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Does any one know how to remove this Creative Cloud Files option after uninstalling Creative Cloud app from Windows 10

enter image description here

Additional info :

  1. This folder does not exist as I deleted C:\username\Creative Cloud Files after uninstallation
  2. This is not from File Explorer address bar history
  3. I've already tried clearing address bar history
  4. I've reinstalled and used Official Uninstallers [ 1 ] & [ 2 ]
  5. Suggestions about removing Creative Cloud Files from File Explorer Side Bar does not resolve this

I can't tell if this problem exist in other user account but i don't want to use that either.

Any hints or suggestions ?

Update

After much digging around & hints from @DrMoishe Pippik, I have reached another dead end.

If I go to %USERPROFILE%\Links there are two links Desktop & Downloads

Going inside Desktop, it shows me Creative Cloud Files but I cannot delete it as Delete option is not there and Unlocker could not delete/rename it

enter image description here

Hence the problem now becomes :

  1. I cannot cannot access this file from command prompt as its link inside link. Weirdly I cannot find this in dir /al /s c:\ > c: either
  2. I cannot change its permission as it shows the error below. Safe mode doesn't allow that either

6

Update

Registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderDes‌​criptions as requested by @harrymc can be found below

http://pastebin.com/712WL9pt

Screenshot of HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace which didn't point to anything important either

enter image description here

clhy
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  • I would look into regedit. – Roke Dec 05 '15 at 21:06
  • Try this: http://www.tekrevue.com/tip/remove-creative-cloud-files-file-explorer-sidebar/ - it shows that others have had the same problem... someone has taken the time to document the registry fix to remove the item. It seems Adobe have neglected to write the shortcut's removal upon uninstallation. – Kinnectus Jan 15 '16 at 17:05
  • @BigChris Thats for the Creative Cloud files on sidebar not in address bar. As well you may see that I have already followed similar instruction and removed it from sidebar – clhy Jan 15 '16 at 17:07
  • My bad. Just re-read your post... – Kinnectus Jan 15 '16 at 17:08
  • It's definitely 'Desktop` folders (only folders or special items - normal shortcuts don't work) related because if you create a `New Folder` on your desktop, open Windows Explorer and click the arrow as per the OP's picture, the new folder is listed... – Kinnectus Jan 15 '16 at 21:21
  • I wonder if there's some relic folder on `Public` desktop or some kind of symlink/junction/special shortcut that's remained on your desktop/public desktop that's causing it to appear... – Kinnectus Jan 15 '16 at 21:24
  • Also, the reason you probably can't delete or view the security information for the folder is because you're not the owner of it. You may need to start in safe mode or get a WinPE disk and change the permissions... You may also be able to delete the folder using these tools (or a Linux LiveCD) as your Windows will need to be offline. – Kinnectus Jan 15 '16 at 21:32
  • I haven't tried Live CD trick, will try on Monday and update the post accordingly – clhy Jan 16 '16 at 01:07

6 Answers6

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I have tested the following, removing the registry key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace\{0E270DAA-1BE6-48F2-AC49-8B7440BCAABB}

Resolves the issue.

Before:

enter image description here

After:

enter image description here

Didn't even require a restart of Explorer. As I can't see any information from your HKCU path I can't confirm if the GUID will be the same for you, I only had two other things in there (Dropbox and OneDrive), where one had a default key of Creative Cloud Files. (I can also confirm removing the Dropbox and OneDrive ones from here removes from this dropdown also.)

