Install PS CS2 on a Win 11 Desktop?

Forum|Forum|2 years ago
June 16, 2023
4 replies
3563 views

I'm a registered owner of PS CS2 and have used it for yrs on a defunct Win 7 machine. Trying to install it on a new Win 11 unit, and having a difficult time in doing so. Any advice would be appreciated.

Windows

Correct answer Ged_Traynor

@Robert30543937znuh the activation servers for CS4, CS3 and CS2 have been shutdown, so even if you could install it you won't be able to activate it

https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-suite.html

J

j.klein

Participant

I haven't tried it on Win 11, but on Win 10, installing and running CS2 worked for me, if i installed the apps (Photoshop, Illustrator etc) individually (i.e. with their individual setup.exe's). However, if instead, i used the setup.exe for the entire suite, i ran into some licensing problems.

D Fosse

Community Expert

@j.klein Once the 30 day trial period is out, it will stop working.

(BTW - a suite serial number will not be accepted for an individual application, and vice versa).

J

j.klein

Participant

I've been using my installation for years already though.. it will ask me to register every time i open a CS2 app, but thats something different i reckon.. and i can just cancel that dialog and start working..

I was given a set of serial numbers (win / mac, single apps and suite). I bought it as a student from my university, so maybe its some special thingy.. it looks quite normal to me though..

R

Retune

Participating Frequently

After Adobe killed the activation servers, they made an activation-free version available to licensed users here:

Unfortunately, this link is not currently active, and redirects to a generic page with no useful information, though you may still be able to access the old page <edit-kglad>. Whether CS2 works on Windows 11 is another issue (I have successfully installed CS3 on W11 using a similar activation-free installer that Adobe used to provide, but I recall CS2 being problematic on W10). Even if it does work, CS2 has some significant known security vulnerabilities that were only patched in later versions.

R

Russ_in_VT

Participant

I have the old activation-free version but it's not installing properly on Windows 11. Is there a way to activate compatibility mode installation?

D Fosse

Community Expert

Case in point, as was pointed out above: even if it could be activated, there's no guarantee that 20 year old (!) software will work in a modern operating system on modern hardware.

thatsmauri

Community Expert

Adobe had to retire their aging activation servers for earlier versions of the Creative Suite several years ago, making it impossible to activate Creative Suite 2 products nowadays.