Activation limit reached, but no activated devices in account?

[Cnoctem]

I recently had to reinstall Windows 10.  PSE 2023 would not load because of missing drivers, and reinstalling Visual C++ did not fix the problem.

So, I reinstalled PSE 10.  It is now saying I must deactivate it from previous computers to use the new install, and yet when I go to my Activated Devices screen in my account (as directed by the help article), there are none listed.

So.......  too many activations, and yet, none at all?  Check.  Super.

Anybody got an idea what to do next?

[Greg_S.]

The activated devices screen does not list information for Photoshop Elements.  I am going to ping @Jeffrey_A_Wright, an Adobe employee who may be able to figure out the problem.  You will have to wait until after the weekend for a response.

[MichelBParis]

Hi Greg,

You are right, more and more, PSE users are believing they can activate or deactivate from their account, which is not applicable to the non subscription softwares; those must be deactivated from the still working computer and software.

Two reasons for this:

- users also using those subscriptions think that's also valid for PSE and perpetual licenses like PSE.

- A search for "activations" leads to the much more widespread Photoshop and Cloud solutions, and the suggested links in the side of this forum apply to Acrobat, Lightroom and Photoshop...

Unfortunately, when users are changing computers, they don't know or do not remember how to deactivate when it's still available for the users. It's too late when they try.

Untill recently, that common situation could be handled from Adobe staff from the activations servers. As explained in many recent posts, it appears they can no longer access the old and outdated servers to deactivate from their side.

@Cnoctem 

The only way for you to recover your activation count (when the computer is not available) is if you have a second computer using the second activation. Keep in mind that the second activation was provided according to the license terms for a single user;  either as a backup for the first one, or as an opportunity for the same user to work with two activated computers alternatively (not at the same time by two users, a very common situation in practice).

If the second active computer is also no longer accessible, which should not happen if you take care to deactivate when you decide to no longer use it, then you are out of luck. You can no longer transfer your remaining activation to the third computer.

So, Adobe now has to find another solution for the management of the activations in PSE (like in the subscription softwares ?)

@Jeffrey_A_Wright 

The help docs are misleading : have a look at the suggestions of other posts shown in the side of this forum. Most are for other softwares (and that is mentioned in the title of the link).

For "normal" help docs, It would be necessary to add a note that managing activations is different in Elements.

[Jeffrey_A_Wright]

@MichelBParis , thanks for the feedback. Let's wait for @Cnoctem to respond so we can sort out the problems they are encountering first.

[Jeffrey_A_Wright]

@Cnoctem sorry you are unable to install and activate Photoshop Elements 10. I don't see a license for Photoshop Elements 10 listed under the account you used to post to this public discussion forum, so I am not able to review the history. You can use the steps in https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop-elements/kb/find-serial-number-elements.html to register the software to your account.

What is the exact text of the error you are receiving when trying to activate Photoshop Elements 10, @Cnoctem ? If you do include a screenshot please do not include any personal information, including serial numbers, as this is a public discussion forum.

[dorisf2015]

Adobe is trying to encourage everyone to go to subscription software. Therefore they are only offering limited support for stand alone software.  Not everyone uses this software on a daily basis that would warrant a monthly fee. That is why we by the stand alone version. If you do not deactivate properly or do not know how to deactivate you are out of luck then they try to sell you more software.,  So unfair Adobe. Fleecing folks on limited income.!!!!

[sarahf70777137]

Exactly what I experinced when I contacted customer support. They said my version is no longer supported but they would be happy to help me upgrade. When I stated I was not interested, they were completely worthless resolving this issue and claimed it's because my version is not compatible with Windows 11. However, I had it on another device running Windows 11 and had no issues. Very frustrating, but most software companies are transitioning to subscription so you can't buy it once you have to keep paying. 

[Glenn 8675309]

What version of pse are you talking about?   Version 10 for example was released 13 years ago.  It does not seem unreasonable for a company to not support such old software.   I've got some other software on my computer that's "broken"- but no way of fixing it simply because the companies no longer exist.   Offically (I don't work for Adobe) they only offically support the most current version, and just the previous version, that's it. 

There are free alternatives, however, the learning curve with those free applications can be rather steep. 