clhy
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Jonno
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  • Is that for Creative Cloud Files in File Explorer address bar ? – clhy Jan 20 '16 at 01:52
  • @The_IT_Guy_You_Don't_Like Do you mean the bit that lists your commonly accessed folders automatically? If so, no, this is for the fixed icons like `Dropbox` and `OneDrive`. – Jonno Jan 20 '16 at 03:02
  • My question is about Creative Cloud Files in File Explorer Address bar drop down. **You can also the screenshots I've attached**. – clhy Jan 20 '16 at 03:10
  • @The_IT_Guy_You_Don't_Like I did screenshot the bit it affects (Bottom right)... It matches what you're talking about in your screenshot, and your question clearly states: `This is not from File Explorer address bar history` - so I assumed you wanted fixed icons from the dropdown gone. – Jonno Jan 20 '16 at 03:11
  • Ahh I got you what you are saying...Also that key is familiar to me, except for the last bit. – clhy Jan 20 '16 at 03:19
  • @The_IT_Guy_You_Don't_Like That's the bit that `might` vary from computer to computers, I'm not sure if this GUID is randomly generated, or fixed for CCF. It was the key in `NameSpace` with `Creative Cloud Files` as it's default. And be sure you're looking for it in `HKCU`, these icons show on a per-user basis. – Jonno Jan 20 '16 at 03:22
  • Let us [continue this discussion in chat](http://chat.stackexchange.com/rooms/34583/discussion-between-the-it-guy-you-dont-like-and-jonno). – clhy Jan 20 '16 at 03:39
  • So it's a shell extension as I said. It was in HKCU rather than HKLM. Since I never used _Creative Cloud Files_, I couldn't point you the right GUID. @Jonno I think the GUID is the same for all installations but it could change between versions. – Alexey Ivanov Jan 21 '16 at 08:20
  • Is there any way to paste the "path" of a registry key for quicker access? – Sébastien Jan 23 '17 at 17:29
  • @Sébastien Not in regedit alone I'm afraid. More info [here](http://superuser.com/questions/115854/open-registry-directly-to-a-given-key) if you wanted. – Jonno Jan 23 '17 at 18:42
  • This is the same as for one drive! https://superuser.com/a/1263247/742993 – Mr G Oct 24 '19 at 10:36
  • I had to remove an other key: 0E270DAA-1BE6-48F2-AC49-160B16232C23 – pr0gg3r Jan 24 '20 at 07:12
  • This was my key: 0E270DAA-1BE6-48F2-AC49-DD3A9090B6A3 But you can probably Find and check the data option to look for "Adobe Creative Cloud" – Vael Victus Feb 24 '21 at 16:52
5

It is a Shell Namespace extension (like Recycle Bin). The uninstaller should have unregistered it. But it's still there.

To remove it, run Registry Editor:

  1. Press Ctrl+R.
  2. Type regedit and click OK. Consent to elevation request.
  3. Expand the tree to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace.
  4. The tricky part is to find the right extension.

Warning: Before editing or removing a key, I recommend exporting¹ it to file. If something goes wrong, you will be able to import it into the registry and restore to the previous state.

To find the right extension key, click each key or use ↓ and look at the default value in the right pane. Probably you'll find one which contains Creative Cloud Files. Once you find it, remove it: right-click the key and then click Delete.

There's a similar per-user list of Namespace extensions in: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace.

¹ To export a key, right-click it and then click Export. Navigate to a folder, enter file name and click OK to save it.

Alexey Ivanov
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  • I played around with Process Monitor for quite sometime when I was really after this and never found a reference to the registry key you mentioned, still would check and update the post. – clhy Jan 16 '16 at 01:09
  • @The_IT_Guy_You_Don't_Like Well, Recycle Bin displayed on your Desktop as well as Control Panel are registered in this key. I'm pretty sure Explorer doesn't read it constantly: reads once and then keeps "cache" while still watching if there are changes made to the key; if it's changed, it will re-read the registered extensions. – Alexey Ivanov Jan 16 '16 at 05:52
  • I am not carrying that laptop around so cannot check until Monday. – clhy Jan 16 '16 at 06:07
  • Could you also add to the post screenshots of the contents of both of the above NameSpace registry lists? – harrymc Jan 16 '16 at 16:17
  • Thanks for all the effort @harrymc but I cannot post a screenshot anytime before Monday. I am not carrying that laptop along these days. – clhy Jan 16 '16 at 16:44
  • @The_IT_Guy_You_Don't_Like Did you find anything here? If there's nothing with _Creative Cloud_ here, I would hunt for those CLSID which have no description. You can rename the key to test if it helps. – Alexey Ivanov Jan 19 '16 at 05:44
  • I would have done that for a client but for my own machine....nah its overspending for me :D . If there is no straight answer to this I would not go any further than trying to delete the creative cloud files from `%USERPROFILE%\Links` after booting off a live CD... Will keep you posted though – clhy Jan 19 '16 at 05:56
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Adobe products are well-known for their voluminous updates of the registry, which are largely left-over after the uninstall. Below are some registry hacks which may relate to your problem.

A hack that can be found in this thread is to go to the registry key
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{0E270DAA-1BE6-48F2-AC49-A38C4014C938},
right-click Permissions and set all of the group and username entries to Deny :

image

Another thread claims the registry key is rather {0E270DAA-1BE6-48F2-AC49-AC2EEB83CE33}.

Another entry in the same thread counsels in the registry branch HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{0E270DAA-1BE6-48F2-AC49-A38C4014C938} to set the value of System.IsPinnedToNameSpaceTree from 1 to 0. You could search the registry for this item, in case your branch is different.

