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M
mark_8780
Participant
March 28, 2025
Question

Can't deactivate InDesign from dead PC

  • March 28, 2025
  • 2 replies
  • 192 views

I am the licensed owner of InDesign CS5. The previous two computers I had loaded this on crashed, and I can't deactivate it, and I therefore can't load it on my new computer. Is there a workaround?

2 replies

Robert at ID-Tasker
Robert at ID-Tasker
Legend
March 28, 2025

@mark_8780

 

What do you mean by "crashed"? Do you still have access to the (hard)drives?

 

If not - then even CS won't help you - they'll just tell you to subscribe to CC, unfortunately.

 

M
mark_8780Author
Participant
March 28, 2025

I am unable to boot up from the harddrive. So I am unable to even get to the point of launching the version that I can deactivate...

Robert at ID-Tasker
Robert at ID-Tasker
Legend
March 28, 2025

@mark_8780

 

How do you boot? 

 

What errors do you get? 

 

Have you tried to boot in a different PC? Preferably with EXACTLY the same hardware configuration?

 

James Gifford—NitroPress
James Gifford—NitroPress
Legend
March 28, 2025

At best, you may have to contact Adobe customer service; at worst, you're out of luck. It has gotten more and more difficult to activate and reactivate the pre-subscription versions of Adobe apps; CS5 may even be be on the list of those for which activation has been discontinued.

 

I know others here run older version, usually CS6, for various reasons, and know some workarounds and "secret paths" to reactivation. But you might be out of luck, here.

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