"Invalid" Serial Number?

[esblitz]

I purchased a license for Adobe Acrobat XI Pro from an ebay seller in late 2013.  I installed it on my computer using the serial number obtained from my seller.  I have used Acrobat XI Pro successfully for almost 4 years now.

Three weeks ago, I purchased a new computer and successfully installed Acrobat XI Pro on my new computer, using the same serial number.  I was able to use Acrobat XI Pro with no problem for about a week.

Unfortunately, my Windows 10 installation then got corrupted and I had to reinstall the operating system.  After that, I again tried to install Acrobat XI Pro using the same serial number, but it would not allow the installation, saying "the serial number you entered is invalid.  Please try again with a valid serial number."  Being unable to install the licensed version, I installed it under the "free trial."  It works (for now), but it still will not accept my serial number as valid.

I believe, from Adobe's web site, that I can install Acrobat XI Pro on two computers, but can only use it on one at a time.  However, I am not able to even install the licensed version on my new, second, computer.

When I chatted with Adobe "technical support," all he could say is that my serial number was "invalid" and that I should contact my seller (who is long gone from ebay) or ebay (what would ebay do, since my original purchase was perfectly handled?).  He could not explain why a serial number that worked fine to install Acrobat XI Pro on my new computer a week ago is no longer a "valid" serial number only that my serial number is "invalid."

Do you have any idea why I cannot install using this serial number?

My (unprofessional) speculation is that Adobe feels my license is already installed on two computers (my old computer, which still runs the licensed Acrobat XI Pro) and my new computer (before the OS reinstallation).  After the OS reinstallation, I have no way of "uninstalling"  or "deactivating" the original installation on my new computer.

I am willing to deactivate and/or even uninstall Acrobat from my old computer if that would permit me to install it on the new computer.  But, I am concerned that if I do that, I will lose the ability to install Acrobat on either computer (since my serial number is "invalid").  Is this a valid concern?  Will uninstalling Acrobat on my old computer permit me to install it on my new computer?

Any advice or assistance you can provide would be very much appreciated.  Thank you, in advance, for any suggestions.

[kglad]

if tech support said the number you're using is invalid, you're using the wrong number or your number has been black-listed.

if you had a problem with excess activations, you would have seen a different error message and tech support would have been able to resolve the issue.

if your number had been black-listed adobe support would have given you different feedback.

so, you need to use the correct number,

Find your serial number

[Guest]

kglad,

If the serial number had been blacklisted, it would have to have been blacklisted in the last couple of weeks, since I was able to use it successfully as recently as two weeks ago.  Seems unlikely.  Wouldn't Adobe notify you if your product serial number had been blacklisted, for some reason.

I have been to the "find your serial number" page several times and found nothing there that would help me find my serial number. There is no Acrobat listed under "Products" under my (or my husband's) account on the Adobe web page.  And, an ebay seller is not one of the sellers that they have particular information for on that page.

I do understand that I need to use the correct number, but this is the same number I successfully used 4 years ago and then two weeks ago, so I am assuming it is the correct number.  I have been unable to find anything on the computer (e.g., in the registry) that would indicate what the "correct number" is.

If you are correct that I would have received a different error message if the problem was excess activation, then it sounds like I would lose the installation on my old computer forever if I were to deactivate it from that computer, since I would then likely not be able to reactivate it on that computer with the "invalid" number.  So, I am still in a "fix" as to what to do (other than to purchase a new license).

Thanks, anyway, for trying to help.

[lewishawaii]

I'm having a similar issue with a newly purchase acrobat pro dc version that doesn't recognize the serial number.

[kglad]

what exactly do you see after entering your serial number?

[lewishawaii]

Dialogue Box with acrobat logo on left and "Adobe Acrobat DC Setup on top,

then:

"Please enter a valid serial number to proceed with Install or Customize.

Serial number that I input

This is not a valid serial number. Please go back and re-enter your serial

number.

So frustrating, I went back to the store and they did an exchange because

they couldn't determine whether they had activated it on their end ("scan to

activate product" on box with barcode)

So came back home, uninstalled, reinstalled and same issue.

[kglad]

assuming you're using a valid adobe serial number (6 groups of 4 numbers), you have a mismatch between your installation file and serial number.  ie, you can have a valid serial number, but if it's for program A and your installation file is for program B, you will see an invalid serial number message.

common mismatches are language/region (eg, serial number is for western europe and installation file is eastern europe), platform (eg, serial number is for a mac and installation file is win), license type (eg, education vs enterprise vs individual).

and one of the most common is using a program installation file with a suite's serial number. eg, using a cs6 suite serial number with a photoshop cs6 installation file.  that won't work even though photoshop is included in that suite.  you must use the suite's installation file (and you can choose to only install one program from the suite).

here's official info about that error,  http://helpx.adobe.com/creative-suite/kb/error-serial-number-valid-product.html

[lewishawaii]

We got it figured out. It wasn't spelled out. For the student and teacher

version that there is a two step process. First the educational institute

email has to be used then the real serial number comes via email after that.

Thanks for your time. It's working now.

[kglad]

you're welcome.

