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J
jk95
Participant
November 6, 2019
Question

Will my Lightroom 6 serial number work on CC?

  • November 6, 2019
  • 2 replies
  • 872 views

I have just upgraded my macbook.

I have a copy of LR6 which works on my old macbook (running on Catalina!).

When I installed it on my new macbook (also running on Catalina) it didn't work.

After a few infuriating days in conversation with Adobe Customer Services (where, after being kept on hold regularly for up to 45 minutes and then passed over to different sales assistants only to wait 45 minutes again) I was told that LR6, both, would and wouldn't work on Catalina + that I would need, both,  a Subscription Plan and that my LR6 would continue to work as before.

As you can guess I'm none the wiser.

After downloading a recommended trial version of Lightroom CC I was told that I could use it for free as I had purchased LR6 and it was the same thing.

To cut a long story short, it didn't work - the serial mumber is already in use, says the message.

Then, I downloaded their recommended Subscription Plan of LR. It wasn't a version I recognised nor wanted. Cancelled it.

So, what I need to know is - Can I use the serial number from my LR6 on a copy of LR CC? Will it work? If so, how? 

Or, do I have to go the whole hog and get a Subscription Plan? 

 

Sincere apologies for the convoluted post.

I've had so much contradictory advice and blatant hard sell tacticts I'm totally exhausted with it all and am probably not making much sense (tonight's Adobe Sales conversation - 1 hour, 3 sales assistants with 3 totally different ideas of what my problem is. No solution or help offerred).

It also makes me want to give up on LR which I'm not keen to do as I really do love it.

 

Hoping someone can make sense of this. Because I surely can't.

 

John 

 

 

 

This topic has been closed for replies.

2 replies

Nancy OShea
Community Expert
Nancy OSheaCommunity Expert
Community Expert
November 6, 2019

I don't think you fully understood what John said.  CC apps do not use serial numbers at all.  Creative Cloud comes with Lightroom Classic which is comparable to legacy LR6 except it has more features and is activated with your Adobe ID and password.  It also syncs your collections to Adobe Portfolio which LR6 can't do.

 

If you really want to keep using legacy LR6, install it on a supporting OS on a 2nd computer, separate from your Creative Cloud machine.

 

 

 

 

 

Nancy O'Shea— Product User & Community Expert
J
jk95Author
Participant
November 6, 2019

Hi Nancy,

 

I think any confusion arose as a result of contradictory information from Adobe Customer Service Agents.

 

I have now bought into a subscription Plan.

 

Never really used PS before - only Elements. Steep learing curve ahead!

 

Thanks for the reply.

 

Best, 

 

John

John T Smith
Community Expert
John T SmithCommunity Expert
Community Expert
November 6, 2019

A cloud subscription does not require or use a serial number... after you buy the subscription, you log into your account and download the cloud manager to install the programs - Cloud Manager to install all programs https://www.adobe.com/ie/creativecloud/desktop-app.html

 

I don't have a Mac so I have no idea why LR6 will not install and activate with your serial number

    J
    jk95Author
    Participant
    November 6, 2019

    Thanks for the reply, John.

     

    I now understand the Subscription part!

     

    Before subscribing I'm going to try and check if my LR6 serial number will work on CC as I'm perfefctly happy with LR6. It does everything I need so I see no reason to upgrade...at the moment. 

     

    The Catalina operating system on my mac is the problem. Adobe are not going to update LR6 to accommodate this - almost forcing you onto a Subscription Plan (which I totally dissagree with).

    Strangely, LR6 works on my old mac, that runs on Catalina, which I've been led to believe it shouldn't.

     

    The Customer Service it so poor, convuluted, and tiring but I'll give it another go to try and get an answer to the serial number question before commiting to any kind of Subscription Plan.

     

    Thanks again for at least clearing up part of my issue.

     

    Best,

     

    John

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    T
    Test Screen Name
    Legend
    November 6, 2019

    Apple's plan for Catalina was to block all old apps and force everyone to brand new ones. They missed a few tricks: some old migrated apps kept working. But they can't ever be reinstalled. The signs are that Apple is adding extra checks, and is coming for your old apps, even the ones which kept running.

     

    You can blame Apple for this, but Adobe will be happy to sell all new products/subscriptions of course. When you upgrade macOS budget for all new apps, it's part of the Joy Of Mac.

     

    Unfortunately Adobe seem to have given you completely wrong info about your ability to use your old license with new software. For subscribers, yes. For everyone else, absolutely not. 

     

    If one good thing comes out of it (and you may not see anything good), you may be suitably careful with all new macOS upgrades. This sort of thing happens EVERY TIME, and Apple are only going to get more damaging, because they can, and because this boosts their profits.

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