Fix Errors 42 and 72 in Adobe Creative Cloud

Are you getting error codes 42 or 72 on the Adobe Creative Cloud desktop app? If so, this post will help you resolve these error codes.

What is Error 42 in Adobe Creative Cloud?

The error code 42 in Adobe Creative Cloud occurs when installing or updating an app. When triggered, you are likely to get the below error message:

Installer was unable to access a critical file/directory. Please try installing again. (Error Code: 42)

What is Error 72 in Adobe Creative Cloud?

Users have reported experiencing the error code 72 when trying to update or install a Creative Cloud app. An error message like the below one is shown when you get the error code 72:

Sorry, installation failed
There seems to be a problem with the downloaded file(s). For troubleshooting tips, please visit our customer support page. (Error Code: 72)

These errors prevent you from installing an Adobe Creative Cloud app. Now, if you want to get rid of this error, we’ve got you covered. Here, we will show you how to eliminate Adobe Creative Cloud error codes 42 and 72.

Fix Errors 42 and 72 in Adobe Creative Cloud

If you are unable to install or update Creative Cloud apps through the Creative Cloud desktop app or a self-service package and get error codes 42 or 72, follow the below solutions to get the error fixed:

Check the certificate for Adobe Creative Cloud.
Install the latest digital certificates.
Disable Group Policy.

1] Check the certificate for Adobe Creative Cloud

These errors will most likely be caused when Windows can’t validate digital certificates. So, you first need to check the ACC.log file that contains log information regarding Adobe Creative Cloud. Here’s how you can open and check the ACC.log file:

First, open the Run command box using Win+R and enter %LocalAppData% in it.

In the appeared window, go to the Temp folder and then navigate to the CreativeCloud > ACC folder.

After that, double-click on the ACC.log file to open it.

Now, look for the following error log in the file:

[ERROR] | | ACC | LBS | WorkflowManager | | | 7248 | PIM Validation Failed:Process certificate didn't match to Adobe certificate! CANameChain:

If you find the above error, you are required to check the digital certificate for the Creative Cloud.exe file. To do that, open File Explorer using Win+E and move to the following address:

 C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Adobe Creative Cloud\ACC

Next, locate the Creative Cloud.exe file and right-click on it. From the context menu, select the Properties option.

After that, move to the Digital Signatures tab, select the signature, and press the Details button.

Now, check if you get the This digital signature is OK message under the Digital Signature Information option. If you see any other message here, you can be sure that the error is caused by a mismatched certificate. Hence, in that case, you can follow one of the below fixes to resolve the error.

See: Fix Adobe CEF Helper High Memory or CPU usage.

2] Install the latest digital certificates

You can download the latest Security Certificates and install them in the Trusted Root certification authority. After installing certificates, you can try installing or updating Creative Cloud apps and see if the error is resolved.

3] Disable Group Policy

If the error is not resolved, you can try disabling the Group Policy that prevents certificate updates. Here are the steps to do that:

First, press Win+R to open Run and enter gpedit.msc in it to open Local Group Policy Editor.

Now, navigate to the following address:

Local Computer Policy > Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Public Key Policies

Next, double-click on the Certificate Path Validation Settings policy to open its Properties dialog.

After that, move to the Network Retrieval tab and tick the Define these policy settings checkbox.

Now, tick the Automatically update certificates in the Microsoft Root Certificate Program checkbox, if unchecked.

Finally, try updating or installing the app that was giving you the error code 42 or 72 and see if the error is fixed.

Read: Adobe Creative Cloud Installer failed to initialize error in Windows.

How do I fix Adobe not compatible?

If your Creative Cloud desktop app says that an Adobe app is Not Compatible on your Windows PC, you can run the Creative Cloud app in compatibility mode. Here are the executables that you need to run in compatibility mode:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Adobe Creative Cloud\ACC\Creative Cloud.exe 
C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Adobe\Adobe Desktop Common\HDBox\Setup.exe
C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Adobe\Adobe Desktop Common\HDBox\Set-up.exe
C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Adobe\Adobe Desktop Common\ElevationManager\Adobe Installer.exe
C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Adobe\Adobe Desktop Common\ElevationManager\AdobeUpdateService.exe
C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Adobe\Adobe Desktop Common\ADS\Adobe Desktop Service.exe
C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Creative Cloud\ACC\Creative Cloud.exe

I hope this helps!

Now read: Fix Adobe Creative Cloud errors 205, 206, 403 on Windows PC.