Unable to activate PSE 2026

Forum|Forum|3 hours ago
February 18, 2026
2 replies
0 views

I just purchased PSE 2026, downloaded, and installed it. Then I get an error message saying it cannot be activated because only one device can be used. The PSEs I have on my other devices are older and not 2026. I am told to deactivate the others first. Why should I when they are older?

Peru Bob

Community Expert

@kahill1919

You may need to contact Adobe Customer Support.

But don’t let them deactivate or uninstall your old versions.

Douglasmv1

Participant

What do you do in a case where you format the hard drive instead of uninstalling the software from the device. I am talking about Adobe Photoshop elements 2022. I would rather get this taken care of then ordering the latest elements or subscribing. I feel like it done the job. So I just want to be able to use it again. When I go into the device list all of them have been deleted, so I don't know why it comes up and shows that error.

K

kahill1918

Participating Frequently

This does not relate to my issue. I purchased PSE 2026, downloaded, and installed it. Now Adobe won’t let me activate it on my new device until I have deactivated the older versions on my older computers first. It says I can use it on only one device. My new device is the only one. I am not trying to use the 2026 version on more than one device.

K

kahill1918

Participating Frequently

Are you saying that I have to deactivate version 2025 on my older computer first before I can activate 2026 on my new device?

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