CS5.5 Design Premium – Registered Serial Number Rejected After Install (Activation Servers Offline?)

[steve_6735]

Hello folks,

This software is legitimately registered to me, and the serial number appears under my Adobe Account page. It’s a TLP license key, originally purchased for our design department. I have the original installer media (ISO copies) as well as the installer download from Adobe’s Manage Account page.

When installing on a new Windows 11 system, the installer initially accepts my serial number and completes successfully. However, when I launch Photoshop (or any other CS5.5 app), I’m prompted again for the serial number — and this time it’s rejected with the message:

“This serial number is not valid for this product.”

I was able to run the software in trial mode for about a month, but that trial period has now expired, and the programs will no longer launch because it rejects my serial number.

This serial number is unquestionably valid and tied to the correct media; it’s also listed under my registered products in my Adobe account.

Is there any way to resolve this? I’ve read that Adobe sometimes provides non-activation installers or offline activation replacements for legacy CS products whose activation servers have been retired. If that’s still possible, could someone please point me in the right direction or escalate this to Adobe staff?

Thank you very much for any help or guidance.

(Attached: screenshot of my registered serial in the Adobe Account portal and in TLP export document, with serial numbers redacted)

[kglad]

there's a mismatch between the install file and serial number.

[steve_6735]

It's possible but not likely. I was IT Manager and was in charge of TLP licensing for ten years. This serial number is my personal copy from the TLP purchases and I made ISO copies of the media before I left the company in 2011. I'm 99% certain it has worked on other installs until now.

[Jeffrey_A_Wright]

Steve, if you have a TLP license for Creative Suite 5.5 then the correct installation files are available at the Adobe Licensing Website. Please see https://adobe.ly/43cQzDM for more information on how to access the necessary files. Kglad, and others are correct, the retail installation files will not work and provide the error message that the serial number is not accepted. ^JW

[Nancy OShea]

CS5.5 came out in 2011 and was built for use on WinXP.  At that time, it had an expected shelf-life of 3 to 5 years, after which you were expected to upgrade. 

There's no guarantee that a product that old will perform properly on Win11. Too much has changed since then.

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 Hope that helps. 

[steve_6735]

Understood. And yet, it still works. I used Photoshop 5.x from this package in Trial mode under Win11 and it was perfectly usable, until the trail period expired. The issue is the activation process, not whether the app itself is functional. Also note that Acrobat X, from the same installer package, activates properly with its own serial number. It's just the suite iteself that's failing to activate.

[Peru Bob]

Is there a serial number for the suite and another serial number for each app in the package?

[steve_6735]

There is a single serial number for the suite and a separate serial number for Acrobat X. Acrobat validates and is functional, but the suite fails.

[kglad]

more info:   if you saw an invalid serial number you either made an error when entering the number OR you have the wrong installer.  details:

assuming you're using a valid adobe serial number (6 groups of 4 numbers), you have a mismatch between your installation file and serial number. ie, you can have a valid serial number, but if it's for program A and your installation file is for program B, you will see an invalid serial number message.

common mismatches are language/region (eg, serial number is for western europe and installation file is eastern europe), platform (eg, serial number is for a mac and installation file is win), license type (eg, education vs enterprise vs individual). and one of the most common is using a program installation file with a suite's serial number. eg, using a cs6 suite serial number with a photoshop cs6 installation file. that won't work even though photoshop is included in that suite.

you must use the (correct) suite's installation file (and you can choose to only install one program from the suite). here's official info about that error, http://helpx.adobe.com/creative-suite/kb/error-serial-number-valid-product.html

[steve_6735]

As I mentioned in another reply, I was IT Manager and was in charge of TLP licensing for ten years. This serial number is my personal serial number and is copied directly out of a file that was exported from the TLP licensing site. The install media is an ISO copy that I made prior to leaving the company in 2011. So it's hard to imagine that I screwed it up, but I guess anything's possible.

The TLP file says this serial number is for Adobe Design Premium 5.5, Universal English, Windows. The install media only indicate that it's Design Premium 5.5 Win - there's nothing to indicate whether this is retail package vs volume license, etc.

I also downloaded the installer from the Adobe site that shows up next to the registered serial number, with the same results.

Are you aware of any other sources where I can specifically download the legacy installer?

[Jeffrey_A_Wright]

Thanks for the update, Steve, I am sorry if I was unclear. If you are receiving the message that the serial number is invalid, then you should download a fresh copy of the correct installation files from the licensing website. You can find information on how someone within the organization can regain access to the licensing website at https://adobe.ly/4qdDLae.  

