CS6 and Monterey

[Elaine.Ellen]

Does anyone know if it will be possible to download and use CS6 (which I own) to work on OS 12 Monterey?

[Ged_Traynor · Accepted solution]

Hi

Simple answer is no, CS6 won't run on the last few versions of MAC OS

[Nancy OShea · Accepted solution]

CS1, CS2, CS3 and CS4 are dead & gone. The aging activation servers failed and were taken offline. Even if you find an installer, it's impossible to activate the software.

CS5 and CS6 are on life support. But they can still be activated providing you have the following:
1. your original media (disks or downloads) you received at purchase and a way to read them,
2. a legitimate serial number for that version, language and platform (Win/Mac) and if it was an upgrade, a qualifying serial number from an older product,
3. an older operating system that can support legacy 32-bit apps.

Legacy Creative Suite will never run on Catalina, Big Sur or Monterey. Nor will it be tested on Win11.  Only the latest Creative Cloud products are compatible with new operating systems.

Creative Suite is discontinued, unsupported and no longer sold legally by any vendor, retailer or in any country.

MODERN OPTIONS:
Photoshop Elements (approx $100, no subscription needed).
https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop-elements.html

Creative Cloud Photography Plan (approx $10/month for 12 months). Includes the following:
- Photoshop CC and Photoshop on iPad
- Lightroom on desktop, mobile and the web
- Lightroom Classic
- Portfolio website + hosting
- Spark with premium features
- Bridge
- 20 GB cloud storage (upgradable to 1 TB).
https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/photography.html

Creative Cloud All Apps (51 + apps & services) and Single Apps Plans
https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/plans.html

=============
Beware of fake Adobe reps who may contact you privately offering to sell you software or take control of your computer. It's a scam, run away! Real Adobe employees will never reach out via Outlook, Yahoo, Gmail or Skype.
=============
3 Easy Ways to Identify Genuine Adobe Staff
https://tinyurl.com/10791730

[femkeblanco]

@Nancy OShea Could you elaborate on the "activation" process, please?  One can find second hand copies of almost any these programs for sale.  In some caes, the system requirements will state "internet connection required for activation".  

However, I have Photophop CS4 and Illustrator CS4 (which I installed from the Creative Suite discs), and Illustrator CS6.  I have never needed to activate them.  Could activation be a regional (North American) thing?  

Thanks in advance.  

[Gerard Crean]

This is the sequence you must follow, but you need to have a valid serial number to input, plus an Adobe account:

1. Launch the product.
2. At the Serial Number Validation screen, click Having Trouble Connecting To The Internet.
3. Click Offline Activation and click Generate a Response Code.
4. Write down the Request Code.
5. Switch to an online computer and navigate to www.adobe.com/go/getactivated.
6. Click Offline Activation.
7. Sign in with your Adobe ID.
8. Enter your Request code and click Generate.
9. Write down the Response code.
10. Switch back to the offline computer.
11. Enter the Response Code and click Activate.

I hope this helps.

[Nancy OShea]

@femkeblanco,

Any Adobe products you see on auction sites like eBay or Alibaba are highly risky.  Auction sites are rife with pirated and bogus copies or worse, infected with malware that could harm your computer and put you at risk for ransomeware attacks. 

If you decide to take the risk, the seller and buyer must submit transfer of ownership forms to Adobe.  If the seller refuses, run for the hills.  It's not a legitimate transaction.

https://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/policy-pricing/transfer-product-license.html

Product Activation with a valid serial number has always been essential to use the software on an individual license.  However Registration is not essential unless you wanted product support. But that ship has sailed because Creative Suite is discontinued & unsupported now.  You use old software at your own risk. It might work or it might not. 

That's all I can tell you.

[John Waller]

I have Photophop CS4 and Illustrator CS4 (which I installed from the Creative Suite discs), and Illustrator CS6.  I have never needed to activate them.

Odd. First time I've heard that genuine Adobe Creative Suite software did not need to be activated.

