[UPDATE (October 2016) – We have some very good news – Adobe has finally published the new installers. Please see our new post here: At Last! The Adobe CC 2015.5 Direct Download Links (2016 Release) We’re sorry about the delay!]
[UPDATE (Oct. 2023) – The latest CC 2025 direct links are also now available!]
Early this morning, Adobe launched major updates to its flagship Creative Cloud tools and services. This June 2016 release includes dramatic new features in Adobe’s key desktop applications, performance enhancements across Creative Cloud (CC) and exciting updates to Adobe Stock. As always, all upgrades to all CC desktop apps are available for download by Creative Cloud members as part of their membership at no additional cost.
Historically a significant new June release would be labelled with a new year, e.g., CC 2016, as with previous versions (CC 2013, CC 2014, CC 2015). But that has not happened here; the highest version shipping today is branded CC 2015.5. The reason why Adobe is doing it this way is not yet known – but since they are not using “CC 2016” now, it seems unlikely they would do so later in the year (e.g., MAX 2016 in November)… So some think this move indicates a future version might be called CC 2017 instead, skipping the CC 2016 moniker entirely.
What About CC Direct Download Links?
But one of the biggest changes today is how Adobe is delivering this new release to customers. Ten of the CC desktop tools are full version upgrades, meaning they are entire new builds of the products (Photoshop, Illustrator, Muse, Animate, Premiere Pro, After Effects, Audition, Prelude, Bridge, and Media Encoder). These builds use a new technology where the application package is broken out into several components and these components are downloaded and installed simultaneously (parallel mechanism). The CC Desktop App is required to manage this process.
That’s compared to the standard technology that’s been traditionally used for many years, where the complete application is first downloaded as a full package (a single .dmg or .exe file), then extracted and installed natively in the normal way.
The difference is that direct links to download the complete standalone/offline installers are not possible and no longer work if (only) the new approach is used. We at ProDesignTools have a long history of providing direct download links to all major Adobe software products, but now there is no way that we (or anybody) can make direct download links available for the new CC products released today (and beyond)!
The new approach has the advantage of being faster because it breaks an installer down into separate components and then installs each part as it arrives. However, we don’t know why Adobe didn’t take the simpler route of third-party accelerator utilities like Internet Download Manager (IDM), where any installer is automatically split, downloaded in multiple streams, and then seamlessly reassembled on your computer with no changes needed to the structure of the software itself.
However, it’s not too late. Adobe could still provide industry-standard installers and links the longstanding traditional way as an alternative, fallback, workaround, and backup. In other words, they could offer an alternate route solution for when customers need it, either because CC Desktop App didn’t work or because of many other valid reasons.
If you agree, then leave a comment below on why you want or need direct download links back! More importantly, please also post feedback on the Adobe Forums to multiply your impact and to tell the company directly. Then spread this news and appeal to others you know!
[UPDATE (June 22nd) – We were just contacted by an Adobe Product Manager who says the company is aware of the situation and hoping to find a solution to restore direct download links and standalone installers for all tools in the new release! So we’re happy to report they are listening to customers and hearing your feedback. Please stay tuned to this page where we will keep you updated below.]
[UPDATE (August 30th) – We greatly apologize for the ongoing delays. However, the new Photoshop CC 2015.5 standalone installers have been released, and are now available for complete direct download here for Windows and here for Mac OS. If you need standard installers for the latest versions of all other CC 2015.x applications, then the best course of action at this time is to contact Adobe Customer Support and ask for direct download links (via live online chat is usually fastest). If you have a slow or unreliable Internet connection, then you can also request a disc/DVD of the current updates to be sent out to you here. In the meantime, we continue our discussions with Adobe to publicly release direct download links for the most recent versions of all CC applications… Note that standalone installers for earlier CC 2015 versions can still be found here.]
[UPDATE (October 12th) – After a long wait, we have some good news… Adobe has published more new installers. Please see our new post here: At Last! The Adobe CC 2015.5 Direct Download Links (2016 Release) We’re sorry about how long this took and hope that helps!]
Why Direct Download Links Are Needed
Here are a few of the use cases on why offering the same installers in complete form (accessible via direct download) is still going to be very important for many CC customers going forward. These are some of the key reasons that readers tell us again and again why these having these resources is essential:
- Users who want to maintain secure backup copies of the offline CC installers should they ever be without strong connectivity (traveling, at a client site, remote locations, etc.) and need to quickly [re]install their products.
- Folks who’d like to download the CC software using one computer with a high-speed network, but install or deploy it on other, different machine(s) without redownloading. This could be two systems of the same type, but also includes downloading on Windows to install on Mac (or vice versa), which Adobe’s Desktop app cannot do. Creative Cloud for Teams subscribers have access to the CC Packager utility, which creates standalone installation packages containing Creative Cloud products and updates – but Individuals (the vast majority of CC users) do not. Many customers do not keep their work computers online, often for security reasons.
- People who have slow/limited or unreliable connections to the Internet. These users are frequently in non-urban areas or less-developed regions of the world, or have mobile-only or throttled access. In the past, they’ve benefited from the free disc media offered by Adobe containing the Creative Cloud installers – but will these DVDs still be possible and available?
- Of course, there are many locations and premises which disallow usage of the CC Desktop App entirely and/or bar all connection to the Internet, or maintain a restricted firewall.
- If installer direct links are not available, then there would be no ability for a customer to roll back or roll forward a single version (patch) of the application, unless that capability is built into the software itself (which thus far hasn’t happened). Consequently there would be no way to revert or back out a troublesome product update, which does happen from time to time. Throwing away our insurance policy?