There is another hack described in the article How to Remove Creative Cloud Files from the File Explorer Sidebar in Windows. You could try it, although it relates rather to the Explorer Sidebar.

harrymc
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  • While I was trying to remove the Creative Cloud Files from sidebar I did go through `HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\`` keys multiple time because I had a different subkey only matching upto `{0E270DAA-1BE6-48F2-AC49-`. Upon deleting that key, I lost Creative Cloud Files from sidebar but nothing ever happened to the one I am after – clhy Jan 16 '16 at 11:21
  • I suspect that the one you are after hasn't bothered people as much as the sidebar. Or maybe it's just harder to find. Have you searched in Autoruns on the Everything tab for "Creative" or "cloud", and the same for the entire registry? [RegScanner](http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/regscanner.html) speeds up registry searches a lot. – harrymc Jan 16 '16 at 12:12
  • Ohh yes. I posted this question only after couple of hours with process explorer, autoruns, search everything from voidtools and internet search. – clhy Jan 16 '16 at 12:15
  • That includes searching the entire registry? More utilities to try: (1) [ShellExView](http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/shexview.html) for shell extensions, (2) [This PC Tweaker](http://winaero.com/comment.php?comment.news.213). Note: The answer by Alexey Ivanov may not apply to Windows 10. Have a look at registry key `HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderDescriptions` and post its contents. If you want to hide an entry, change the value of **PropertyBag\ThisPCPolicy** to **Hide**. – harrymc Jan 16 '16 at 16:24
  • The above last manipulation can more easily be done using the utility [Ultimate Windows Tweaker 4 for Windows 10](http://www.thewindowsclub.com/ultimate-windows-tweaker-4-windows-10) in *Customization > This PC > Customize inbuilt folders*. – harrymc Jan 16 '16 at 16:28
  • Yes entire registry search using CTRL + F but not silly me sure I forgot about ShellExView :(. This is the first thing I am going to do on monday – clhy Jan 16 '16 at 16:47
  • I checked with ShellExView and checked both the registry keys but couldn't find anything helpful. Updated post – clhy Jan 18 '16 at 08:53
  • Do you have in the registry a key named `HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{0E270DAA-1BE6-48F2-AC49-2C7AED3C3AD4` ? Note that after delete it might come back with reboot. – harrymc Jan 18 '16 at 11:59
  • I had something `HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{0E270DAA-1BE6-48F2-AC49-XXXXXXXX` but I've already deleted it while resolving Creative Cloud Files sidebar issue. Not anymore – clhy Jan 18 '16 at 12:07
  • The puzzle still grows. Did you try the utilities : This PC Tweaker and Ultimate Windows Tweaker for Windows 10 ? – harrymc Jan 18 '16 at 13:08
  • Even though I am not a fan of such tools but will give it a try. Couldn't download in office network. – clhy Jan 18 '16 at 13:10
  • Better do that, since no solution seems in sight. Questions: Are you able to right-click on the item? What does a left-click do? – harrymc Jan 18 '16 at 13:16
  • Let us [continue this discussion in chat](http://chat.stackexchange.com/rooms/34477/discussion-between-the-it-guy-you-dont-like-and-harrymc). – clhy Jan 18 '16 at 13:43
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Look in Autoruns (free tool from SysInternals, now part of MS). On the Explorer tab, search for "Adobe" or "cloud". From that tab, add-ons can be disabled, and if that fixes the issue, completely removed.

DrMoishe Pippik
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  • Thanks. Found three Adobe Creative Cloud entries and removed them, but that option is still there. – clhy Dec 06 '15 at 02:55
  • You might check the *Internet Explorer* tab, as well, because, at least for older versions of Windows, it was integrated with *Explorer*. In fact, search *Everything*. There are also anti-malware tools that evaluate browser and explorer add-ons, and remove them, such as Avast! Also, reboot and check again. – DrMoishe Pippik Dec 06 '15 at 21:01
  • No its not any of them – clhy Dec 06 '15 at 22:40
  • Two other places to check: %USERPROFILE%\Favorites and %USERPROFILE%\Links. – DrMoishe Pippik Dec 07 '15 at 01:22
  • Thanks for the lead but still hit the dead end. updating my question in a bit – clhy Dec 07 '15 at 02:35
0

According to the support article from Adobe on how to Remove Creative Cloud Files folder shortcut from the Navigation panel, you can run the following .reg command:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Adobe\CreativeCloud]
"unPinCCF"=dword:00000001

Save as a .reg file and run it

KyleMit
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0

here is the registry change that worked for me. you are changing the Dword value from 1 to 0.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID{0E270DAA-1BE6-48F2-AC49-06059ADE597F} "System.IsPinnedToNameSpaceTree"=dword:00000000

Kokopalien
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