Frequently Asked Questions about Adobe

Introduction

Adobe has a collection of software for designs, editing, web development, and etc. Creative Cloud is a giant hub of all the information stored on Adobe that can use the data interchangeably throughout the Adobe software.

The most used application is Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Reader since they work with Portable Document Format (PDF) files.

KBA Objective:

Provides basic information on Adobe Creative Cloud, Acrobat and Terminal Server
Provides instructions on requesting for Adobe Acrobat Professional
Provides instructions on purchasing Adobe Creative Cloud without need for support

Applicability

Target Audience:

Anyone associated with the University of Alberta needing to install Adobe Create Cloud for themselves or a client on a University-tagged workstation
IST analysts see internal notes for access instructions

Prerequisites:

For purchases, supervisor / departmental approver needs to approve purchase / speed code

Non-applicable:

Refer to KBA – Remote directly into desktops or Terminal Server for instructions
Please contact IST by calling 780-492-8000 or by portal: https://universityofalberta.freshservice.com/support/home

Procedure

Basic Information

Define Adobe Creative Cloud
Define Adobe Acrobat
Define Terminal Server

Standard Process

1.0 Login/Register into Adobe
1.1 Set Adobe as the Default PDF application
1.2 Set Chrome to download PDFs for Adobe
1.3 Uninstall old Adobe software
2.0 Purchase Adobe Creative Cloud
2.1 Download Adobe Creative Cloud apps
3.0 Adobe Acrobat in Terminal Server

Troubleshooting Tips

Frequent Questions

Appendix

Basic Information

Define Adobe Creative Cloud

Adobe Creative Cloud is a software as a service (SaaS) offering from Adobe Systems that gives users access to a collection of software for graphic design, video editing, web development, photography, and cloud services.

Refer to web – Wikipedia for Adobe Creative Cloud for more details
Refer to web – Wikipedia on Adobe Systems for more details
Refer to web – Wikipedia for SaaS for more details

In Creative Cloud, a monthly or annual subscription service is delivered over the Internet. Creative Cloud is downloaded from the Internet, installed directly on a local PC and used as long as the subscription remains valid. Online updates and multiple languages are included in the Creative Cloud subscription.

Note that Creative Cloud should not be installed locally as it circumvents our licensing agreement with Adobe.

The Creative Cloud is offered on the ualberta OnTheHub, and it lists all of the tools that are included in the Cloud package:

Refer to ualberta – OnTheHub Creative Cloud package for membership details

Define Adobe Acrobat

Adobe Acrobat Professional is an application provided by Adobe that enables users to create, edit and sign PDFs with multiple tools that aids with daily PDF tasks for higher productivity.

Adobe Reader does enable users to sign open PDFs and fill out PDF forms but it is a free software that provides limited options compared to Adobe Acrobat Pro.

However, if users only need to view PDFs and fill out the forms, Adobe Reader should be more than sufficient

In terms of access, different departments may acquire Adobe Acrobat differently, so it is best to check with coworkers/supervisors if you require the whole Adobe Creative Cloud or you only need Adobe Acrobat Professional, along with any licenses available.

Regarding Adobe Acrobat Professional 2020 - As of late May 2025, IST is currently investigating options due to changes in the Adobe licensing model. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Define Terminal Server

The UofA Terminal Server (TS) is an excellent resource for working remotely and provides access to shared drives and the standard applications available on a U of A office computer.

Refer to KBA – Remote directly into desktops or Terminal Server for more information/instructions on TS.

Currently, UofA only provides TS to computers that are connected to the central STS domain. There are faculties outside of the central domain that cannot connect to the standard UofA network (e.g. Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry FOMD, or Botanical Gardens, etc.)

Refer to KBA - Confirming if your computer is part of the Central Domain, if you want to check if you have access to TS

TS does not provide access to Adobe Acrobat 2020 by default so you are unable to edit PDFs on the TS. This article provides instructions for accessing to Adobe Acrobat 2020 on the TS.

Standard Process

1.0 Login/Register into Adobe

These instructions describe how to sign in or register into Adobe with your UofA account. Since the UofA uses Google to set up accounts, there is no “registration” step required since the registration will happen automatically when you first sign in.

Click Sign In at the top right

Click Continue with Google

You should be redirected to the previous page and continue

1.1 Set Adobe as the Default PDF application

Click on the Start menu and start typing Default Programs

Click on Default Programs or Default app settings in the list

On the right side of the window, scroll down until you can click on Choose default apps by file type

On the right, locate the hidden scroll bar and scroll down until you see .pdf in the very left column

To the right of .pdf, click on application shown on the right

In this example it is Google Chrome but it can show any application

From the drop-down list select Adobe Acrobat 2020 or Adobe Acrobat Reader (it depends on your access level)

If you are trying to set Adobe Acrobat 2020 as your default, but it does not show up (icon in black), then follow the instructions mentioned in Adobe Acrobat in Terminal Server or Purchase Adobe

You can now close the Settings window

You have successfully set the default application to an Adobe application.

1.2 Set Chrome to download PDFs for Adobe

In order to fill out forms or edit PDFs through Adobe, clients will need to download the PDFs after clicking on the links. The Google Chrome settings can be modified to download PDFs automatically:

In Google Chrome, click on the 3 dots at the top right of Chrome
Click on Settings
Click on Privacy and security in the left tab, then click on Site Settings

Click on Additional content settings after scrolling down

As the settings expand, click on PDF documents

Turn on the Download PDF files instead of automatically opening them in Chrome to download the PDFs

If you turn off the download option, Chrome will continue to open PDFs in a new tab after clicking on a PDF link.

1.3 Uninstall old Adobe software

It is recommended that you remove all previous versions of Adobe Creative Cloud from your machines using the Adobe CC Cleaner tool.

