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bgshap
Participant
December 20, 2016
Answered

CS3 - Licensing has stopped working for this product [CS3 is dead & gone, locked]

  • December 20, 2016
  • 4 replies
  • 5309 views

After reinstalling from a Time Machine backup, Licensing has stopped working for this product appears with Dreamweaver CS3.

 

I've been to Error: "Licensing has stopped working" | Mac OS

 

Solution 1: Delete the FlexNet Publisher preferences folder - no such file

Solution 2: Run the License Repair Tool - doesn't boot with MacOS Sierra 10.12

Solution 3: Repair disk permissions - doesn't appear to exist in this OS

Solution 4: Reset permissions on the FlexNet Publisher licensing service folder - doesn't address my OS

Solution 5: Reset permissions on the Adobe PCD folder - doesn't address my OS

Solution 8: Reinstall - this will remove all my info about the site and where it is right?

Solution 9: Contact Adobe Technical Support - ​they sent me here

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Nancy OShea

CS3 is officially dead and gone.  Even if you could access your original installation disks/downloads, they wouldn't help you because the activation servers are gone.  There's no going back now.

 

Either subscribe to a Creative Cloud plan or get a free modern code editor like Brackets or VS Code. https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/plans.html

 

===========
Beware of fake Adobe reps who may contact you privately offering to sell you software or take control of your computer. It's a scam, run away!  Creative Suite is no longer sold by any legitimate vendors in any country.

 

4 replies

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brandon_mclean
Participant
May 9, 2020

Can someone please help me out?

I have an old Mac running 10.4 and was using CS3 without any issue.  My mac just lost its harddrive and I have copied the files over to the new one.  However, when I run the applications I get License server errors.  I don't have the install disk (because I think they were all downloads by that point), and Adobe will not help because they just want me to buy Creative Cloud (which won't run on this machine)....I just want to get back to where I was, using the software I already paid for and liked!

Nancy OShea
Community Expert
Nancy OSheaCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
May 9, 2020

CS3 is officially dead and gone.  Even if you could access your original installation disks/downloads, they wouldn't help you because the activation servers are gone.  There's no going back now.

 

Either subscribe to a Creative Cloud plan or get a free modern code editor like Brackets or VS Code. https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/plans.html

 

===========
Beware of fake Adobe reps who may contact you privately offering to sell you software or take control of your computer. It's a scam, run away!  Creative Suite is no longer sold by any legitimate vendors in any country.

 

Nancy O'Shea— Product User & Community Expert
A
andrew_quantum
Participating Frequently
March 20, 2017

Ok, to start with I have to say I am super angry at Adobe. I work with many software applications, and this is the single biggest and major mess I have ever experienced. Adobe, how can you think you are an expert software company?

My issue:

  1. At the end of last week, there was an adobe creative cloud update
  2. Shortly after I tried to open Dreamweaver CS3.
  3. I got this error: "Dreamweaver CS3 - Licensing has stopped working for this product"
  4. So I followed the instructions in these forums, with the last step being using the CC cleaner tool
  5. That destroyed my machine. How?

What did it do to my machine:

  1. I can't open any applications from my Windows 10 Start menu. None of the Windows fixes for this help
  2. I can't open Firefox anymore, it killed my profile, following instructions for this only fix it for as long as I have Firefox open, the moment I close it, I have to fix it again
  3. It delete all files from my Desktop, Pictures, Document, Downloads, Music etc... Gone, everything gone!
  4. I tried to do a system restore prior to that date, and that also will not work. Not sure if this is Adobe's or Microsofts problem, but being that everything else has been wiped my the Adobe CC tool, I am betting on it being Adobe.

Seriously Adobe, you create a tool like that, and you don't even suggest on your instructions that it is a good idea to do a backup first?

You better have a solution to fix this, as I am tired of trawling through your help forums trying to fix your screw up. I paid for my products, and I don't expect them to fill the software I paid for, and then wipe almost my entire machine!

Nancy OShea
Community Expert
Nancy OSheaCommunity Expert
Community Expert
March 20, 2017

CS Cleaner tool would not wipe non-adobe apps from your hard drive. 

Sounds like you have bigger problems.  Possibly a corrupted user account or  a failing hard drive.

Try creating a new admin level user account.

Do  a full system diagnostic & virus scan.

Nancy

Nancy O'Shea— Product User & Community Expert
A
andrew_quantum
Participating Frequently
March 20, 2017

I'll try the new user option, thanks.

And that is an awfully HUGE coincidence, that everything was working perfectly up until the moment I ran the CC tool and restarted.

I had been doing previous restarts when I uninstalled Dreamweaver and tried to reinstall it, and everything else was working fine, so it is quite a stretch to say this is windows or anything else other than the CC tool. I work in technology, and while I am not an IT support expert, I do know enough to know that under these circumstances and not making any other changes on my machine, that the problem here relates in some way to the CC tool.

And I don't know if the CC cleaner wiped my apps, I just can't click on them from the start menu. What I said has been wiped is my files, photos etc...

M
markm82488677
Participant
February 4, 2017

I'm having similar trouble with CS4 Photoshop, InDesign and Acrobat on OS X Sierra.

I can't reinstall from my existing media because this mac doesn't have a CD/DVD drive. Thanks for any suggestions.

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markm82488677
Participant
February 4, 2017

I read closer and see I may be able to download and use the Cloud Cleaner tool, we'll see

Nancy OShea
Community Expert
Nancy OSheaCommunity Expert
Community Expert
February 4, 2017

Legacy CS4 is not supported by Mac Sierra.  The old Creative Suite installers do not work as expected.  However, there are some workarounds described below.  

Installing Creative Suite on macOS 10.12 (Sierra)

Good luck!

Nancy

Nancy O'Shea— Product User & Community Expert
Jon Fritz
Community Expert
Jon FritzCommunity Expert
Community Expert
December 20, 2016

Re-installation won't affect your actual site files, they'll still be on your hard drive wherever they are now, but it will wipe the info like FTP location, username and password unless you've exported those to a .ste file previously (always a good idea in the future). Getting that info back is usually pretty simple, just contact your hosting company.

Use the Adobe Cleaner tool Use the Creative Cloud Cleaner Tool to solve installation problems and then reinstalling from your existing media or download CS3 from Adobe's site here: Download Adobe Creative Suite 3 products

B
bgshapAuthor
Participant
December 21, 2016

thank you - all is back, even the FTP location etc.

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