[web_7692]

I'm sorry, but Adobe not providing 'support' (eg. How do I do some feature with my product?) is fine with me.  Yet not having a methd to help users get products deactivated from an old device so they can simply install and activate onto a new device is obsurd.  Adobe obviously still have systems in place to 'support' blocking the activation. I guess the sales department at Adobe controls that one though 😉

[mikenixon_nz]

yes my problem, I have a perfect right to run my old software which I paid for in perpetuity . I dont want to new bloated CC version which I wasted 2500 USD in  subscription services for without earning a cent .There is free alternatives which I would encourage people to use. its only when Adobe see their revenue decline they will begin to act responsibily and reasonably . Lawsuites excepted which seems to be the only solution at this stage

[Glenn 8675309]

"I have a perfect right to run my old software which I paid for in perpetuity"-- you paid for the right to use the software, however, It's not up to adobe to make sure that you have followed well documented steps on activating  and deauthrizing a computer to use the software.   Many users fail to read that documentation.

Many users also have a "computer die"-   without the chance to deactivate, or log out of the program to deauthrize it on that computer.: They go out and get a new computer, new or used, and want to install their same old software on the new computer, but they can't- adobe records show that it's been installed of 2 different computers.

A few years ago exactely that happened to me- my computer died, I went out and got a new motherboard and cpu, and a new hard drive.    I went to reinstall (I think pse 2018) but could not, it had been installed on two computers allready- my wife's computer, and mine, the old one.   I just re purchased it.

Back then you could call up adobe, or chate with them- give them your sob story, and the would reset the activations.

Since around June of this year Adobe cannot do that any longer- reset activations on old versions- for whatever reason that is what Adobe chose to do.

After reading a bunch of Adobe stuff on this: "Perpetual=lifetime" -  not your lifetime- the lifetime of the computer.

Here is a link to a free 30 day trial of pse 2024 (which is on sale now for $59.:

https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop-elements/free-trial.html

Bottom line: if you have any older version pse 2020 or earlier and you can't deactivate it, you are out of luck. 

[Cnoctem]

Why would any sane person continue to use their products, after everything discussed here?  Put down the peace pipe, my man.
Much better idea:  buy Affinity Photo, and never deal with Adobe's horrific nonsense again.

[Glenn 8675309]

It is the Industry leading software, and the creative cloud  family of programs has 10 times that of affinity.   Good luck in your quest of editing photo, and creating images.    Currently affinity photo is aroun $164 and PSE 2024 is $59- the choice is yours. 

[Cnoctem]

"Industry leading" often leads companies to become complacent, take advatage of their customers, and let support deteriorate, as has happened here.  That's how many companies have found themselves "industry following".
And Affinity is $69 for a single platform, which is sufficient for the vast majority of users.
Enjoy continuing to buy software you'll no longer have access to if your C drive crashes.  I call it unacceptable.

[hart8210]

Had this happen twice in the last year.  First was old computer that I did not deactivate before wiping, learned about the lack of support for old activation servers (though, as noted, they have the infratructure in place to limit and show that we're full up).  But jsut over the weekend I did deactivate from the old PC before attempting the install on the new one... same message, that I'm full up.  So yeah, zero doubt that it's a phasing out of the older perpetual licesnses in order to drive users toward new purchases and subscriptions.  Either that or their software deveolpoment is woefully inept.  Both are probably true.

[waterwin2]

Same here but now for CS6 perpetual licence. Used it last week. Tried this week, all of a sudden : activated on too many devices. Has worked on only 1 device for over 2 years without issues. Nothing changed. Adobe Account is showing : no activated devices. So deactivating a device is not possible. The Deactivate from the Help menu in the software itself is greyed out ! Catch22 ! Running Creative Cloud Clean solution did not help. Reinstalling after that cleaning did not help. It sure looks like a timed action started from Adobe for the end of the year festive season.

[kglad]

if you deactivate on a computer that has a non-current os and default browser. that deactivation is likely to be local only.

[dorisf2015]

Do we have any programmers out there who can tell us how to alter our registry to deactivate this software so that we can reactivate it.?

[Glenn 8675309]

Doing stuff like that is probably  against your user agreement.  

It's not possible with PSE.   It used to be possible with other Adobe software, and was  even documented by Adobe how to do it with broken computers. 

It's not just a "thing you can adjust on your computer".

[Greg_S.]

@hart8210, if you truly have only one computer activated, but are having problems doing so on a second computer, there are ways to resolve the issue if you are interested.  Please take a look at this post by an Adobe employee.

[Greg_S.]

@waterwin2 this is the Photoshop Elements forum.  I suggest you post in the Photoshop Ecosystem or the Download and Install Community Forums.