Illustrator 2017 Muse 2018 "Renew Your Subscription" warning in CC

[plummerdesign]

Hello good people : )

I have subscribed to CC since 2012 and have an active 'All Apps' plan.  Starting yesterday Illustrator 21.0.2  nor Muse 2018/2017 (Windows) will no longer open, but throw a "Renew Your Subscription" warning.  Why does this matter?  Illy 2017 is not only quick but can open one of my clients AutoCad files.  There are some archived Muse projects that need to be available for reference.  We each use our tools as needed, right?  I NEED these legacy apps back. How to fix this issue?

Thanks for any feedback and have a glorious day!

Jeffery

[kglad]

do you have a teams, education or enterprise subscription?

[plummerdesign]

Single user plan (2 workstations, Mac/PC)

[kglad]

start here - https://helpx.adobe.com/manage-account/kb/stop-creative-cloud-trial-mode-after-purchase.html

if that fails, proceed to these steps - https://helpx.adobe.com/enterprise/kb/resolve-trial-and-license-expired-errors.html

if that fails, https://helpx.adobe.com/download-install/kb/adobe-license-issues-keychain-credential-mgr.html

if those all fail, change your cc language.  eg, try international english

if that fails, change the install location

[plummerdesign]

Thank you for the ideas, KGLAD.  However, editing my workstation settings is not a solution as it is a CC initiated roadblock on (2) legacy applications.  

It should not be difficult to have the programs that were on this workstation restored and operating as they were the day previous.  To suddenly have (2) Adobe CC applications disappear is bonkers.  Everything 2023 version and up works.
Alas, Adobe offers zero customer support aside from an AI chatbot (which does not understand what the issue is) and these Community Discussion forums.

The (2) applications (Illustrator 2017/Muse 2017/2018 WIN) still show in my CC plan, and both give the OPEN prompt, but both generate this CC wall:

“Renew Your Subscription

Go to the Subscription Manager to renew your subscription for Creative Cloud and continue using your product uninterrupted.  If you have just renewed your subscription, please wait 15 minutes.

You are signed in as Adobe ID: XXXXXXXXXXX”

[kglad]

there are 2 ways to contact adobe; chat and twitter (now x):

chat:
use a browser that allows popups and cookies
and click here, https://helpx.adobe.com/contact.html?rghtup=autoOpen
in the chat field (lower right), type AGENT
be patient, it can take quite a while to reach a human.

twitter/x:
tweet @AdobeCare

p.s. if you're contacted by anyone (via email or private message), it's much more likely to be a scammer than an adobe representative.

[plummerdesign]

Thanks KGLAD for the path to contact support!

Was not savvy to the secret code word “AGENT”.

The chatbot did NOT want me to get through to an AGENT, it took 5 replies with “AGENT” to get the AI chatbot to release.    Am in queue for the next agent….

[kglad]

keep us updated.

[plummerdesign]

55 mins later...

First AGENT begins to type... After the information was shared, that AGENT wrote "Connecting you with a specialist as soon as possible", and passed me on to another person.
Second AGENT begins to type... After the information was shared, that AGENT wrote "Let me connect you with technical team for better assistance", and then I received this in the chat box:

"Agents are currently offline, please contact us again during the published open hours."

"XXXX has left the conversation."

"While this conversation has ended, feel free to come back anytime you need help."

.

And that was it. All total 1.25 hours to be disconnected.

Gotta love technology, right?

[kglad]

terrible.  

see if you have an open ticket:

https://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/policy-pricing/customer-support-portal.html

[plummerdesign]

"You have no support cases in your history."

[kglad]

i hope you were using a mobile phone so you didn't waste all that time.

[plummerdesign]

Well, I can say that the experience had with Adobe Support was not good.  The first session ended abruptly and without warning.  The next business day I sought to reestablish the process, and to a certain extent some headway was gained.  Thanks to the remote assistance of a knowledgeable tech, I was able to get Illustrator 21.0.2 to open, albeit as a TRIAL version only.  Muse 2018 would begin to load but crashed mid-splash screen.
The next business day I sought to have the Illustrator Trial converted back to my subscription plan (which it had been part of for many years) and get resolution for Muse 2018.