[Dov Isaacs · Accepted solution]

esblitz,

The problem you are encountering is very unlikely due to too many activations on your computers. If all you did was to reinstall Windows and then Acrobat, the installer / activation scheme should recognize this as simply a reinstallation on the same computer unless you dramatically changed the hardware configuration.

There is a difference between activating and registering your software with Adobe; these were separate activities with perpetual license software products purchased through third parties. I suspect that although your software successfully activated previously, it wasn't actually registered under your account.

Why would a serial number be invalidated now? I don't have and can't get the exact answer for you, but many times, some of these “sellers” simply take a volume license for an Adobe product (typically coming with a single serial number) and sell counterfeit packages each with this same serial number. At a certain point, if attempts to activate using such a serial number start to exceed a realistic count and/or come from locations unrelated to whom the volume license was issued, such a serial number and license would be invalidated.

The bottom line is that Adobe software should always be licensed either directly from Adobe or via authorized Adobe resellers. Typically, software “sold” on sites such as eBay should be regarded as suspect. (Even some third party resellers on Amazon have been caught with counterfeit goods!) If you in fact licensed the software directly through Adobe or an authorized Adobe reseller, either Adobe or the reseller would be able to readily assist you.

          - Dov

PS:     Licenses for Acrobat XI are no longer sold. You could get Acrobat DC Pro either as a perpetual license or as a Document Cloud subscription (pay monthly with either a month-to-month or a discounted year long commitment). The subscription always provides updates and new, improved features at no extra cost (what were previously called “upgrades” are automatic with the subscriptions).

[Guest]

Hello, Dov,

Someone (you?) marked my  post as “Answered,” so I can apparently not respond to you in the forum.  Nevertheless, I did want to thank you for your response.  Your suggestion that my wife’s ebay seller may have purchased a “volume license,” sold one of his permitted licenses to her (and, undoubtedly, to others), but then exceeded the number of licenses he was permitted to use under his “volume license,” so that no further installations could use that serial number, seems to answer all of the questions I had about our experience; since I had successfully installed Acrobat a couple of weeks ago using “her” serial number on her old computer, perhaps she was the last one permitted to use that volume license?  And you are correct that this software was never “registered” under her account (which we learned for the first time when we encountered this problem).

This is, unfortunately, the first time we have heard about “volume licenses,” as I had always assumed that the serial number I received from my ebay seller was “her” serial number, which could be used on her computers, subject only to the limits of “two computers, only one of which could be using it at any one time.”  Live and learn.  I will certainly be more cautious in the future about buying licensed products from ebay (or, apparently, even Amazon) sellers.  Thank you for the education.

Since you are apparently an Adobe employee or representative, I hope you will permit me to ask you just one more question.  When I chatted with an Adobe Tech Support person about this issue (see chat transcripts attached), I could never get any response out of him other than “this serial number is invalid.”  Even when I asked if there was someone else in Tech Support who could answer my questions, I was told that “because you have an invalid serial number, I cannot provide any further help.”  It could have saved me an immense amount of time if there was someone available at the Adobe Tech Support chat facility who could have given me the responsive answer that you were able to provide.  Cannot Adobe Tech Support provide support, when requested, from someone knowledgeable, like you, rather than only reps who can tell you that, according to their database, “the serial number is invalid” and nothing more?  Just a suggestion.

Stephen Blitz

[Dov Isaacs]

Stephen,

Yes, I am an Adobe employee, a Principal Scientist in Acrobat Engineering specializing in end-to-end PDF workflows. I do monitor the forums and occasionally respond when a “real” answer is required.

I don't know the actual reason why our support folks don't give you an exact answer with regards to the serial number problem other than that they simply aren't given that information. I suspect that the thinking might be that by giving out too much information about the full status of a particular serial number, it would be more difficult to pursue to slimy creatures that illegally sell their wares on eBay and other venues.

Sorry that you had to go through all of this.

          - Dov

[thomasc5477961]

Hi Dov,

I'm having almost exactly the same problem as Stephen.  Except in my case, my Acrobat Std XI license came packaged with a Fujitsu ScanSnap scanner that I had bought new from Newegg; i.e. this is a legit purchase.  I installed it on my desktop and also on my laptop without problem, around 2-3 years ago.  I registered an account/profile on the Abode website, where my XI serial number is recorded.

Then, because of an updates to Windows 10, I had to wipe and reinstall apps on my laptop.  When setting up Acrobat XI Standard (11.0.07) with exactly the same serial number that had worked before and is registered in my account, it gives me an "Invalid Serial Number. This is not a valid serial number." message.

- Tom

[thomasc5477961]

My mistake... I was getting the error during setup because I inadvertently had more than one setup dialogue box open (due to impatience + lag time).  It recognizes the serial number and installs when starting over with one setup dialogue box.

[김용아]

well, the exact same problem and precisely same responses out here in south Korea. It is so devastating and huge amount time consumed but got nowhere. so helpless. been using d program well more than 4 years n now i have to buy d same thing again?!

[kglad]

you contacted adobe support and they confirmed you're using an invalid serial number?