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If you are like most people and want Windows to boot as quickly as possible, the first thing to do is to remove all unnecessary startup programs. For the most part, this is pretty simple, however, sometimes a program just doesn’t want to take the hint. The Program this article is focusing on removing from startup is the ‘Adobe Auto Update Manager’.
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Every now and then a program comes along that just doesn’t take a hint, the Adobe Auto Update Manager for example. This sneaky little component that comes with Adobe Photoshop CS6, Lightroom, Reader and other Adobe programs is quite hard to prevent from launching itself at startup, even when you have removed it from all auto-start areas. Its main purpose is to keep Adobe products up to date but it also plays a role in detecting if any Adobe software you have installed is pirated. Thankfully, putting the final nail in the Adobe Auto Update Manager coffin can be done quickly and easily, so let's get started.
Note: You can actually use this process for any programs that are launching at startup.
How to Prevent ‘Adobe Auto Update Manager’ Launching at Startup.
There are three steps that need to be done in order for Adobe Auto Update Manager to stop launching on system boot. If you have already done one or more of the below steps, feel free to move on to the next, as the order which you complete these adjustments doesn’t matter.
- Remove Adobe Auto Update Manager From the System Startup List.
- Remove Adobe Auto Update Manager From the Startup Folder.
- Remove Adobe Auto Update Manager From the Task Scheduler.
Remove Adobe Auto Update Manager From the Startup Program List.
For this step, you will need to open the Windows Task Manager which can be done by right-clicking on the Taskbar and selecting Task Manager. Next, in the task manager window change to the Startup tab. Here look for Adobe Updater, then right-click on it and select Disable. This will prevent it from launching when your system boots. If you haven’t done the other two steps listed above, proceed with the steps listed below.
Remove Adobe Auto Update Manager From the Startup Folder.
The next place to check is the Windows system startup folder, which contains programs approved for startup launch. Generally, this folder is empty, however, sometimes apps and programs can be found here. (You can also add them manually by placing the program’s .exe file in this folder, should you ever wish to force a program to start on boot)
To find the Startup Folder, you will need to go to the following location using the File Explorer.
To Access the startup folder for All Users go to:
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp
To Access the startup folder for a Specific User go to:
C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
Note: Don't forget to swap [Username] for your actual username.
Once you are in the startup folder, simply Delete the Adobe Auto Update file, then close the folder. If you don’t see Adobe Update Manager in the folder, don’t stress, it isn’t always located here. You can now move on to the final step.
Remove Adobe Auto Update Manager From the Windows Task Scheduler.
The final place to delete Adobe Auto Update Manager from is the Windows Task Scheduler, which is the location most Windows users forget to check. Luckily it’s also an easy process, so let’s begin.
Open the Start menu and type Task Scheduler, when it appears on the list, select it to launch it. Once it launches, click on Task Scheduler Library in the left pane to view all scheduled tasks. Now all you have to do is find Adobe Auto Update Manager, right-click on it and select Disable. The program will now be completely blocked from all startup processes.
Conclusion.
From this point on, you will have to check for updates manually but I don’t think that's going to be a problem as I suspect you’ve probably got the rest of Adobe blocked in the Windows hosts file. If you ever do decide to update any Adobe programs manually, the Task Scheduler 'task' will most likely set itself back to enabled, if this happens, simply repeat the disabling process.