Many times, the installation files that are provided are specific to that licensing agreement, so there is no other source of installation files that will work with the Creative Suite 5.5 volume license, which includes the TLP license you referenced. ^JW

[steve_6735]

Hi Jeffrey, thanks so much for the info. Yesterday I tried to access the TLP site. It recognized my email address from my former employer, but I have no recollection what the password is, and since I can no longer access the email account, I can't do a password reset. Over the past 14 years the company has since been sold more than once, and there's no one left in the IT/Prepress department who would know me.

Any suggestions on how I might gain access to retrieve the correct install media?

Best,
Steve

[Jeffrey_A_Wright]

I understand, Steve. If you can find someone who can complete the transfer of license process listed at https://adobe.ly/47rLvxK, then you can continue to use the Creative Suite 5.5 TLP software license purchased by the company.

Since this was never done, I recommend you look for a new solution for your creative needs in 2025. ^JW

[steve_6735]

Thanks Jeffrey. I just looked at the company's website and there's absolutely no one in leadership left over from my ten-year tenure there. I hate to give up but it seems like I'm hitting a dead end. I'll consider other options. Thanks for your help.

[Jeffrey_A_Wright]

You are welcome, Steve.

For future viewers of this discussion, if you are planning to continue to use a license for an organization that is being dissolved or no longer available, then please make sure to complete the license transfer process listed at https://adobe.ly/3IPQCi6. This allows you to continue to access the necessary installation files and license the software.

Many volume licenses and all educational license serial numbers do have restrictions that will prevent them from being transferred, but that is confirmed as part of the license transfer process. I would still recommend completing the process unless you are sure that it is an educational license for Creative Suite. Educational licenses are non-transferable due to the heavily discounted nature in which they were provided. ^JW

[steve_6735]

Jeffrey, I'm still struggling with one aspect. I *had* this very software running on my old Win10 box. That box was recently retired and I did a fresh install of Win11 on a new hardware platform, which is where these woes began.

The drive in the Win10 box had had the OS upgraded a number of times, but at some point I had to have installed CS5.5 on it, and this is the media and serial number I would have used - there's no other. So I don't understand why it would have worked then but is being flagged as an invalid serial number now.

I'm going to try installing on my wife's machine and another Windows box I have, to see if the issue persists across machines.

Is there *anything* in the installer that would identify it as being associated with the TLP program, as opposed to retail, educational, etc? Anything in the media that would tell me whether I have the right installer? Again, the TLP license key file says this serial number is for "Adobe Design Premium 5.5, Universal English, Windows." Thanks, Jeffrey.

[steve_6735]

One additional question please, Jeffrey. ChatGPT is telling me the activation servers needed to validate this serial number are no longer online and that may be the cause of the problem. Is that true, or is it hallucinating? Thanks.

[Jeffrey_A_Wright]

Yes, Steve, the licensing website will have the serial number listed and the installation files available. If you are unable to access the licensing website to confirm the license is still valid and to access the necessary installation files, then try installing the software, which will not lead to a different result.

Individuals can use the steps listed at https://adobe.ly/3W3BgJP to register their copy of Creative Suite and access the necessary installation files. Only retail installation files are available though, and if you tried to use the files that were available on https://adobe.ly/4olRUjQ you would receive the invalid serial number message discussed at https://adobe.ly/4osaB5D. You mentioned you have a TLP license, Steve, so those files will not work for you by design.

Activation is a separate topic, which you have not even reached, since you have not licensed the software, Steve. ChatGPT is incorrect. The activation servers are still online, and information on how to manage any remaining activations in 2025 can be found at https://adobe.ly/4qdQHgi. ^JW

[steve_6735]

Jeffrey - interestingly, the software installs, activates and runs just fine on my wife's machine. Both are Win 11; the only significant difference is that hers is Intel i5 and mine is AMD Ryzen. So that would confirm the ISO media is correct for the TLP license key, and the problem is something else.

I've downloaded tools that are supposed to clean all remnants of previous installations (AdobeCreativeCloudCleanerTool.exe and AdobeLimitedAccessRepairTool.exe). Are there any other relevant tools that might help remove all registry entrys, databases and other Adobe artifacts, so I can ensure I'm working from a clean base environment?

[Jeffrey_A_Wright]

Thanks for the update, Steve, make sure that you back up the installation files if you do not encounter any additonal activation or licensing problems with the new installation.

You have already run the CC Cleaner tool, then that should have removed any licensing information that was stored on the computer. ^JW