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J
john-6653-uk
Participating Frequently
August 29, 2025
Answered

Cannot deactivate CS5 on Windows 7

  • August 29, 2025
  • 4 replies
  • 2019 views

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.

Correct answer John T Smith

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

4 replies

Nancy OShea
Nancy OShea
Community Expert
September 1, 2025

As heads-up, you might want to leave CS5 installed on your old machine and dedicate that device to older legacy apps. I say this because there's no guarantee that 15-year-old CS5 will install, much less activate, on new equipment that it was never designed for. 

 

You would be much better off getting supported software that's compatible with your new machine. 

 

CS5 REPLACEMENTS:
==============
FREE Acrobat Reader -- view, comment, print & sign PDF.
https://www.adobe.com/acrobat/pdf-reader.html

Paid Acrobat Pro -- the complete solution for creating and saving PDF.
https://www.adobe.com/acrobat/acrobat-pro.html

Photoshop Elements or Premiere Elements (3 year license, no subscription needed).
https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop-elements.html

Creative Cloud Photography Plan 
https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/photography.html

Creative Cloud Bundles & Single Apps for mobile, web & desktops
https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/plans.html

 

Most Adobe apps work on these systems, no more than 2 versions back:

  • Windows 11 (64-bit) versions 24H2, 23H2; Windows 10 versions 22H2, 21H2;
  • MacOS 15 (Sequoia), 14.7 (Sonoma), 13.6.7 (Ventura).

- https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/system-requirements.html
- https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/system-requirements.html
- https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/kb/photoshop-cc-gpu-card-faq.html

 

NOTE: MS is discontinuing Win10 support next month. Apple is releasing Tahoe later this year.

 

Hope that helps. 

 

Nancy O'Shea— Product User & Community Expert
    J
    john-6653-ukAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    September 1, 2025

    Thnak you Nancy O'Shea. Very valid point.

     

    J
    john-6653-ukAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    September 2, 2025

    Valid point but as I have all the features I need in CS5 for what I do but hardware (old laptop) needs replacement. CS5 software is fine for me and learning a ne version would be unproductive, especially in the short term.

    J
    john-6653-ukAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    September 1, 2025

    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
    kglad
    Community Expert
    September 1, 2025

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

    J
    john-6653-ukAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    September 1, 2025

    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
    kglad
    Community Expert
    August 29, 2025

    https://community.adobe.com/t5/download-install-discussions/activation-limit-reached-for-non-subscription-adobe-desktop-applications/td-p/14804413?linkId=100000305463075

    J
    john-6653-ukAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    August 29, 2025

    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

     

     

     

    John T Smith
    John T SmithCorrect answer
    Community Expert
    August 29, 2025

    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

    J
    john-6653-ukAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    August 29, 2025

    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.

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