Adobe Creative Cloud: Shared Device Activation


To activate Adobe software on shared, non-dedicated devices, please use the following directions. This method is supported on on-campus, DePaul-owned devices.

One common example of a use case for this activation method is student employees requiring Adobe software for their work. In this article, this particular scenario is referred to, but other shared-device contexts may be appropriate for this solution too.

The steps are based on whether the DePaul-owned computer is a Windows machine or a Mac machine; please head to the appropriate area for the correct instructions. At the end of this article is an FAQ with answers to common questions.

IMPORTANT NOTE: All programs the student employee will/might use must be installed before the licensing tool is run.

Windows

  1. A faculty or staff member with administrative rights on this specific computer must request access for the student employee by creating an incident. To submit an incident, visit DePaul's Service Now portal and select "Get Help." In the description, please explain that you need to configure a DePaul computer for student employee Adobe access, confirm that you have administrative rights on the computer, and include the computer's Service Tag (Dell) or Serial Number (Apple).
  2. After receiving the incident, Information Services will assign the administrative computer to the correct group to allow this special access, and will notify you when it is time to proceed.
  3. The faculty or staff member requesting access must now install the Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop app if it is not already installed. Before installing the Adobe Creative Cloud app please make sure the computer has been online for at least an hour.
    1. The faculty or staff with administrative rights must log into the computer that the student employee will be using.
    2. To download the Creative Cloud installer, go to Adobe’s website.
    3. Launch the Installer
      1. If prompted to sign in, the faculty or staff member should use their CampusConnectUsername@depaul.edu and choose "Company or School account" when prompted.
      2. The faculty or staff member will be redirected to the DePaul login page and should sign in with their Campus Connect username and password.
    4. Once the Adobe Creative Cloud app is installed, it will auto-launch.
      1. The Creative Cloud application lists available Adobe applications that can be installed. Any applications that the student employee needs access to must be installed now; the student employee cannot install additional applications after the fact.
      2. Once the required applications are installed, the faculty or staff member can sign out of the Adobe Creative Cloud desktop app by clicking the icon at the top-right and selecting Sign Out.
  4. The faculty or staff member with administrative rights needs to log into the computer and then to open the app “Software Center”.
    1. Open the Start menu, search/find the app “Software Center,” and open it.
  5. Once “Software Center” is open, click on “Adobe Creative Cloud for Student Employees.”
  6. Click on “Install."
  7. If the student employee will be accessing this administrative computer remotely, follow the KB for setting this up: Remote Desktop for Windows: On-Campus Setup
  8. When the Software Center installation is complete, the faculty or staff member can log out of the administrative computer.
  9. Please jump down to the "Student Employees -- Logging In/Using the Creative Cloud" section of this article. This contains the next steps the student employee will need to take.

Mac

  1. A faculty or staff member with administrative rights on this specific computer must request access for the student employee by creating an incident. To submit an incident, visit DePaul's Service Now portal and select "Get Help." In the description, please explain that you need to configure a DePaul computer for student employee Adobe access, confirm that you have administrative rights on the computer, and include the computer's Service Tag (Dell) or Serial Number (Apple).
  2. After receiving the incident, Information Services will assign the administrative computer to the correct group to allow this special access, and will notify you when it is time to proceed.
  3. The faculty or staff member requesting access must now install the Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop app if it is not already installed. Before installing the Adobe Creative Cloud app please make sure the computer has been online for at least an hour.
    1. The faculty or staff with administrative rights must log into the computer that the student employee will be using.
    2. To download the Creative Cloud installer, go to Adobe’s website.
    3. Launch the Installer
      1. If prompted to sign in, the faculty or staff member should use their CampusConnectUsername@depaul.edu and choose "Company or School account" when prompted.
      2. The faculty or staff member will be redirected to the DePaul login page and should sign in with their Campus Connect username and password.
    4. Once the Adobe Creative Cloud app is installed, it will auto-launch.
      1. The Creative Cloud application lists available Adobe applications that can be installed. Any applications that the student employee needs access to must be installed now; the student employee cannot install additional applications after the fact.
      2. Once the required applications are installed, the faculty or staff member can sign out of the Adobe Creative Cloud desktop app by clicking the icon at the top-right and selecting Sign Out.
  4. The faculty or staff member with administrative rights needs to log into the computer and then to open the app "Self Service".
    1. Open a Finder window, select "Applications," and open "Self Service".
  5. Once "Self Service" is open, click on "Adobe Creative Cloud for Student Employees."
  6. Click on "Install."
  7. If the student employee will be accessing this administrative computer remotely, follow the KB for setting this up: Remote Desktop for Mac: On-Campus Setup
  8. When the Self Service installation is complete, the faculty or staff member can log out of the administrative computer.
  9. Please jump down to the "Student Employees -- Logging In/Using the Creative Cloud" section of this article. This contains the next steps the student employee will need to take.

