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Need help to resintall PHOTOSHOP CS 5 on new computer as serial number is not allowing me and it is not assigned to my account so I am unable to deactive on one computer and take it to my new computer. Any advice?

Forum|Forum|23 days ago
September 13, 2026
9 replies
93 views

i have a serial number supplied in 2020 to me for my cs5 and I am unable to download as I moved to a new computer as the old computer died. How do I access?

Correct answer Jeff_A_Wright

Thank you for posting, @smart_dynamism48a6, and thanks to @kglad, @John T Smith, @leo.r, and @Peru Bob for their input so far.

I reviewed the account details available to us and was unable to locate any registered Adobe software titles associated with the Adobe ID currently in use. Based on that, it appears you may be signed in with a different Adobe account than the one that was originally used to register Photoshop CS5.

Adobe automatically registered perpetual-license serial numbers to the purchasing account, so if you can locate and sign in with the correct Adobe ID, you should be able to view the registered product and access any available installation files associated with that account.

Once you've identified the correct Adobe account, please review the following document for information on downloading older perpetual-license products:

https://community.adobe.com/announcements-616/download-non-subscription-adobe-software-554002

I understand how frustrating this is, especially when you're trying to move to a new computer after your previous system failed. Hopefully, locating the original Adobe account will help you recover access to the registration information you need.

Please update this public discussion thread if you have any additional questions, @smart_dynamism48a6.

Nancy OShea

Community Expert

You’ll need new software for your new machine. CS5 was built for old machines & systems that no longer exist.

Post back if you need replacement options.

Nancy O'Shea— Product User & Community Expert

Jeff_A_Wright

Correct answer

Community Manager

Thank you for posting, @smart_dynamism48a6, and thanks to @kglad, @John T Smith, @leo.r, and @Peru Bob for their input so far.

I reviewed the account details available to us and was unable to locate any registered Adobe software titles associated with the Adobe ID currently in use. Based on that, it appears you may be signed in with a different Adobe account than the one that was originally used to register Photoshop CS5.

Adobe automatically registered perpetual-license serial numbers to the purchasing account, so if you can locate and sign in with the correct Adobe ID, you should be able to view the registered product and access any available installation files associated with that account.

Once you've identified the correct Adobe account, please review the following document for information on downloading older perpetual-license products:

https://community.adobe.com/announcements-616/download-non-subscription-adobe-software-554002

I understand how frustrating this is, especially when you're trying to move to a new computer after your previous system failed. Hopefully, locating the original Adobe account will help you recover access to the registration information you need.

Please update this public discussion thread if you have any additional questions, @smart_dynamism48a6.

leo.r

Community Expert

In addition to all other advice:

Be prepared that even if your efforts to transfer the license and register it on your account succeed, you might not be able to activate it anyway. The CS5 activation servers still do exist but are not maintained, and successful activations can only occur if a combination of some particular factors happens to line up favorably for you.

John T Smith

Community Expert

>i have a serial number supplied in 2020 to me for my cs5

>I am unable to register to my account as it already states that it is registered to someone else.

Did you buy from Adobe, or did you buy a used copy from someone else?

If you bought from someone else and did not do a license transfer you can’t use that serial number

Log in to your Adobe account and click this link https://account.adobe.com/products

What you bought from Adobe and registered on your account will show there

kglad

Community Expert

register your serial number to your account.

S

smart_dynamism48a6Author

Participant

I am unable to register to my account as it already states that it is registered to someone else. I have contacted customer service who directed me here as they no longer support CS5 but will not give me my license serial number back to me. So essentially they hold my serial number hostage

Peru Bob

Community Expert

@smart_dynamism48a6

Did you purchase it directly from Adobe?

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