Go to the Adobe website for the CC Cleaner tool: https://helpx.adobe.com/ca/creative-cloud/kb/cc-cleaner-tool-installation-problems.html
Click on Continue to Canada

Start reading the instructions from the Important first steps section

Adobe’s official instructions will apply to any personal/UofA computer

2.0 Purchase Adobe Creative Cloud

Adobe Creative Cloud is purchased directly from Adobe.

The University of Alberta no longer handles licensing for Adobe Creative software beyond Acrobat Professional.

You may follow the links through OnTheHub to purchase the discounted Adobe Creative Cloud Student & Teacher Edition.

Go to the UofA OnTheHub website: https://ualberta.onthehub.com/
Sign in with your @ualberta email

You will need an OnTheHub account to always purchase equipment
Refer to KBA – Purchasing Software through OnTheHub at the Register section for instructions on creating an OnTheHub account

After signing in, click on Faculty/Staff Home Use tab
Browse for Adobe Creative Cloud in the Search box and type Enter

The first item should show the discounted Adobe Creative Cloud and its price, click Get it now

You will be redirected to the Adobe official website. If there is a welcome window, click on Continue to Canada.

Click Buy now
Fill out the form as follows:
1. Enter your @ualberta email address
2. Click on the checkbox for Please don’t contact me via email
3. Change the Commitment plan to the payment method you prefer

Click Continue to payment
Fill out the payment information and click Continue to verification
After payment and verification are finished, you should receive an email from Adobe saying that your account is created

You have successfully purchased Adobe Creative Cloud. Follow the next steps to download the Adobe applications.

2.1 Download Adobe Creative Cloud apps

After you have purchased Adobe, you can sign in to Adobe and download the application of your choice. The instructions are as follows:

Go to the Adobe website: https://www.adobe.com/ca/
Sign in to Adobe as mentioned in Section 1.1
A list of all the applications will show up and you can click Download/Install on whichever application you prefer

This screenshot list is just an example; it may not be accurate because it varies with account packages

After downloading, following the default instructions on Windows/macOS and you should be successfully able to install the applications

Refer to web – Adobe Download Creative Cloud apps for more instructions on installation

Refer to web – Manage Creative Cloud desktop apps for other options in Creative Cloud

3.0 Adobe Acrobat in Terminal Server

Regarding Adobe Acrobat Professional 2020 - As of late May 2025, IST is currently investigating options due to changes in the Adobe licensing model. We apologize for any inconvenience.

There are prerequisites for using a single Adobe Acrobat license through Terminal Server:

You need to be on the central domain to access the terminal server. Details are mentioned in Define Terminal Server section
You must have a license for Adobe Acrobat 2020, no other versions of Acrobat are supported
Your individual Adobe Acrobat 2020 license lets you install Acrobat on more than one computer and activate (sign in) on up to two computers
However, you can use Acrobat on only one computer at a time

Obtain a valid license/receipt for Adobe Acrobat 2020 either through an Authorized Approver, your supervisor, or through purchasing

All purchases are approved by the speed code owner or departmental approver

Please contact IST by calling 780-492-8000 or via the portal at https://universityofalberta.freshservice.com/support/home for the following: “Access to Adobe Acrobat 2020 through Terminal Server. I can provide proof of a valid Adobe Acrobat 2020 license.”
After IST confirms that you have access, log into Terminal Server

Refer to KBA – Remote directly into desktops or Terminal Server for instructions on logging in
If you are currently signed into Terminal server already, sign out and back in again

In Terminal Server, click the Start icon and scroll through the list of applications for Adobe Acrobat 2020

The first time you open it you will be asked to accept the licensing agreement, click Accept

You have successfully accessed Adobe Acrobat on the Terminal Server.

Troubleshooting Tips

Frequent Questions

Q: My files (especially pdf) used to open with Adobe but it now opens with Chrome or a web browser:

Cause: Either Adobe is not your default pdf reader or clicking on a pdf in Chrome will not download the pdf

Follow instructions mentioned in Section 1.1 for default pdf reader
Follow instructions mentioned in Section 1.2 for downloading pdf in Chrome

Q: I have an error message after opening a pdf file on the Terminal Server (TS)

Error: "Windows cannot access the specified device, path, or file. You may not have the appropriate permissions to access the item."
Solution: Follow instructions mentioned in Section 1.1 for default pdf reader

Q: I had the free version of Adobe Creative Cloud on their computer and due to circumstances, their hard drive has been wiped/replaced. Can I get Adobe CC back for free?

No
All installations must be done via the Adobe Creative Cloud application. Licenses of older software versions have expired and no longer valid.
Please be advised: Analysts should NOT be installing Adobe Creative Cloud from external hard drives any longer. This circumvents our licensing agreement with Adobe.

Q: I previously had the Adobe Acrobat application on the computer, which has been replaced/wiped. Can I get access back?

Depending on how your department handles Adobe Acrobat, your department may already have the license to it without purchasing (e.g., either through Terminal Server (TS) or local installation)
Inquire your departmental approver / supervisor if the department has a pre-purchased license
After inquiring, contact IST by calling 780-492-8000 or by portal: https://universityofalberta.freshservice.com/support/home for TS access or local installation

Q: I have a lab with multiple computers and do not want to create a separate Adobe account for every single one. What do I do?

Adobe Creative Cloud may be purchased as a Device License.
This allows the installation to be tied with a computer workstation, rather than a user account.
Refer to web – Creative Cloud Education for more information
After determining if this is the best option, contact IST by calling 780-492-8000 or by portal: https://universityofalberta.freshservice.com/support/home

Appendix

Additional Considerations (Notes)

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