 

Student Employees - Logging In/Using the Creative Cloud

Note: Student employees must use a personal Adobe ID to log into Adobe, one that is not affiliated with an @depaul.edu email address. This includes students who are currently enrolled in a class granting access to the Adobe Creative Cloud.

  1. The student employee can now log into the administrative computer and then open the Adobe Creative Cloud app. Note: student employees should not open any individual Adobe application to log into; the Adobe Creative Cloud app should be the first thing launched and logged into.
    1. The Adobe Creative Cloud app should launch shortly after logging into the computer. If it does not, open the Start Menu (Windows) or Finder/Applications window (Mac) and launch it.
  2. If the student employee does not have a personal Adobe account (with a non @depaul.edu email address), they need to create one. If the student employee has previously created an Adobe account not affiliated with their @depaul.edu email address, they should skip this step and go to step 3.
    1. The student employee should click on the link for Create an Account on the Adobe Creative Cloud app and follow the steps to create an Adobe account. The student employee can also navigate to Create an Adobe ID and follow the steps.
  3. Once the student employee has a personal Adobe account, they should log into the Adobe Creative Cloud application with this personal Adobe account. When prompted for what kind of account it is, the student employee should select "Personal."
  4. Once the student employee is logged into the Adobe Creative Cloud application, they can then launch the required Adobe app from the Start Menu (Windows) or the Finder/Applications window (Mac).
    1. Reminder: the student employee should sign into the Adobe Creative Cloud app first, which can be launched from the Start Menu (Windows) or the Finder/Applications window (Mac). The student employee should not log directly into any Adobe app.

FAQ

Q: Do student employees get access to the Adobe Creative Cloud by default and/or because they are student employees?

A: No, not individually. However, if a DePaul-owned shared computer is set up as an Adobe Shared Device, per the instructions found here, the student employees who use this device can utilize the Adobe Creative Cloud. Please note that student employees cannot be granted access to Adobe CC on their personal computer.

Q: I am being asked to log into Adobe Acrobat/Photoshop/Illustrator/etc. when I open the Acrobat/Photoshop/Illustrator/etc. application. What should I do?

A: Close out Adobe Acrobat or the program in question and open Adobe Creative Cloud. Log in first to the Adobe Creative Cloud. Once the Adobe Creative Cloud is logged into, you should be able to open Adobe Acrobat or the program in question without problem. Do not log into the individual applications themselves.

Q: I have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on my computer and cannot edit files. What should I do?

A: Adobe Acrobat Reader is the free version of Adobe Acrobat but is missing most of the major functions beyond being able to open PDFs. Please install the full version of Acrobat from Adobe Creative Cloud to be able to use the full version.

Q: The user is a student currently enrolled in an Adobe-enabled class. The student is also a student employee. What account should the student employee use to access Adobe on a shared workstation set up with Adobe Creative Cloud shared device activation?

A: The student employee should use a personal, non-DePaul associated Adobe account that uses a personal email address to log into the Adobe Creative Cloud on a shared workstation for their job. When they log into the Adobe Creative Cloud on the work machine, they should select "Personal" account as they are logging into their personal Adobe account.

Q: Do I need to create a separate, personal Adobe account as a student employee to access Adobe Creative Cloud through this shared licensing tool?

A: Yes. The student employee should set up a personal Adobe account using a personal email address, not a DePaul email address. This is because of licensing conflicts that can occur within the system if the student employee either tries to use a DePaul email address or has set up a personal Adobe account using a DePaul email address. When they log into the Adobe Creative Cloud on the work machine, they should select "Personal" account as they are logging into their personal Adobe account.


Q: Can I add applications after I install the shared licensing tool?

A: Please install all needed applications prior to running the shared licensing tool.

 

Q: I was logged into the Adobe Creative Cloud while the tool was being run and I am now seeing an error when I try to open the Adobe Creative Cloud. What do I do?

A: Log out of the Adobe Creative Cloud, reboot the computer, then log back into the Adobe Creative Cloud.