager for AcroTray.exe entry. Right Click on some .pdf file (image or office file) on your desktop and you will see that AcroTray is not starting to run anymore in your Task Manager. If this is the case you made it!
- Run
Task Scheduler
, check for Adobe Tasks (if any) and disable them.
Explanation: The first, second and third step disable Adobe related programs from running at Windows OS startup. But AcroTray.exe is invoked by right clicking on files and folders (windows context menu). It is responsible for the Adobe related entries in the context menu. The biggest problem of all is that right clicking is much slower, because AcroTray.exe must be first started.
Now AcroTray.exe won't be starting anymore when right clicking on Files/Folders. But other programs might start AcroTray.exe if there is a dependency. For example if you open Outlook 2013 and navigate to the Tab Adobe PDF and select a item from here it will start AcroTray.exe.
The fourth step: stop invoking AcroTray.exe when right clicking on files
DevidDevid4,88166 gold badges4646 silver badges6767 bronze badges
For Windows 10:
- Press the Windows+R keys, type
services.msc
in the dialog box and press Enter. Once the services window is opened, double click on all the Adobe services, click Stop then click the drop down menu and select Disable. - Right click on the task bar, click Task Manager, go to Startup and disable all Adobe services.
- Press Windows+R and in the dialog box type
msconfig
, under General change from Normal to Selective startup and tick the boxes for Load system services and Load startup items.
This solved the problem for me.
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