Deactivating CS 5.5 - no connection to server

[xoiog15169783]

Our office runs several CS5, CS5.5 and CS6 Suits.

Since we take licensing very seriously, we always mak sure to deactivate our licenses before reinstalling.

Lately we had trouble to connect to the license servers - resulting in "Please connect to the Internet" (which obviously was not the problem).

Is there another way to deactivate old CS-Versions properly? Or what is the right way to do so?

Any help is appreciated since we rely on these versions!

Thanks in advance, P.

[kglad]

the best way to deactivate is to open a suite program > click help > click sign out or deactivate.

but you can also deactivate on all computers by contacting adobe support, and if you registered with adobe by checking your account (https://account.adobe.com > plans & payment > activated devices).

NOTE:  if you try to deactivate (or activate) using a computer with an older os, you may encounter a tls problem:  

your default browser must support tls 1.2, https://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/multi/eol-tls-support.html

to test your default browser's tls you can use , https://clienttest.ssllabs.com:8443/ssltest/viewMyClient.html

[xoiog15169783]

Hey, thanks for your help. Unfortunately this does not work:

1. Deactivating through software results in described error: "Connect to the internet"

2. I don't see any devices activated on my account. Don't ask me why, we were always following standard procedure as required. I got a couple of serials, but since we also bought some used licenses (as is legal in the EU)  they don't appear there either.

Any other methods to properly deactivate accounts, maybe manually?

[kglad]

what's your os/version?

does your default browser support tls 1.2

[peters35368986]

It's Windows 10 and yes.

The problem occured on 2 different machines now trying to migrate a license. The firewall should not be the issue.

[kglad]

i assume by "migrate" you do NOT mean the use of any migration tools (which would be problematic).

and i posted a link for you to test your default browser's tls version, so assuming your's does support tls 1.2:

confirm that you can connect to the secure adobe servers by reading, http://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/policy-pricing/activation-network-issues.html

do you see both logos after clicking "link"?

if you can and still see a connection error try these steps, https://helpx.adobe.com/download-install/kb/common-network-connectivity-issues.html

if those all fail, white list the adobe network endpoints, https://helpx.adobe.com/enterprise/kb/network-endpoints.html

[peters35368986]

Hi! No, "migration" is meant in a very literal way to either move a license from an old workstation to a new one or reinstalling a pc.

I will follow your tipps - currently the deactivation worked, but only after retrying it for 2 days. Thanks for taking your time!

[kglad]

wait.

if deactivation eventually worked, that suggests you have no setting to change/fix, but that there's an actually (intermittant) network issue.

if there was a setting/av/firewall/proxy issue, you would not see an intermittant issue.

[peters35368986]

Since we otherwise have no trouble with connectivity and the problem suddendly appeared out of nowhere 3 months ago, I actually don't believe that the trouble is on our side. But thanks for taking the time!

[kglad]

you're welcome. 

(but it absolutely can and probably is on your side.)

last week i intermittantly lost dns server access (resulting in no connection to named urls) that was remedied by a router firmware update.  so it absolutely can be on your side. 

the reason i say it's probably on your side is because you would be the first, afaik, to fail to connect to a cs5.5 activation server.  of course, someone has to be the first and i've here long enough to remember how adobe shut down the cs2 and then the cs3 and cs4 servers.  so, it's possible they are shutdown.  but that would NOT be intermittant.  once servers are shut down, it will no longer be possible to deactivate or activate software that needs to contact those servers.

[peters35368986]

Thanks for your opinion - I am willing to believe that. Just out of curiosity: How do you then handle / move your CS3 / CS4 licenses? Kind regards, P.

[kglad]

you cannot activate cs2, cs3 nor cs4.   there's no legal work-around.

you can install and use for 30 days (trial period).  after that trial period you would have to reformat the computers hard drive and restart another 30 days or use another computer for the 30 day trial. 

[peters35368986]

But isn't Adobe legally obliged to allow you access to the software you purchased?

[kglad]

i'm not aware of anyone bringing a lawsuit, but i would think this is something that's been assessed for a class-action lawsuit.  certainly a lot of people on these forums were angry.

 adobe's public position was that the activation servers aged-out and could not be maintained.  why newer servers could not be used, i do not know, but adobe has lawyers and i'm pretty sure they've weighed in on this and possibly feel, this is defensible (legally).

[peters35368986]

"Aged out" - sure :). There is little need to further comment.

Thank you again for taking your time, kind regards from Berlin, P.

[kglad]

interestingly (to me), when cs2 servers were shut down, adobe made available (to everyone, using the honor system) cs2 enterprise versions that did not need activation.

when they shuttered cs3 and cs4, they removed the cs2 downloads.

(and i still can't believe germany was eliminated for the world cup.)

[peters35368986]

well, the CS2 system was the only logical thing to do. If you don't want to support 12 year old software - which is very understandable - then just drop it - or at least you have to give users access to the software they paid good money for. The users did not come up with the licensing mechanism, so you should offer them something. But maybe I am just an idealist :).

And about dropping out of World Cup - there was so much discussion here in germany about this specific WC, it's better that way anyhow. :). But interesting that you care ;).

[kglad]

adobe fails to support all its software other than the most current cc version and one version older than the most current cc version.

ok, that's (imo) morally defensible.  but why would adobe make available for download, installation files for cs5, cs5.5 and cs6 and remove installation files for some newer cc versions? 

that makes no sense, to me.

(and i while i don't have any emotional ties to germany, they were one of the 3 best teams, imo, in the tournament along with france and brazil.)

[Nancy OShea]

Deactivation of devices from online account only works with Creative Cloud. It won't work for legacy CS5-CS6 products.

Ensure that your devices support TLS 1.2 connections.  Without it, you can't connect to Adobe's servers and will see the "Connect to Internet" warnings.

https://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/multi/eol-tls-support.html

[peters35368986]

Thanks, Nancy for your answer.

I am not familiar with TLS 1.2, but we are running a current Win10 environment and as far as I can see TLS 1.2 is on by default. Additionally pinging the server like here (https://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/policy-pricing/activation-network-issues.html) works without any issues.

So I still don't know what the issue is. It really does not look like the problem is in our side.

[AxelMatt]

Please take a look here: How to resolve connection errors with Creative Suite applications (adobe.com)

[peters35368986]

Thanks Axel. Doing the Ping Test works fine, but the deactivation does not.

In fact after trying 20 times it suddendly worked ?!?! But since we run a few legacy licenses I would like something more reliable for the future.

[Nancy OShea]

CS5 is 12+ years out of date. If you want reliable,  get a Creative Cloud for Teams plan that includes current software, support and other perks.

https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/business/teams.html