Cannot Activate CS3

Recently, I had to recover my iMac from a Time Machine backup and a hard drive replacement (my old drive flaked out—see how I repaired my hard drive here (video included!)).

Upon trying to open any Adobe Creative Suite 3 app (I use Photoshop and Illustrator daily...), I got the following error window:

I was taken to this Adobe Support page, which suggests a variety of options for fixing the problem—all of which didn't work for me. <Removed by Moderator>

The solution, it turns out, was for me to simply delete the entire folder "FLEXNet Publisher" folder at the following location: /[startup disk]/Library/Preferences/FLEXnet Publisher.

After I deleted that folder, I opened Adobe Illustrator, and it took me through the activation process (it had save my license key, so all I had to do was click 'Next' until the app was working again).

Source : <Removed by Moderator>

Referring to an earlier reply, the CS3 specs are "

• Mac OS X v10.4.11–10.5.4"

I do not recommend you upgrade further if you want to run this ancient software as Adobe intended and once supported it.

Migrating software with Time Machine never works as expected.  I don't know why Apple techs endorsee this method.

#1 You'll need to wipe out all the old CS3 files from your hard drive.  The most efficient way is with the Adobe Cleaner tool.  Use this link.

Use the Creative Cloud Cleaner Tool to solve installation problems

#2 Remove the old CS3  Adobe  PCD folder.  See link below for details.

Resolve "temporary activation expired" error for CS3 and Acrobat 8

#3  Install CS3 with new installer and give the new serial number.

#4 When asked to regisiter this product, hit NEVER.  The registration servers are gone.

#5 Restart computer.

CS6 and earlier programs HAVE NOT BEEN TESTED AND WILL NOT BE UPDATED for Mac El Capitan or newer operating systems

-which means that you try to use CS6 and earlier at YOUR risk of having problems due to Apple updates

-this is about CS6 (which is from 2012) but it will probably apply to other programs of that age

-Apple did not maintain backward compatibility with old programs in El Capitan or newer operating systems

--Adobe has a workaround to Apple's problem of not maintaining backward compatibility

--READ HERE https://forums.adobe.com/thread/2301916 for an Adobe solution to installing old programs, including a link to installing the old Java runtime that is required

But the system requirements for the "new" CS3 is beyond the capabilities of my Mac Pro.  My Mac Pro has 64 bit but the MacOS is El Capitan which is inadequate for the "new" CS3.

Can I ask how you get the impression that the system requirements for the "new" CS3 are beyond the capabilities of your Mac Pro?

The system requirements for the non-activation version of CS3 (the "new" CS3) are exactly the same as the version you had previously. The program code is identical. Only the licensing model has changed. The "new" version no longer needs activating.

CS3 is officially supported on Mac OS X v10.4.8-10.5 (Leopard)

Older versions of Photoshop system requirements

However, you should be able to install it on El Capitan OS X v10.11 which is more than capable of running CS3. If it installed before, it should install now.

you need an old os.

if you have an incompatible os, you need to use a compatible one either on the same computer (with parallels or something like it) or use a different computers.