How to Fix Adobe ‘Error Code: 4’ Installation Failed?
When installing Adobe apps, you may encounter “Error Code: 4”, indicating that your installation has failed. This error most commonly occurs when there is not enough space required for the Adobe software installation.
However, this is not the only cause. It can also occur due to a corrupted installer and cache, conflicts in processes, interference from security software, or permission issues preventing the installer from writing necessary files to the system.
Below, we’ll break down the underlying causes of this error and provide clear steps to resolve each one.
- On Windows, right-click the installer and select “Run as Administrator.”
- On macOS, ensure you have administrator rights. This helps prevent permission issues that could terminate the installation.
1. Make Sure You Have Enough Disk Space
If your system drive (or the drive where you are trying to install the Adobe software) doesn’t have at least 10-15 GB of free space available, the installation process will fail and show ‘Error Code 4’. This error is essentially a “disk full” indicator.
This issue occurs because Adobe applications typically require more space than specified to accommodate the temporary files needed during the installation process. If you have enough free space yet are still facing the error, continue following the additional solutions mentioned below.
2. Delete Adobe Installer Cache & Run the Cleaner Tool
A corrupted installation cache or remnants of previous installers can also trigger ‘Error Code: 4’ because they may fail to overwrite existing files, causing a conflict that halts the entire installation process. Adobe installers usually do not clear this conflict or corrupted data. Therefore, resolve this manually using the Adobe CC Cleaner tool.
The Adobe CC Cleaner is an official tool provided by Adobe that helps remove incomplete installations, corrupt registry entries, and leftover files from previous installations. This ensures you are performing a clean install of the software.
- Visit the official Adobe Cleaner Tool page.
- Select Windows from the operating system options and click the blue Download button.
- Locate the downloaded file, right-click it, and select Run as Administrator to ensure the tool has proper system access.
- When prompted, select your language by pressing the ‘E’ key (for English) followed by Enter.
- Accept the terms and conditions by pressing ‘Y’ and then Enter.
- The tool will display its main interface:
- Enter the number corresponding to your desired cleanup action:
- ‘1’ – Removes all Adobe products (recommended for complete troubleshooting)
- ‘6’ – Removes only Creative Cloud (use if you want to preserve other Adobe apps)
For ‘Error Code: 4’, we recommend selecting ‘1’ (All) as it thoroughly removes all Adobe components that might be causing installation conflicts.
- Type ‘1’ and press Enter to proceed.
- The tool will display a list of installed Adobe products. Select the Clean All option (typically option ‘2’) by entering its number and pressing Enter.
- After the cleanup completes, restart your computer before attempting to reinstall Adobe software.
3. Re-download the Installer (Use Offline Installer if Possible)
Online installers may download incomplete or corrupted installer packages due to unstable internet connections, interrupted downloads, or outdated installer files. Since we lack a proper progress or integrity check to ensure that an online installer is functioning correctly, we prefer using Adobe’s official offline installer. It bypasses the dependency on real-time downloads and minimizes the risk of corruption.
Important: Keep in mind that only a few apps have official offline installers available for download from the official Adobe website. You can check which apps are available by visiting the official ‘Apps available for download’ page.
4. Temporarily Disable Antivirus
Antivirus and other security programs can sometimes prevent certain applications from installing properly by mistakenly flagging installer files as threats, blocking essential background processes, or restricting access to system directories required during installation.
This interference can cause the installation to fail midway or trigger ‘Error Code: 4’. To avoid this, temporarily disable your antivirus for troubleshooting purposes, and then try installing the application. It should not fail in this way.
Once you’ve confirmed that your antivirus software isn’t causing the issue, you can go ahead and enable it again. However, if the error still appears even after disabling the antivirus, it’s best to contact Adobe Support. Their team can help you further with steps tailored specifically to your situation and the underlying cause of the error.
