Activation error: "Activation limit has been reached."

​@jurgenvw72 thanks for posting and your long-term use of Adobe software. Please see 

 for details on how manage any remaining activations for Creative Suite 5.5 in 2026.

If you don’t have access to a previous installation of the software, to complete the deactivation of Creative Suite 5.5, then you will need to find a new solution for your creative needs. 

As mentioned by Kglad, even if you do have access to a previous installation, the computer will also need to be modern and up to date enough to contact Adobe servers to send the deactivation request. This can be problematic since most computers that are still running Creative Suite 6 and earlier, often don’t have the latest operating system updates installed to allow contact with our servers.

the activation (and deactivation) servers have not been shut down for cs5.5.  however, the only way to recover an activation is to use a computer that has a current activation and deactivate it.  and that’s tricky, at best.  in your situation, it’s impossible.

ie, no, there is no legal installer that circumvents activation.

The activation message you see does not say the servers have been shut down… it means you have used both activations… and since your computer crashed and you could not DE-activate there is nothing anyone can do to help