- Likewise, there would be no way to install an application to a previous version that isn’t the latest release. This is desirable, for example, when working in Premiere Pro where it is not recommended to upgrade in the middle of a large project. If you want to set up a second machine to work on the same .prproj file, then you want the exact same version of the tool as what you already have, not necessarily the latest version. The same goes for InDesign and others, because file formats are meaningful. Further, sometimes Adobe removes features from their products, and you need to be able to access an older version if you still want to use that feature… The reality in fast-changing software is that stability can still be important, and not everyone wants to be (or should be) on the leading edge. From the beginning, having the flexibility to run whichever version of the CC tools you want or need has been an important tenet of Creative Cloud.
- Finally, just basic covering our bases and having a viable workaround in place for when it’s necessary or helpful. Software is built by humans, and both are imperfect. Try as we may, there are always going to be cases where the CC Desktop doesn’t work out for some customers (due to bugs, network or configuration issues, etc.), and having a fail-safe backup solution is simply best practices.
Bottom line, any approach that eliminates widely-used options for successfully downloading and installing Adobe software and trials will ultimately disenfranchise customers and hurt product sales. We can’t imagine that’s what anybody wants. As one XD poster wrote on the Forums, “Adobe needs to realize that Creative Cloud doesn’t always work for users, and they need to provide their paying customers with alternate paths to their software.”
If you agree, then leave a comment below on why you want or need direct download links back! More importantly, please also post feedback on the Adobe Forums to multiply your impact and to tell the company directly. Then spread this news and appeal to others you know!
How You Can Help
For all these reasons, we believe it would be a mistake for Adobe to take away installer flexibility and not have a fallback to the CC Desktop App available for all Creative Cloud applications and their updates. We can attest to how many people successfully use the direct download solutions every single day, and it’s going to be problematic if the company can’t make the small additional effort to accommodate these customers.
We’re not talking about moving away from the new packaging; we’re just suggesting to have an alternate route solution in place for all those times when customers and support staff will need it. It could be as simple as providing additional server uploads with the standard installer packages, fully downloadable via a direct links, as has been the accepted custom and highly-valued practice for many years.
If you agree, then leave a comment below on why you want or need direct download links back! More importantly, please also post feedback on the Adobe Forums to multiply your impact and to tell the company directly. Then spread this news and appeal to others you know!
What’s New in Adobe CC 2015.5? [Video]
See Also
- The 10 most common myths about Creative Cloud
- What are the differences between Adobe CC vs. CS6?
- Download free Adobe books (choose over 30 titles)
- How to save 60% with the Student & Teacher Editions
- Free Adobe Stock! Download 1,000,000+ top images
- Don’t need full Cloud? Get PS + LR for $9.99/month
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Now we have the same issue with CC 2017, are there any offline updaters?
Yes, fortunately, here:
Adobe CC 2017 Direct Download Links: Creative Cloud 2017 Release
Also here (newer):
Adobe CC 2018 Direct Download Links: Creative Cloud 2018 Release
Hope that helps!
Thanks for the reply.
I read the notes and realise the CC2017 is a complete replacement, thanks for being so quick to reply.
@ProDesignTools
Doesn’t – no InDesign, Lightroom, …
Everything that’s currently available for CC 2017 is listed or referenced there. Adobe has not yet released direct link or a standalone installer for the CC 2017 release of InDesign, and some other tools.
However, as mentioned on that page, direct download links for the latest version of Lightroom are available here.
In 2018, I started having problems connecting with the Creative Cloud app. After hours of trying every suggestion I found online, 7 attempts with official Adobe helplines in Germany and India, plus over CHF 2000.00 spent on an independent Mac Support person, the problem remains unsolved. In the end, I bought a new iMac and now have the MacMini at home. Where can I safely update my software directly?
Sure, try the recent direct download links:
How to Get New Adobe Creative Cloud 2020 Direct Download Links
…and/or the previous version:
All the New Adobe CC 2019 Direct Download Links, Now Available!
Very sorry to hear of all the trouble, but hope that helps!
Thanks, but I don’t want to buy each program individually or start a new subscription. I have a license already. I’ve already paid Adobe for this year. I just want to upgrade the version I have.
Hmm, not sure what you mean. All current Creative Cloud subscribers (which you said you are) can use the latest releases… You don’t have to stay on older versions (like CC 2015) if you don’t want or need to.
Since it sounded like you were asking about upgrades, we shared with you above how to get direct download links for more recent revisions of the apps that you are already paying for. You don’t need to change your subscription plan at all.
Yes, I know I can use the latest releases. I have two computers. On one, the updates happen automatically without a problem and I can open the CC app to add new apps. The older MacMini for some mysterious reason cannot do this. No one can figure out why. Eight Adobe support people have tried without luck. One external Mac support person deleted and reinstalled everything. The app simply can’t connect to the macMini. Can Adobe provide me with a way to update my software package without using the CC App and without changing my subscription plan?
Yes. As we said above, use the standalone/offline installers instead (accessed via direct download links) for each application and release that you want:
Adobe Creative Cloud Direct Download Links for Windows and macOS
That way, you can install the tools you want without having to use the Creative Cloud Desktop app.
Great news! The offline installers for the new Creative Cloud 2021 release are now available, and here’s our post out today on what you need to know:
How to Get New Adobe Creative Cloud 2021 Direct Download Links