Cannot deactivate CS5 on Windows 7

[john-6653-uk]

I wish to move my CS5 apps to a new laptop but the old CS5 will not deactivate because CS5 cannot connect to the internet. I cannot log in to my AdobeID from CS5 for the same reason.  The message I see is "Please connect to the internet, then press continue" See screen shot.

Other apps see the internet connection fine. I have tried several internet connections, home broadband as well as phone hotspot. I am not using a VPN or internet proxy.

There's nothing in the hosts file mentioning adobe.

The new installation works with my perpetual serial number but cannot activate because the old installation requires deactivation.

There is no apparently option to reset the activations counter on the Adobe side as support for CS5 has ceased.

Adobe support have no further suggestions and have closed my case on this.

Further suggestions welcome - thanks in advance.

[John T Smith · Accepted solution]

TLS 1.2 is now required to connect https://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/multi/eol-tls-support.html
-If you have Windows 7 be sure to do the EASYFIX.MSI in step 2 of the above link
-test your browser https://clienttest.ssllabs.com:8443/ssltest/viewMyClient.html
-http://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/policy-pricing/activation-network-issues.html
-https://helpx.adobe.com/download-install/kb/unable-to-reach-adobe-servers.html

[john-6653-uk]

Thank you John T Smith.

I have run the checker as you suggest. The report shows my defaut Firefox browser and Win 7 installation support TLS 1.2 and 1.3. Pls see snip.

Is there some reason why CS5 might not pick up the default browser? I did also try a fresh installation of Chrome as default browser but this didn't allow the deactivation to complete.

[kglad]

https://community.adobe.com/t5/download-install-discussions/activation-limit-reached-for-non-subscri...

[john-6653-uk]

Thank you kglad but this is not yet the Correct Answer.

I have worked through the page you suggest. The solutions proposed mostly do not apply to CS5 and in my case my CS5 installation was not registered with an AdobeID at any time.

https://helpx.adobe.com/uk/x-productkb/policy-pricing/activation-network-issues.html
Solution 1: Test your connection to Adobe activation servers.
This test succeeds

Solution 2: Reset your hosts file
This is clean

Solution 3: Make sure that you can access secure sites.
This test is passed

Solution 4: Check the GlobalSign Root CA certificate.
Server Authentication is enabled. ie Pass test. I did try enabling License Server Verification but this had no effect so I reverted to this unchecked.

That completes the tests but the CS5 still fails to deactivate.

I would appreciate your further suggestions relevant to CS5 on Windows 7

Kind regards

[kglad]

this link (https://community.adobe.com/t5/download-install-discussions/activation-limit-reached-for-non-subscri...) definitely applies to cs5.

[john-6653-uk]

OK yes jglad, strictly speaking. I have again reveiwed the solutions suggested and mostly they are are possible on my unregistered copy of CS5 that I wish to deactivate.

At this point I am still unable to deactivate my CS5 so I can move the licence to a new laptop.

[john-6653-uk]

Thank you to all for the links to possible solutions. Unfortunately (of those which are possible with my unregistered but activated CS5 none have allowed deactivation to succeed.

Although the TLS tester shows TLS 1.2 to be active I found that Internet Explorer 11 was still installed. I have uninstalled that using Remove Windows Features.

I have removed a couple of unusued network drives  for 3G and Bluetooth with Firefox is still default browser. That didn't help. A fresh installation of Chrome as default browser hasn't either.

Further suggestions welcome - thanks in advance.

Unfortunately still no successful deactivation.

[kglad]

have you upgraded the os, or is that still win 7?

[john-6653-uk]

This is Windows 7 with all available updates installed.

Dell provide an upgrade disk to Windows 10 but this requires a reinstall.

The free in-place upgrade to Windows 10 seems to be unavailable, particularly as Win 10 has gone out of support today 1 Sept.

[kglad]

that os may be the problem.  

[john-6653-uk]

Well maybe but there is no clear evidence that CS5 fails on Win7.

The old laptop hardware is failing and the disc will not back up due to sector errors which chkdsk cannot fix. So I am unable to revert in the case that an OS upgrade fails or fails to activate at Windows.

I see this as a deactivation defect and I'm looking for a workaround.

[kglad]

an app working or not isn't related to this problem.

[john-6653-uk]

I don't understand your comment

[kglad]

this, "Well maybe but there is no clear evidence that CS5 fails on Win7.", isn't relevant.

[john-6653-uk]

This seems an Adobe defect in the deactivation/activation system in CS5 on Windows 7. There are numerous users posting on Adobe Community about CS5 licensing problems when Windows 7 was current. A new licensing system was introduced for CS6 meaning that the CS5 system needed replacement.
I am requesting a workaround please in regard of a defect in Adobe CS5 software.

[kglad]

there's no work-around that's easy.

and the cs5, cs5.5 and cs6 activations and deactivations are identical.

[john-6653-uk]

> there's no work-around that's easy.

So what's the difficult one please

[john-6653-uk]

Meet with an an Adobe rep whoi can activate my transferred CS5 and take posession of my old lapptop, which I would wipe before handing  it over?

[kglad]

the difficult way requires using a vpn.

[john-6653-uk]

Please suggest

[john-6653-uk]

Please suggest more details.

[kglad]

send me a private message.

[john-6653-uk]

Any update on this? I sent a PM but haven't heard any more. Maybe this takes time to set up?

[kglad]

pm answered