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edwinv95157625
Participant
June 8, 2018
Answered

Can't activate CS3 on MacBook, "No connection" What to do?

  • June 8, 2018
  • 2 replies
  • 1303 views

Before I start, I've seen lots of discussions about this, but found no fitting answer yet.

First of all, I'm on a MacBook Air (2017) running High Sierra. It's brand new and I used the Migration Tool to migrate from my old iMac.

As far as I know I've done all the right things:

- I went to the Adobe site and exchanged my old serial number for a new one (www.adobe.com/go/activation)

- I downloaded the installer from the page that gave me my new serial number

- I uninstalled what the Migration Tool put on my MacBook

- I reinstalled using the downloaded installers

- After that, the essentials work (Ps and Ai), though Id gives me blank toolbars etc. and doesn't work at all

- Now when I start an application, I get a dialog that says "Activation" and "No connection"

- As stated elsewhere, telephone support is no longer available

- I'm behind a simple cable modem, no proxy server

I've used the provided tool to clean up my hosts file, but the file is completely empty, 0 lines.

So what now?

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Bani Verma

Hi Edwinv95157625,

To locate the cache.db file in Mac OS go to : /Library/Application Support/Adobe/Adobe PCD/cache/

If you still face issues in activation of CS3 then refer to the following help document: Resolve "temporary activation expired" error for CS3 and Acrobat 8.

Let us know if this helps.

2 replies

John T Smith
Community Expert
John T SmithCommunity Expert
Community Expert
June 8, 2018

>used the Migration Tool to migrate from my old iMac

Tell everyone you know who owns a Mac, including Apple employees... Mac Migration and Time Machine DO NOT WORK properly with Adobe program activations due to hidden registration files that are not included when Migration or Time Machine make their copies

kglad
Community Expert
kgladCommunity Expert
Community Expert
June 8, 2018

uninstall cs3 (using the uninstaller)

clean per http://helpx.adobe.com/creative-suite/kb/cs5-cleaner-tool-installation-problems.html

remove the cache.db file from Program Files (x86)/Common Files/Adobe/Adobe PCD/cache/

restart your computer

follow the steps here to install cs3, https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-suite/kb/activation-fails-cs3-acrobat-8.html

if that fails read this, https://forums.adobe.com/thread/2385900

E
edwinv95157625Author
Participant
June 13, 2018

"remove the cache.db file from Program Files (x86)/Common Files/Adobe/Adobe PCD/cache/"

As stated above, I'm on a MacBook, not a Windows machine... Where would I find the cache.db?

Bani Verma
Bani VermaCorrect answer
Legend
June 13, 2018

Hi Edwinv95157625,

To locate the cache.db file in Mac OS go to : /Library/Application Support/Adobe/Adobe PCD/cache/

If you still face issues in activation of CS3 then refer to the following help document: Resolve "temporary activation expired" error for CS3 and Acrobat 8.

Let us know if this helps.

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