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default1hxt9wzncitb
Participant
October 19, 2021
Answered

Trying to Install Dreamweaver CS3 on new PC [CS3 is DEAD]

  • October 19, 2021
  • 2 replies
  • 912 views

Hi Forum

I have just taken over assisting our clubs website, though I do not know that much, but am getting there. All I have is just the clubs' old PC with dreamweaver installed on it and the legal dreamweaver CS3 CD box with the dreamweaver software disks and software registration details.

The club has just purchased a new PC as the old one is now very old and I have just tried to move our current licenced Dreamweaver CS3 software onto the new PC but the software is not connecting to your system when asking for an

activation key. On searching the web it appears you have disabled the system to allow activation so we cannot activate the software and move it. I also found on the web that you released a standalone option for dreamweavere cs3 users last year

however we never got that message as our club does not have great administration and record keeping. 

It looks like your option is to update to the latest CS version but that is way too expensive for our club as our club only has about $400 per year gross income so there is no way we can pay the new monthly fees let alone our normal insurance and club costs. We have locked ourselves into dreamweaver CS3 and need a way forward as we cannot affort a web writter and no membver is one.

We are hoping you can send us instructions one how to obtain this standalone / no activation dreamweaver CS3 that was appariantly send out last year.

Regards

Bruce Goleby

 

[Personal info removed by moderator.]

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

Bruce,

1.  We don't work for Adobe.  This is a user-to-user support community.

 

2.  Activation-free versions are not available anymore.  Adobe took them down when they discontinued all support for Creative Suite.

 

3.  The time to upgrade to CS6 was in 2012 when you still had the chance to do it.  If you had upgraded, you would still have working software you could use on Win10.

 

I'm sorry you're dissappointed but that's how it goes with software that had a shelf-life of 3-5 years.  You got your money's worth and then some for which you can be grateful.  But now it's time to find another solution. 

 

I agree with @Ben107584 M who suggested an online site builder like Wix or WordPress which would be perfect for non-coders.  

 

Failing that, why not hire a student intern to help you?  Most kids are more savvy about computers and websites than their adult peers and would be happy to have the experience and a nice work recommendation under their belt.  Where there's a will, there's a way...

 

2 replies

Nancy OShea
Community Expert
Nancy OSheaCommunity Expert
Community Expert
October 19, 2021

Sorry @default1hxt9wzncitb,

CS1, CS2, CS3 and CS4 are dead & gone. The aged-out activation servers don't exist anymore. Even if you find an installer with a valid serial number, it's absolutely impossible to activate the old software.  And Creative Suite is no longer sold legally or supported by Adobe.

 

Either get a Creative Cloud subscription and install DW CC 2021.  Or find another code editor you can use.

 

OPTIONS:

-- Adobe Dreamweaver CC - https://www.adobe.com/products/dreamweaver.html
-- Codespaces (free, browser-based) - https://github.com/features/codespaces
-- Nova (Mac only, formerly called Coda) - https://nova.app/
-- Pinegrow - https://pinegrow.com/
-- Sublime Text - http://www.sublimetext.com/
-- Visual Studio Code (free) - https://code.visualstudio.com/
-- Wappler ~ Visual Web App Builder - https://wappler.io/

Hope that helps.

 

=============
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! Real Adobe employees will never reach out via Outlook, Yahoo, Gmail or Skype.
=============
3 Easy Ways to Identify Genuine Adobe Staff
https://tinyurl.com/10791730

 

Nancy O'Shea— Product User & Community Expert
stephmir1969
stephmir1969
Participant
September 1, 2023

I think about 2 or 3 years ago I had the same problem trying to reinstall CS3 on my newly imaged Windows machine and that is when I tried to register the software the servers weren't offline yet, but they soon would be. I was given a link to a downloadable/standalone installer version for CS3 that bypassed the activation server. I am trying to look for this download but I think I deleted it when I reinstalled Windows. I have CS3 running on my old PC just fine but want to have the standalone installer so I can reinstall it on my beefier PC.

