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John R Dowell
Participating Frequently
October 28, 2020
Question

Lack of support

  • October 28, 2020
  • 5 replies
  • 744 views

I’ve been a Photoshop user for over 30 years, with few problems, and have kept loyal to it since I retired, despite photographer friends telling me they were using better, and certainly cheaper, programmes.

 
I decided to trial Acrobat pro yesterday but, having filled in all the account details I found that the programme wouldn’t download, so I cancelled the new Acrobat account. I then found that Photoshop wouldn’t open. 
 
I contacted support, who tried a few things then said they were passing me onto a technical person. Three hours later the technical person appeared. By that time I’d given up waiting and gone to bed. 
 
I received an email this morning and contacted support again. Their specialist, Piyush tried a few things then asked to take over control of my computer. He/she deleted all my Adobe programme files, opened another OS account and then said the problem was caused by my antivirus software and asked me to uninstall it and then I would be able to download the Adobe software again. 
 
I did that but I then discovered that I still couldn’t download the programmes as I needed to upgrade my operating system because the latest versions of Photoshop etc didn’t work with Sierra. It seems obvious that this was the problem, not the anti-virus software all along and Piyush hadn’t checked what OS I was using.
 
Last time I upgraded the OS (again because of Photoshop) it cost me a fortune as other programmes, particularly Quark Xpress, no longer worked so I had to upgrade them. As I’m now retired and only use these programmes as a hobby, I can’t afford to keep paying extra sums on top of the £9.98 per month. So, I am reluctant to upgrade from Sierra in case it costs me another fortune.
 
I also tried contacting support again and asked whether it was possible to download an earlier version of Bridge. The virtual assistant said it would connect me with a specialist as soon as possible. That was well over two hours ago and I’m still waiting.
 
If they're so busy that they can't deal with their customers in reasonable time it suggests that either they haven't got enough representatives or their software is not fit for purpose if it needs so much support.
 
The version of Photoshop and Bridge – CC 2019 – that I was using worked perfectly well for my needs, but if I am unable to replace them (as Piyush deleted all the files) I will obviously have to cancel my subscription to the Adobe Photography plan.
 
Any suggestions?
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    5 replies

    ProDesignTools
    Community Expert
    ProDesignToolsCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    November 1, 2020

    The version of Photoshop and Bridge – CC 2019 – that I was using worked perfectly well for my needs, but if I am unable to replace them (as Piyush deleted all the files) I will obviously have to cancel my subscription to the Adobe Photography plan.

     

    Any suggestions?

     

    Hey John, sorry for your frustration! All of the 2019 standalone installers can be found here:

     

    Adobe CC 2019 Direct Download Links: Creative Cloud 2019 Release

     

    So long as your system and connection can validate your paid subscription, those installers should work to restore your working 2019 release.

     

    (But note that anything older than the most recent two major versions is typically unsupported by Adobe.)

     

    Peru Bob
    Community Expert
    Peru BobCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    October 30, 2020

    I realize that this doesn't help you now, but I suggest that you make disk images on a regular basis and/or before installing new programs.  This would allow you to restore the disk in case something goes sour.

     

    I'm on Windows and do that. I know it can also be done on Mac. I also keep a log of when I update and install applications so that I know which image to restore if necessary.

      Nancy OShea
      Community Expert
      Nancy OSheaCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      October 28, 2020

      Well John, you're at a crossroads. 

       

      Apple's latest OS is Big Sur.  Last year it was Catalina and previous to that it was Mojave, High Sierra and Sierra respectively.  So your set-up is already 4 versions behind which is a tenuous place to be for security reasons.  Apple expects their customers to have current equipment and current software, expensive though it may be. 

       

      Don't get me wrong, I like Apple products. But you get a lot more bang for your buck on a PC.  I've been using Win10 since it released 5 years ago and despite all the updates, it still supports older software as well as the latest and greatest Creative Cloud products. So I'll let you connect the dots.

       

      Nancy O'Shea— Product User & Community Expert
      J
      John R DowellAuthor
      Participating Frequently
      October 30, 2020

      They say it's necessary to upgrade because of security. But isn't it really that if people don't upgrade Apple don't make so much money!

      It's bad enough that I have to keep paying £9.98 per month for facilities I use probably less than 5% of.

      I've been a dedicated Apple user for more than 30 years and always upgraded while I was earning a living from it. Now that I'm retired it's just a hobby and I can't afford to keep adding to Apple/Adobe/Quark etc profits.

      J
      John R DowellAuthor
      Participating Frequently
      November 2, 2020

      i don't think you should count on adobe agents returning to you.  you should follow the posted suggestions in my previous message.


      Thanks. I’m away from my computer for a few days at the moment but I will try your suggestions when I get back

      Sent from my iPhone
      Peru Bob
      Community Expert
      Peru BobCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      October 28, 2020

      Can you try Time Machine to get back the 2019 versions?

      J
      John R DowellAuthor
      Participating Frequently
      October 30, 2020

      Thanks – tried that but still got the same error message when I opened the programme:

      We can’t verify your subscription status.

      We can’t reach the Adobe servers. This may be because you’re not connected to the internet. Check your connection and try again below. If you’re still having issues, please see our connectivity troubleshooting guide.
      kglad
      Community Expert
      kgladCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      October 28, 2020

      you can download the current version on one prior version of adobe software using the cc desktop app.

       

      if that's what you want, and you have no adobe programs on your computer, you should probably run the cleaner* to give yourself the best change at successfully reinstalling the cc app and programs.

       

      *

      clean your computer of cc files per http://www.adobe.com/support/contact/cscleanertool.html

      restart your computer (don't skip this)

      reinstall the cc desktop app, https://creative.adobe.com/products/creative-cloud.

      if you're unable to install the cc desktop app at this stage, use an administrator account (solution 4 here, https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/kb/creative-cloud-missing-damaged.html)

      use the desktop app to install your cc programs/trials

      J
      John R DowellAuthor
      Participating Frequently
      October 30, 2020

      Thanks – Eventually I got through to another agent and he tried all that but still got the same error message:

      We can’t verify your subscription status.

      We can’t reach the Adobe servers. This may be because you’re not connected to the internet. Check your connection and try again below. If you’re still having issues, please see our connectivity troubleshooting guide.
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