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ebowen911
Participant
July 3, 2023
Answered

Illustrator CS 6 activation

  • July 3, 2023
  • 1 reply
  • 8516 views

HELP! I just reformatted my hard drive and now cant activate my CS6 illustrator. Does anyone have a work around [illegal activity removed — this will get you banned if repeated]. I only use legit but it appears if you dont upgrade they are forcing us out! I dont want a subscription!! I like perpetual license!

Correct answer Monika Gause

Hello community,

Does anyone have a work around for this CS6 activation issue?

I cannot even open Illustrator CS6 as the software is claimng too many activations. This is an error possibly caused by a power surge. I previously had been using CS6 on this computer for 2 years (there are no other computers with this license on them.) Said differently: I cannot deactivate the license on another computer because there are no such installations or activations.

  • This issue began either when adobe shut down the activation servers -OR- as a result of a week of mutiple power surges in our area. I am not sure which, as it wasn't discovered immediately
  • I downloaded adobes CC cleaner and tried that and reinstalled. But still cannot past the "retry activation" screen
  • My 2nd question is... If Adobe shut down thier activation servers, how does my CS6 software think there are other activations. How would it keep track of that if there are no servers to down load from?

This never ending loop just does not make and sense.

Please help!


Please refer to this: https://community.adobe.com/t5/download-install-discussions/activation-limit-reached-for-non-subscription-adobe-desktop-applications/td-p/14804413

and this: https://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/global/invalid-revoked-serial-numbers.html 

1 reply

Jacob Bugge
Community Expert
Jacob BuggeCommunity Expert
Community Expert
July 3, 2023

ebowen,

 

I believe this still counts (literally):

 

https://community.adobe.com/t5/download-install-discussions/activation-support-to-adjust-your-activation-count/m-p/12125990

 

@Jeffrey_A_Wright  ?

 

jane-e
Community Expert
jane-eCommunity Expert
Community Expert
July 12, 2023

 

EDIT: In July 2023, what I wrote here was true. Since then, Adobe Customer Care no longer resets activations. Deactivate first.

@ebowen911 

Deactivate first as it says on this Help page. If you can't, you might need to get your activations reset first. Contact Adobe Customer Care.

 

https://helpx.adobe.com/download-install/kb/activation-deactivation-help.html

 

 

Jane

R
Retune
Participating Frequently
September 13, 2024

Thanks for tagging me @Monika Gause!

 

@redduck40 I am sorry that you have exceeded the amount of allowable activations for Photoshop and Illustrator. You mentioned you already tried the suggestions referenced by Monika at https://community.adobe.com/t5/download-install-discussions/activation-limit-reached-for-non-subscription-adobe-desktop-applications/td-p/14804413. If this includes the use of the CC Cleaner tool, then you have completed the only troubleshooting steps that are available. Activation limits are no longer being increased, so you will need to purchase new software for use in 2024.

 

Please update this public discussion if you have any questions or encountered an error while running the CC Cleaner Tool. I did include a section on what can be done to preserve the number of allowable activations at https://community.adobe.com/t5/download-install-discussions/activation-limit-reached-for-non-subscription-adobe-desktop-applications/td-p/14804413.

 

I recommend investing in some protection if you think that multiple power surges affected the integrity of the licensing files on the computer. The more common cause is the apps and licensing files being moved from one drive to another. Did you have to do this after a power outage, @redduck40?

 

Were the drives or hardware on the computer damaged and needed to be replaced after the power outages?


quote

Activation limits are no longer being increased, so you will need to purchase new software for use in 2024.

 

By @Jeffrey_A_Wright

 

I wonder if, as an Adobe representative, you could clarify this statement? Is it now the case that Adobe will no longer reset activation counts in any circumstances? - i.e., outside the deactivation mechanism within CS6 itself, you provide no means of decrementing the activation counter? For example, if a user with an installed copy of CS6 suffers a hardware failure that means they can neither use nor deactivate that copy, it becomes a permanent 'zombie' activation, which if the activation limit has been reached can prevent them using the sofware they paid for altogether?

 

I'm sure I don't need to remind you that CS6 was sold until 2017, presumably up to and including the $2600 Master Collection, under a supposedly 'perpetual' licence. Is it therefore reasonable to suggest that the only solution is to purchase (or rather subscribe to) new software in 2024? Withdrawing necessary activation and deactivation mechanisms causes immense frustration to legitimate users. We have already seen complete removal of all activation services up to CS4, and it would be reasonable to suppose that CS5 and CS6 are on the same trajectory, possibly heralded by the change in activation reset policy.

 

A simple solution does exist that would remove this frustration at a stroke. Adobe could offer activation-free installers to holders of valid licence keys of the affected versions, as you previously did to CS3 users. Could you convey this suggestion to your relevant colleagues? There seems to be no other obvious mechanism of reaching anyone at Adobe who can do more than suggest a CC subscription or (pointlessly) refer customers back to this forum, whose users have no power to intervene.

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