I am currently running Windows 10 Pro with the full CS3 installed and when I launch AI I get a registry message, then it launches normally. It does tend to crash at times, and I have to save often. So, that is why I want to reinstall CS3 in case I need to reinstall Windows. Plus, I can't afford the monthly/yearly cost of CS and that's why I use CS3 and not CS Cloud. As you can see by the screenshot, I have CS3 Master Collection and it all runs decently. Just that annoying registery message when I launch AI. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Nancy OShea
Community Expert
Nancy OSheaCommunity Expert
Community Expert
September 1, 2023

The activation-free installers were a temporary stop gap until legacy customers could get more modern software.  Adobe subsequently removed them from service.

 

AFAIK, the only cure for registration problems is to wipe old software off the system with the Adobe CS/CC Cleaner Tool and perform a fresh install on a supporting computer & OS.  

https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/kb/cc-cleaner-tool-installation-problems.html

 

But given the advanced age of CS3, I think it's all for naught. Too many things have changed since CS3 was released in 2007— the Internet, web browsers, code technologies & the web devices that people use are completely different now. Use of obsolete web software is just counterproductive.

 

Nancy O'Shea— Product User & Community Expert
B
Community Expert
Ben MCommunity Expert
Community Expert
October 19, 2021

Unfortunately, at this point you may have to explore other options. As the software is just about 20 years old, you would run into the same problem with a 20 year old car trying to find parts in a scrap yard trying to piece it back together.

 

I have taken a look at your site and nothing in it is forcing you to be locked into Dreamweaver. It is all static HTML.  Which can actually be good news in this instance.  Because you don't have anyone technical on your team, I would recommend do away with your web hosting altogether you go down the hosted site path using a provider like Wix/Squarespace/etc to host your website.  Their builders are extremely easy to use, and it will solve other issues facing your site today (mobile-friendly, SSL enabled, etc.).  For the amount you are probably paying in hosting today you may be able to easily migrate to one of those providers using their template. This would allow you to avoid needing a developer, or having to buy new software, or trying to code manually which may be your only free option for software as there are not many visual editors left on the market as the hosting providers mentioned have been dominating this space.

    D
    default1hxt9wzncitbAuthor
    Participant
    October 19, 2021

    Firstly I disagree with your car analogy A 20 year old car build on good 'software' is now worth more than you paid for it and a collectors item. Also software is not like cars, the parts wear out but with software it will keep going provided the operating system runs the code and the latter is still the case, however in this case its the company who sold the sioftware that have prevented the continued use. 

    Also what about the solution i believe you offered up to last year where you provided users with an activation free version for their code. This must still be around and available.

    In terms of the proposed solution I have looked at one or two of these before I started this investigation oif Adobe and they all forced me into templates that did not really match or be changed to match and information received they would need a web designer.

    Nancy OShea
    Community Expert
    Nancy OSheaCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
    Community Expert
    October 19, 2021

    Bruce,

    1.  We don't work for Adobe.  This is a user-to-user support community.

     

    2.  Activation-free versions are not available anymore.  Adobe took them down when they discontinued all support for Creative Suite.

     

    3.  The time to upgrade to CS6 was in 2012 when you still had the chance to do it.  If you had upgraded, you would still have working software you could use on Win10.

     

    I'm sorry you're dissappointed but that's how it goes with software that had a shelf-life of 3-5 years.  You got your money's worth and then some for which you can be grateful.  But now it's time to find another solution. 

     

    I agree with @Ben107584 M who suggested an online site builder like Wix or WordPress which would be perfect for non-coders.  

     

    Failing that, why not hire a student intern to help you?  Most kids are more savvy about computers and websites than their adult peers and would be happy to have the experience and a nice work recommendation under their belt.  Where there's a will, there's a way...

     

    Nancy O'Shea— Product User & Community Expert
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