Error: Activation Limit Reached for Adobe Photoshop Elements 9 After Reinstalling Windows 11

[Fabiano Ely]

Hello everyone,

I'm facing an issue with Adobe Photoshop Elements 9 after having to format my computer with Windows 11. I had some problems with the operating system that forced me to reinstall everything from scratch. However, now I'm encountering an error related to the activation limit of the software.

When I try to activate Adobe Photoshop Elements 9, I receive a message stating that the serial number has already been activated on two computers. The message says I need to resolve the issue before I can continue and displays the serial number.

I would like to clarify that I use the software exclusively on a single device at a time. The formatting was necessary due to critical problems with Windows 11 that prevented it from functioning correctly. Therefore, Photoshop Elements 9 is installed only on my recently formatted computer. Additionally, I have the program registered to my Adobe account.

I tried contacting Adobe support, but I was directed to post on the forum.

Has anyone experienced something similar or knows how I can resolve this situation?

Thanks in advance for your help!

[kglad]

you would need to deactivate on one of the two currently activated computers. 

updating an os wouldn't trigger this, but any hardware change would.

anyway, if that other computer isn't handy, it makes more sense to purchase the current pse.

[Fabiano Ely]

The program is not installed on two devices. It has always been used on a single device. I formatted the device due to problems with Windows 11. After reinstalling Windows 11, I tried to install Adobe Photoshop Elements on this device, which was installed before the formatting. I do not have two devices. It has always been installed on this one.

[kglad]

well, adobe recognizes two.  any computer that's undergone a hardware change is a different computer (to adobe).

[Fabiano Ely]

You mentioned that formatting and reinstalling on the same device wouldn't trigger this issue, but it did. There were no hardware changes. I simply formatted, reinstalled Windows 11, and tried to reinstall Adobe Photoshop Elements 9.

[kglad]

adobe thinks there was a hardware change since the initial install and activation.

[Fabiano Ely]

Ok, eu entendo como eles estão interpretando isso. Mas qual é a solução, dado que não houve nenhuma mudança de hardware — apenas formatação e tentativa de reinstalar o PSE 9?

[Fabiano Ely]

Okay, I understand how they are interpreting this. But what is the solution, given that there was no hardware change—only formatting and attempting to reinstall PSE 9?

[kglad · Accepted solution]

purchase the current pse, https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop-elements/buy-elements.html?sdid=WB99JHFM&mv=search&mv2=paid...