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Participant
October 2, 2025
Question

Photoshop not working after update to Windows 11

  • October 2, 2025
  • 1 reply
  • 453 views

I have a perpetual licence version of Photoshop. All has been fine on my current PC for the last 5 years - no issues at all. Yesterday I completed the update from Windows 10 to 11. Everything (all other software, apps etc) on my PC works as before - except Photoshop. It now says I have exceeded my licence limit, and to continue I need to deactivate on another computer. I only have it on one other computer - so obviously still within the 2 allowed usage. I spoke with Adobe support who told me to deactivate it on the other (still working fine) computer....and then try my now Windows 11 PC. Still no good, and now it will not reactivate on other computer either. So I have gone from 2 working versions to none. Support told me they had to 'go away and consult on this'. They emailed me back several hours later and aksed me to call them. Long story short, they now say it's not their problem and all support for my licence was ended a couple of years ago. Ok, that's fine - happy to have no support....but if Adobe aren't interested in it, don't interfere  and effectively kill it, whihc is what has now happened. Not sure they understand what 'perpetual' actually means. Obviously, I'm not too happy - but beyond venting, if anyone does have any insight or advice on how I can get 1, or hopefully both versions back up and running please let me know.

1 reply

Ged_Traynor
Community Expert
Community Expert
October 2, 2025

@Ian_Nisbett5487 you didn't mention what version you're referring too

https://helpx.adobe.com/ie/download-install/apps/troubleshoot/licensing-activation-issues/cant-activate-reinstall-legacy-apps.html

If that doesn't help, the only other thing that I can suggest is to try and downgrade back to Windows 10

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/2337049/downgrade-from-windows-11-to-windows-10-article

We're seem a lot of post recently where deactivation and reactivation hasn't worked, not sure if Adobe has been changes in that respect, activation servers CS5 and CS6 are still live as far as I'm aware, activation servers for CS2, CS3 and CS4 have been shutdown

https://helpx.adobe.com/ie/creative-suite.html?promoid=19SCDRQK

Participant
October 2, 2025

It's CS5. Thanks for the link. I tried to register the licence with my code but it says it is already in use. But when I try to go to the download section it says there are no products.

kglad
Community Expert
Community Expert
October 24, 2025

you have to use a computer with a current ps cs5 activation and deactivate that ps.  because of adobe security requirements that is not easily done.