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February 15, 2024
Answered

Why is Adobe treating After Effects running in Windows via Parallels on Mac as a separate device?

  • February 15, 2024
  • 1 reply
  • 334 views
Hi,
 
Prior to setting up Parallels I installed AE on Mac Ventura. All is well. I installed AE on Windows 10. All is well. Those are my two devices.
 
Then I set up Parallels on Mac (same Mac mentioned above) and am running Windows 10 via Parallels.
 
When I try to run AE on Windows via Parallels I get this message: "You've reached your device activation limit. Sign out of one of the devices."
 
It lists devices as
 
This device - not activated
 
Desktop-RLXXXX - last launched 2 hours ago
 
iMac - last launched hour ago
 
I guess Windows when running via Parallels on Mac presents itself as yet another device/license? Any workaround? Any way for AE when running Windows on Parallels to use same license as AE when normally running on Windows (that is, when booted separately to Windows)?
Correct answer thepixelsmith

No. While they are on the same computer, since one is a Mac and the other a windows they would count as two separate activations.

My company runs this way we end up having to log in/out a lot

1 reply

thepixelsmith
Community Expert
thepixelsmithCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
May 24, 2025

No. While they are on the same computer, since one is a Mac and the other a windows they would count as two separate activations.

My company runs this way we end up having to log in/out a lot