Difficulty in Activating CS5.5 Design Standard

[JingYiLin]

I am getting really frustrated with the difficulty of activating my Creative Suite 5.5 and am wondering if anyone with sufficient technical knowledge can assist me.

I purchased and installed my CS5.5. around a week ago, and have been using it every day since. However, today, I received an error message stating that Adobe is unable to activate my software. If I fail to activate in within a certain number of days, the programme will cease to function. Following the error message, I tried to activate it through the internet, but I kept receiving the error message that the computer was unable to connect to the internet. There were no issues with my internet connection because I was able to surf the internet. And to be sure, I also did the "cmd -> ping activate.adobe.com" thing that Adobe website suggested. Still, there was no conclusive help.

So I spoke to the support team through the online chat support service, and the support officer asked me to call the technical support. When I called the hotline, I found out that  technical support was closed for the day and the support is only available from Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm. However, the problem is that I have neither phone access, nor access to my personal computer (which I had installed the CS5.5 on) during their opening hours of Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm. The nature of my day job is just such that I just do not have convenient access during the day. So in desperation, I approached the live-chat support team the 2nd time to ask if there is any alternative to getting technical help other than via phone call during office hours, and unfortunately I was told by the officer that there are no other ways of reaching the technical support.

Basically I am stuck with my un-activated CS5.5. and I'm desperate because 1) I have some assignments to rush using the CS 2) It is too costly an item for me to just let it go like this! I have tried uninstalling and reinstalling, disabling my firewall etc but all these efforts are to no avail.

I wonder if anyone has ever faced a similiar problem and how you managed to resolve the issue? Is there anyone who can please help me??

[Manish-Sharma]

Hi,

Please let us know the Operating system you are using?

Is this the subscription of CS5.5 you are using or the reatils license?

You are located in teh new zealand?

[JingYiLin]

Hi Manish,

Thank you very much for your response! I am using Windows 7, the retail license, and I am located in Singapore.

Thanks!

[Manish-Sharma]

Change your system clock time zone to Pacific standard time and then check.

[JingYiLin]

Hi Munish,

I've changed it to PST (I've tried both with and without daylight setting) and it didn't work..

[Manish-Sharma]

Go to

C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc    and move the host file to the desktop.....sometime when you will move the file then the copy will remain...hence make sure you move it properly.

[JingYiLin]

Thank you! You happened to reply at the same time that I did. I have also found this solution on another forum discussion.

Your help has been much appreciated.

[JingYiLin · Accepted solution]

Hi Munish,

Thank you very much for offering your help.

I have resolved the problem by doing what one of the users in another forum suggested. Here are the steps for anyone who may possibly face the same problem as I did.

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Please go to this URL: https://activate.adobe.com/test

If you receive an "error" 404 message then please do the following:

Check the host file

Windows 32 bit and 64 bit

1. Locate the hosts file.
2. Click Start, click Run, type "%systemroot% \system32\drivers\etc" and then click OK.
3. Right-click the "hosts" file and select Open. Select Notepad for the application to open the hosts file.
4. Save a backup of the file. Choose File > Save As. Name the file hosts.backup and click OK.
5. Find 127.0.0.1 activate.adobe.com and delete this entry.
6. Save the file and close it.

If you receive a "status" 404 message then please try the steps here:

http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/897/cpsid_89743.html

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