Got hit with "Time limit for activating Creative Suite 5.5 Design Standard has been exceeded"

[Solve35244305ast4]

Hi everyone,

problem is in the title. The phrase might not be 100 percent correct as it was translated from German (Die Zeitbeschränkung für die Aktivierung von Creative Suite 5.5 Design Standard wurde überschritten. Diese Seriennummer wurde bereits auf zwei Computern installiert).

This came completely out of nowhere. Iirc the suite is installed on the computer I've been working with for several years only, two devices at max (I got two licenses, don't know if this is standard). I cannot deactivate the suite but I doubt it would solve the problem anyways as there was no attempt to install it on a second (or third) device. I haven't made any other significant changes to the computer either.

What do I do now?

[Jeffrey_A_Wright]

Solve, thanks for posting to this public discussion forum. Please see https://adobe.ly/3MgWJgo for information on how to manage any remaining activations for Creative Suite 5.5. Major changes to the computer, or files on the computer, could have triggered a new activation request. ^JW

[Solve35244305ast4]

Thank you, but I didn't understand what needs to be done.
Deinstalling, running the Cleaning Tool, reinstalling?
I cannot deactivate the software before deinstalling as specified in the instructions; will this be a problem?

[kglad]

yes.  you must carefully deactivate following the instructions in @Jeffrey_A_Wright 's post.

you generally only have one chance to do it correctly. if done incorrectly, you'll be unable to deactivate, at all.

[Solve35244305ast4]

It says "To preserve and manage the included activations, use Help>Sign Out or Help>Deactivate before uninstalling the software".
I'm not able to do that as "Help>Deactivate" is grayed out.

So no chance of getting CS 5.5 back (even if reinstalling it on the same computer)?

[kglad]

there's a small chance you can reactivate on that old computer.  if that works you get another try to deactivate.

[Solve35244305ast4]

But.. how?
I'm not sure I explained the situation right.

I've been using CS 5.5 on computer A for several years.
(It might also still be activated on computer B, I don't fully remember. If I had to make a guess, I'd say it's not.)
So as I opened Photoshop on computer A yesterday, this message popped up.
I can't think of anything that might have led to this occurence; no major changes to computer A, especially not to CS 5.5.
I didn't want to/plan on using CS 5.5 on any device other than computer A, nor did I try to.

I'm basically trying to get rid of the pop up window on computer A to continue using CS 5.5 on computer A.
Am I correct in understanding that my only chance in doing so is computer B still having 5.5 activated?

[kglad]

it's not possible to determine whether adobe found another computer with a matching serial number that was activated, or adobe mistakenly surmised that your computer A is different from the computer A that previously allowed cs 5.5 to open.

[Solve35244305ast4]

Ah ok, got it. Thank you!
Is there a time-limit for the problem to be solved or can I just leave it as is and try again some time later?
Can you still contact Adobe directly and if so, how? Years ago I had computer C crash with no chance to deactivate and they just set it back.

[kglad]

there's no time-limit other than the inevitable: adobe will disallow activation and deactivation of all cs5, cs5.5 and cs6 apps in the future.  that might in a fews week, or it might be in a few decades.

adobe support no longer will/can reset your activation count.  that used to be possible, but stopped a few months ago.

as of that change, the only way to gain an activation was to use a computer with a current activation and deactivate it.  if that's impossible, it's impossible to gain an activation.  there's no workaround.

[kglad]

yes, that message isn't a time-limit message. it's a computer activation limit (which is usually 2 computers at any one time).

[John T Smith]

You do not describe your computer, so this may not apply

TLS 1.2 is now required to connect https://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/multi/eol-tls-support.html
-If you have Windows 7 be sure to do the EASYFIX.MSI in step 2 of the above link
-test your browser https://clienttest.ssllabs.com:8443/ssltest/viewMyClient.html
-http://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/policy-pricing/activation-network-issues.html
-https://helpx.adobe.com/download-install/kb/unable-to-reach-adobe-servers.html
-https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/kb/troubleshoot-download-install-logs.html#error113
-https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/mem/configmgr/core/plan-design/security/enable-tls-1-2

[Solve35244305ast4]

Thank you! Unfortunately, none of these solutions seems to be working even though the computer meets the neccessary criteria.
If further information about the computer could help fix the problem, please lmk

[Nancy OShea]

Too many things have changed in the 15 years since CS5 released.  The devices we use, servers, security, antivirus, operating systems, etc... Nothing remains the same forever.

MODERN OPTIONS:
==============
FREE Acrobat Reader
https://www.adobe.com/acrobat/pdf-reader.html

FREE Online PDF Editor
https://www.adobe.com/acrobat/online/pdf-editor.html\

Paid Acrobat (Standard, Pro or Studio)
https://www.adobe.com/acrobat/pricing/compare-versions.html

Photoshop Elements (3 year license)
https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop-elements.html

Creative Cloud Annual Photography plan. 
https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/photography.html

FREE or Paid Adobe Express
https://helpx.adobe.com/express/using/express-overview.html

Creative Cloud Bundles & Single Apps for mobile, web & desktops
https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/plans.html

System Requirements:

- https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/system-requirements.html
- https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/system-requirements.html
- https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/kb/photoshop-cc-gpu-card-faq.html

Hope that helps.

[Solve35244305ast4]

Thank you but I bought a perpetual license, my operating system is just fine, the software is activated on not more than two computers one of which I am using and the servers are still running.
I'd consider buying the 3-year license but there's no Black Friday Sale in my country, so no.
They're offering Affinity 3 for free now btw, which is actually pretty good and fits my purposes just right. Absolutely not keen on working with new software though, which is why I'd like to continue using the CS 5.5 I bought for this very reason, although it might be inferior to newer products.

[kglad]

read my previous post 

[Solve35244305ast4]

I did and appreciate the information, hence the upvote.
Still, I don't like the fact Adobe is withdrawing their license from me for no apparent reason and without any prior notification.
Or is it that you included a hidden message in your reply I didn't understand?

[kglad]

there's no hidden message. 

and adobe doesn't announce things like other users using or trying to use your serial number which could trigger what you saw.  also, any hard ware change to your computer will trigger it being recognized as a different computer.

[Solve35244305ast4]

Given that software activation/deactivation seem to be somewhat critical in the process and, as you stated, 'there's no workaround', I think we can rule out the possibility that someone else is using my serial number.
As I mentioned earlier, I made no hardware or software changes.

Be that as it may, in all those cases I would have expected Adobe to fix the issue as they did in the past, for the reasons listed above.

It's quite unexpected to learn that, despite all this, they simply don't do it anymore.

This isn't a 'what did you expect, your product is old af' situation, but rather a 'Dear customer, we're writing to inform you that as of xx.xx.xxxx (x months from now), your product will no longer be supported. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. As our valued customer, we'd like to offer you a lifetime discount of x% on all our products' type of case, as soon as it is decided to shut down customer support.

I would have let it go after your last reply, but then Nancy OShea showed up with those 'times change, we must all adapt' platitudes and promoted software I'm apparently expected to spend even more money on.
I mean, come on.

[kglad]

another person trying to use your serial number will cause the number to be revoked.  actually, no one even needs to try.  finding the serial number in a public place or (the not-so-public) dark web will trigger revocation.  bu revocation isn't the message you're seeing.

a hardware change will trigger the message.  and with all the win 11 screwups, it's possible an update from win 10 to win 11 could trigger it.

i ignore o'shay's comments and i recommend you do, too.  she adds that to everything she posts about legacy software.  ie, i don't think she's ever added anything to help users.