[CJR 37235]

You can run CS6 on Monterey through Parallels Desktop 17.  Parallels allows you to create a virtual machine using an older Mac OS. I used High Sierra, but Parallels requires a .DMG of the installer.

[keyyyks]

Will this work for CS5 as well? I'd hate that all this money is down the drain and forcing customers to pay for a subcription. 

[Nancy OShea]

It might work or it might not.  What kind of computer do you have?

My sources tell me Parallels doesn't support older macOS on Apple Silicon (M1 chip) devices with Big Sur or Monterey.

[keyyyks]

iMac 2015 macOS Monterey

Thank you 

[CJR 37235]

I'm not sure.  I found it difficult to register CS6 from the installer as Adobe may have taken down the registration server.  I migrated my applications from a time machine backup and when I launched Photoshop it asked for a serial number and appears to have taken it.  Hopefully it will be stable in the Parallels VM.  Affinity Design and Affinity Photo are options.

[Nancy OShea]

Registration and Activation are two different things.  Activation is essential to use the software beyond the introductory trial.  However you can register your license with Adobe only once and it's not required to use the software.

[Kilian23575580zuzt]

Hi Hello, thanks for the hint.

What do I need to do in order to install CS6 under Parallels (High Sierra)....#I am not sure if I understand

what you mean by: Parallels requires a DMG of the installer....

[Test Screen Name]

First, be sure you aren't on a M1 Mac. Parallels on M1 cannot run Intel-only systems like Catalina or older.

Second you will need an installer for the old system, as well as an installer for Creative Suite. If you didn't save one, I have no idea how you could possibly get an installer today.

[CJR 37235]

The "Install OS X . . . ." is normally an application (.app extension).  dmg is a disk image.  Parallels requires that the installer be the .DMG.  There are instructions for converting the .app to a .dmg but I found it easier to search for the .dmg version.

[Gerard Crean]

Hello Elaine

I run the CS6 suite of programs on my 2020 MacBook Pro 13" using VMWare Fusion that creates a Mojave Virtual machine to run it on. It works flawlessly and fast, too, even matching the native Retina screen resolution. The only thing is that if you own a new Apple Silicon (M1 etc) Mac you're out of luck, unfortunately. 

If yours is an Intel based Mac, you're in luck, so don't listen to the doom-mongers telling you to move over to Adobe Cloud Apps if you're happy using the features of the CS6 suite. Please see my other post to the community that tells you how to achieve this at no extra cost to yourself, legally!

However, I recommend you always use a decent up-to-date anti-virus on your Mac as this will help to minimise risk from these older CS6 suite programs that by their nature do not have the most up-to-date security patches. For example, when I receive files I always scan them with the AV in Monterey before moving them over to the Virtual 'Mojave' Mac running the CS6 suite. 

Gerard

[Nancy OShea]

If you own M1 chip computer, you can't run Mojave on Parallels.  It's Big Sur or nothing. 

After more than a decade, it's best to get compatible software for your computer.  If not Adobe Creative Cloud, then something else. Running outdated software on new equipment & OS is just an invitation to more problems later. 

[Elaine.Ellen]

Thanks Gerard, it is a M1 mac. 

Instead of selling on my old Macbook Air and I keeping it and just using it when I want to use any of the CS6 suite. Not ideal but can't afford the new package prices!

Cheers,

Elaine

[sennekkah22090983x9ug]

I'm still able to run PS cs6 on my new macbook air (M1)(Monterey) without Parallel or any other software.

The only limitation is I need to go to the image file and control click/open with/any app/and select PS

[John Waller]

Good to know.

Be good to know how you installed CS6, which has a 32 bit installer, on the M1 running Monterey which runs only 64 bit apps.

[sennekkah22090983x9ug]

It came across with a timemachine migration from my previous laptop (2013).

[John Waller]

Ah, OK. And CS6 is activated?

[sennekkah22090983x9ug]

Sure is, although I seem to using it less and less now that I've migrated to Affinity.

[bianca2624647545m9]

Hoi did you do this?