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Participating Frequently
May 17, 2024
Question

Has anyone found a solution to CS5 access problem?

  • May 17, 2024
  • 5 replies
  • 5683 views

I am going round and round and round trying to find a way of using my legitimate copies of CS5 Dreamweaver and Photoshop that can no longer be verified.  I have read that the verification server has been removed by Adobe as they won't support the older products.  Fair enough, I don't need their support, I just need to use the old products that are adequate for my charity needs.  I see many questions on the subject but I am yet to read of a solution.  If no solution to this appears on my post, I will need to take it further.

    5 replies

    Nancy OShea
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    January 6, 2025

    YES.  Replace with supported products. 

    15-year-old CS5 is obsolete & way beyond it's "replace me" date.

     

    =============

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    Nancy O'Shea— Product User & Community Expert
    Participant
    January 1, 2025

    Same problem - clearly a breach of contract in my opinion - having paid for a perpetual (for ever) licence I believe Adobe  have a duty to either activate your/our products, in line with the promises made when purchased for, or replace FOC with something with similar capability.

    embejemiAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    January 1, 2025
    Well said. Sadly they say they won’t. Believe me I’ve tried everything, even paying £10 to send an ignored signed for letter to the chief exec. I won’t support Adobe in anything now. I think they are a disgusting and greedy company.
    Gwynne Burn
    Administrator/Instructor
    Derwenthaugh Training Centre
    Participating Frequently
    January 1, 2025

    I successfully deactivated CS5 on an old Win7 machine and activated on Win10 this-past summer. This is a browser issue. I have a post with steps above (please see that for more of a step-by-step) but synopsis:

    your default browser* must support tls 1.2, https://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/multi/eol-tls-support.html

    https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/update-to-enable-tls-1-1-and-tls-1-2-as-default-secure-protocols-in-winhttp-in-windows-c4bd73d2-31d7-761e-0178-11268bb10392


    to test your default browser's tls you can use , https://clienttest.ssllabs.com:8443/ssltest/viewMyClient.html

    your computer also needs to support openssl 1.0.1 or better. to check,

    mac: https://phoenixnap.com/kb/how-to-check-openssl-version
    win: https://www.techwalla.com/articles/how-to-find-the-openssl-version-number

    * not only do you need to change your default browser, you must enable your os to support tls 1.2, Microsoft offers a Windows update to enable TLS 1.2 for Windows 7.

    Participant
    December 1, 2024

    De1activation doesn't work either. I did that on my perfectly functioning old machine. It now displaysy the limit reached message. It now won't activate as well.

     

    This whole debacle is obviously a mechanism to force their software rental model.

    kglad
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    December 1, 2024

    for others, your os and default browser (when deactivating and activating) must meet adobe's security standards.  ie, they should both be up-to-date.  with deactivation that's especially problematic because you can deactivate you local installation and fail to register that with adobe's servers.  once that happens, there's no option but to retry activating on the same computer where you just deactivated (but with updated os and default browser).

     

    with activation, you can use offline activation and circumvent the security issues:

     

    Launch the product.
    At the Serial Number Validation screen, click Having Trouble Connecting To The Internet.
    Click Offline Activation and click Generate a Response Code.
    Write down the Request Code.
    Switch to an online computer and navigate to www.adobe.com/go/getactivated.
    Click Offline Activation.
    Sign in with your Adobe ID.
    Enter your Request code and click Generate.
    Write down the Response code.
    Switch back to the offline computer.
    Enter the Response Code and click Activate.

     

    https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-suite/kb/serial-number-validation-launching-cs6.html

    Participating Frequently
    July 31, 2024

    POSSIBLE FIX for WINDOWS 7 COMPUTERS ~ Worked for me with deactivating CS5 on TWO SEPARATE computers. A user on another thread gave a link to "End of Life to TLS 1 and 1.1". What I learned from that page is that (1) I needed to change my default browser to Chrome (didn't explicitly say that, but I summized); (2) update system to support TLS 1.2 protocol.  Don't try to do that on your own in internet settings; I spent some time on that, but Windows has an easy solution. Hope it works for y'all ... at least those of you who already haven't jumped ship!

    STEPS:
    Buried on that "End of Life" page (see image, url is there but only important is the link I've pasted below the pic) is a link that allows you to FIX windows 7 computers so they can successfully connect with the Adobe servers


    THIS is that link: *Microsoft offers a Windows update to enable TLS 1.2 for Windows 7.

    On that page, I followed these steps:
    Chrome default browser ... check!
    Skipped No. 1 of windows update

    Method 2: Microsoft Update Catalog

    To get the stand-alone package for this update, go to the Microsoft Update Catalog website.

    The page then explains that this download/update alone doesn't do the trick. There is some regedits (registry edits) that need to accompany BUT the page offers an "Easy Fix" which did the registry entries for me!!!

     

    After applying these "fixes" and restarting the machine, I was able to go into the Photoshop app of CS5 and deactivate.

    I am now having trouble installing my legacy product, not because of too many computers; my CS5 was an update (I've been a loyal Aldus/Adobe software consumer since 1990). I spent most of yesterday trying to install and sigh (raises white flag). I am likely going to move to AFFINITY and something else for web design because I am semi-retired and not going to give any more ca-ching to Adobe! 

    Peace on your path, friends ... Design beautifully, Kristi

    jane-e
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    May 17, 2024
    quote

    I am going round and round and round trying to find a way of using my legitimate copies of CS5 Dreamweaver and Photoshop that can no longer be verified. 

    By @embejemi

     

     

    You posted to Using the Community, which is for questions about the forums. I've moved your post to Photoshop for you.

     

    The activation server for CS5 has not been retired (yet).

    https://helpx.adobe.com/download-install/kb/activation-deactivation-help.html

     

    What is your OS and version?

     

    What have you already tried?

     

    Jane

     

    embejemiAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    May 17, 2024

     

    Thank you for moving the post, I do find using the Forum a bit difficult and hadn't realised I'd posted this incorrectly. Basically I am no longer able to use Dreamweaver and Photoshop CS5 because I get the error message I've pasted from a screenshot.  Frankly, I'm not.  So thank you for confirming that the activation server is still working and for sending me the links.  However I am again reading the same things giving the same advice that doesn't work.  An example of this is from this bit of help "If you uninstalled your app and are getting a message that you've exceeded your activation limit, try reinstalling the app on the old computer. "  I don't have the ruddy computer, it failed, has been scrapped, and replaced a year ago with the one at home that I'm getting the error message on.  As I was home recovering from an operation, I asked my colleague to deactivate both Photoshop and Dreamweaver on the computer I use at the Centre where I volunteer.  He did so.  Now I can't use the software on either computers, getting the same error message.  I took the products off my new computer (the computer had to be restored to factory settings before I could do this) and now trying to put this back on I get the run-time error - I followed advice to remove an offending file, but the file isn't there (sorry, I can't remember now what the filename was).  Basically, as my post says, I am going round and round and round trying to find a way of using my legitmately bought, and legitmately used, CS5 products.  Thankfully I no longer need Flash, which was also purchased at the same time.

    What I need to know is how do I get past the message that tells me (wrongly) that I am using CS5 on more than two computers.

    How do I get past the run-time error that I now get trying to reinstall CS5 on my home computer.

     

    D Fosse
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    May 17, 2024

    This is activation counts. Two are allowed, any third activation requires that you deactivate one of the previous activations. Which you apparently haven't done.

     

    Unfortunately, resetting activation counts through customer service is no longer possible. This is a new policy.