Things did not go well. It became obvious that this person did not know how to do what was asked.  Not every tech can solve such matters.  I began to hope my case would be handed over to someone else.  At one point I let the remote tech know that I needed to step away from the workstation to assist a client.
On my return could see the remote tech changing my internet proxy TLD and LAN settings.  This alarmed me greatly.  We know that the Adobe program settings and preferences are in the Adobe folders such as OOBE, NOT in the internet settings.  I demanded that the tech cease at once.
During the session this tech reiterated that Adobe offers the current and one previous release for CC customers and that I should use them.  All others are no longer supported.  I get that, and to remind me of this repeatedly is like a ‘Teacher’ slapping my hand.  But here is the real issue…these apps were working one day and gone the next…without warning.  I asked for a transcript and was promised it would be in my email.  That did not happen. Thankfully I did copy it from this workstation before closing the support window.

What is my takeaway?

I no longer have trust in Adobe remote support.  My expenditure of time to have an issue fixed that was not my doing is now at just under 4 hours.  In summary, I received ineffective and untrustworthy customer service (bad business acumen).
I can live without Muse 2018 as the last Muse-authored site was being rebuilt in WP (just that the reference site is now unobtainable). I can live without Illustrator 21.0.2 (the Trial ends in 2 days) and its ability to open certain CAD files.  So, I now need to go into AutoCAD and bill that client for more time.  You know…I keep Illustrator CS4 on one workstation for its sole ability to open and work with FreehandMX files.  That is another story in itself : )
Point being – we use whatever tool is best to do our job well.  

I should not need to fight for the tools I pay for.

[kglad]

for the muse crashing problem:

rename adobeipcbroker

on mac:

Applications->Utilities->Adobe Application Manager->IPC->AdobeIPCBroker.app

on win:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Adobe\OOBE\PDApp\IPC

[plummerdesign]

KGLAD

You are a diamond!

Muse 2018 now fully launches (but as Trial and ends in 2 days)!  It would be such a blessing to have these (2) programs taken out of Trial mode.  But being able to grab as much from the Muse project as possible - is the best I can hope for.

Again, you made me smile!

Jeffery : )

[kglad]

for the revert to trial issue:

start here - https://helpx.adobe.com/manage-account/kb/stop-creative-cloud-trial-mode-after-purchase.html

if that fails, proceed to these steps - https://helpx.adobe.com/enterprise/kb/resolve-trial-and-license-expired-errors.html

if that fails, https://helpx.adobe.com/download-install/kb/adobe-license-issues-keychain-credential-mgr.html

if those all fail, change your cc language.  eg, try international english

if that fails, change the install location

[plummerdesign]

KGLAD,

Good directives all!  Went through each process as listed - once again, this time deleting some other expired certs as well. My last resort would be to change language, as nothing else got a blue ribbon of victory.
Time to fold.

[kglad]

the first, checking your subscription status at account.adobe.com showed your active subscription?

and, if so, signing out and then back into your cc app, using exactly the same adobe id, failed?

if so, was there a choice of profiles when signing into the cc desktop app?

[plummerdesign · Accepted solution]

Nothing resolved the TRAIL mode issue.  Adobe Support reiterated that they only support the current version and one previous version release.  I have uninstalled both applications.

Uninstalling Adobe Creative Cloud apps is the Correct Answer.

[plummerdesign]

TRIAL mode : )

[kglad]

well, you didn't follow the steps i suggested so saying nothing worked is misleading.

[plummerdesign]

In my defense, I followed all of your sage and well taken advice.  You are the only true resource and what you have offered got me working right up to the 1 day left warning.  I did add 'international english' and though I do not have a different profile, signing off and on several times could not produce a change in the trial warning.  Yes, both applications showed as being in my current subscription/plan.  The only thing that was not followed was to change the installation location a second time.
KGLAD, you are a source of solutions I trust.  In the end after doing all but (1) of your suggestions, and not receiving anything remotely as well instructed from my support ticket it was best to uninstall the apps.
It is not misleading, but fully abides with the company wanting to focus and support only the latest versions.
Sometimes there is no "correct answer" that fits all.  Every reply you gave was one I wanted to give the "correct answer" checkmark to.  A persistant Trial mode pop-up told me otherwise.

[kglad]

(it was that last one that tipped me off.)

but glad you found an easier solution.  i don't know why that worked for you while failing for others.