Installing Creative Suite CS6 on a new PC with Windows 11

[animenigma]

Hello, I got a new PC that doesn't have a disc slot and I was wondering what external optical drive to use in order to install my Adobe Creative Suite 6 I purchased years ago.

I have Windows 11 and I just want to use a cheap drive in order to install the software.

Has anyone tested out the drives that doesn't mention Windows 11 and could confirm if it would work or not? Like this one:

https://www.amazon.com/External-Enclosure-Optical-Computers-Compatible/dp/B0C8JNXY5S?crid=1OC9OFT1O4...

[al7777]

I renamed pxhlpa64.sys and also the folder "C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Sonic Shared\PX Drivers" and... it works!

So far, I haven't noticed any errors and the applications are opening correctly. It forced me to repeat the login (QR) several times, but that's now Adobe's issue. Everything is fine for now. Let's hope it stays that way.

Thanks, Kglag!

[kglad]

@al7777  good to hear, and you're welcome.  hopefully, it works for @animenigma too

[animenigma]

I was able to open the PC after a shut down most importantly so thank you @kglad 

The only issue is after opening Photoshop, a pop up with Production Premium Trial had 00 days remaining. I had the same problem @al7777 with the QR code / link window repeating when I went to License This software. For now I am able to use it fine even though I can't locate which email /account I am registered under. 

By the way, I didn't go to the " C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Sonic Shared\PX Drivers "

Was I supposed to do something with that as well? 

[kglad]

@animenigma 

right now, don't change anything. for as long as you're able to use cs6, even with a 0 days remaining warning, leave it alone.

if that changes and you can't use cs6, then we'll need to do more.

[animenigma]

Ok, thank you for letting me know. I hope it stays this way at least 

[kglad]

did you purchase from or register with adobe?

[Jeffrey_A_Wright]

Animeni, thanks for posting your question about using an external optical drive to access the Creative Suite installation files. The good news is that the software is already registered and available for download under your account. There is no need to buy an external optical drive.

Please see https://adobe.ly/40GQGXl for more information on how to download the necessary files from your account.

Beyond that, it is not a bad idea to get an external optical drive. I have been using one for over a decade, with a detachable USB cable, and it has been connected to Mac and Windows computers over the years. The data on CDs and DVDs will eventually degrade, so it is not a bad idea to back up any important documents or files to a more permanent solution. ^JW

[animenigma]

Hi, I'm sorry for the late response. I haven't been back here. I hope that I can still use this one that I have despite being old because I am not looking for anything fancy.  The one I have is called Adobe Creative Suite 6 Production Premium and it was alrady registered. I just want to register it to the new PC and removing it from the old laptop because I read somewhere I can only have it with two devices, right?

[kglad]

don't remove/deactivate it on your old computer yet.

first try installing and activating on your new computer and see if you encounter any problems.  if you do, update this.  if you don't and have no use for this on your old computer yet, let us know.

[animenigma]

I am only seeing one device as registered, which is from my Mac. I can't download it because it's a DMG file.

I am also having a new issue on the new PC now that I am trying to access this community page.

It's giving me a 403- Forbidden error no matter which browser I use. 

[kglad]

do you see a link for cs6's win installer in your account page? 

https://account.adobe.com

[animenigma]

Yes, but it's showing a dmg file , not for Windows. 

[John Waller]

Creative Suite licenses were sold on an operating system basis: Mac only or PC only.

If you already have a Mac version registered then that suggests your CS6 is Mac only.

To get a Windows version you would have had to pay separately for a Windows license (or apply for a cross-platform switch, a process which was discontinued many years ago).

Can you confirm if you bought a Mac version of CS6? If so, you cannot install CS6 on your new PC.

[animenigma]

I am sorry for the confusion. Just to clarify, I do have both discs for Mac and Windows and the software is installed on both (Mac and Windows laptops-which are problematic and unusable because of lag and sometimes not opening ) but for some reason when I am on the new PC checking the account.adobe.com link, I see the dmg only . 

For more information, I purchased it from school in 2013 . It says Student and Teacher Licensing on the box .

[Jeffrey_A_Wright]

I'm sorry, Animenigma. I reviewed your account, and the only software registered is Creative Suite 6 Production Premium for Mac OS. Requesting a platform swap for Creative Suite 6 is no longer possible, so you will need to use any remaining activations for the software on a Mac OS computer.

There are no solutions for running a Mac OS version of Creative Suite on Apple's current computers due to the change in processors. I recommend finding an older Intel-based Mac if you need a fresh computer to run Creative Suite 6 Production Premium.

Multi-platform licenses for Creative Suite were almost unheard of, and even organizations were provided with separate serial numbers for both platforms.

One advantage of Creative Cloud is you can use your membership on any modern device. Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. Please see https://adobe.ly/418rKZi for more information on this advantage of utilizing a subscription offering. Month-to-month and single-app memberships are also available if you do not need access to most of Adobe's current desktop offerings, which are available with a Creative Cloud All Apps membership. ^JW

[John Waller]

I do have both discs for Mac and Windows

By @animenigma

You might have discs but they're freely available and will only give you up to a 30 day free trial period after which you must enter a valid serial number.

But do you have separate 24-digit serial numbers: one for Mac and one for Windows? They will be different. The serial numbers are the important part and they are what you pay for when you buy a license.

Sounds like you've only got a Mac serial number.

[animenigma]

I think I only have one serial number but I will double check later to make sure.

I think the box had 5 discs; both for Mac and Windows. I am just confused though. I have it installed both on the old Mac and Windows laptops already so how was I able to install it if it wasn't registered?

[kglad]

registration is a process separate from install and separate from activation.  ie, to register you had to log in to your account and "register" your purchased apps.  if you had two of them, cs6 win and cs6 mac, you would need to register both for them to be listed in your account.

had you done that, both serial numbers would have been requested by adobe, and they both still would belisted with your account.

and to install both previously, you would have needed both serial numbers.  so yes, you had both serial numbers at one time.  now you need to recover the missing win serial number.  here's info for that:

you have 3 ways to recover a serial number that you once had:

1. if you purchased from or registered with adobe (automatically done with cs6), you can check your account, https://accounts.adobe.com

 2. if your adobe program is installed on another computer you can recover its serial number from that computer,

(win:) http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html,

(mac:) https://mac-product-key-finder.com/

3. http://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/global/find-serial-number.html

[animenigma]

Ok, thank you for the links and letting me know about this. Maybe I haven't registered the Windows one then. I am looking at the contents and yes, I only have one serial number but 5 discs . Maybe I lost it or I was even thinking I might have registered it with a different email? I am going to check and follow up

[kglad]

check the other 2 ways to recover that win serial number.

[Jeffrey_A_Wright]

If you can locate the Windows serial number, Animenigma, then you can use the steps listed in https://adobe.ly/4gssaOh to register the software and access the installation files. Instead of a DMG file, you would be offered an Exe file and a 7zip archive.

The activations for the Windows and Mac OS versions of Creative Suite are separate, but the same advice from https://adobe.ly/40NMTGM still applies for managing any remaining activations. It is a bit easier to deactivate a previous Windows installation since most installations are on an up-to-date Windows 10 computer or Windows 11 computer. ^JW

[animenigma]

I found the Win serial number while going through another email. It was both included in that email that I registereed with, so a different account? But then again, I don't know why I have only Mac mentioning here. Now when I go to register it on the new PC, it's saying 'This serial number is already in use' 

[kglad]

if you didn't purchase for windows, you won't have a win installer.