Photoshop Elements 2023 Activation Issue

[David27575222rzg9]

Purchased PE 2023 via the Adobe website yesterday. Downloaded the installer, went through the install process but got the 'Reconnect to Internet' error message after entering my serial number. Eventually got that fixed and appeared to successfully activate the install on my Windows 11 laptop. Successfully launched the Photo Editor and then after 5 seconds or so, got a pop-up to say that my serial number has been revoked!

I uninstalled PE 2023, used the CC Cleaner tool to remove all Adobe content from my laptop and repeated the install process with the same result - when trying to activate, I get the 'Serial Revoked' message

Called Adobe Tech Support who confirmed that my serial is genuine and non-revoked. My issue is to be escalated and I'll apparently receied an email. Nothing yet...not even a ticket number.

Any advice from Adobe support? Anyone else had the same issue?

Thanks,

David

[kglad · Accepted solution]

these are user forums.  if you want to update your ticket, do so.  if you want to recontact support, do so.

otherwise, are you continuing to see serial number revoked?

if so, can you try another network (eg, if you have a laptop try a public network)

[David27575222rzg9]

@kglad - Thanks for the warm welcome and constructive / informative answer. Very encouraging! You can understand my confusion given that the name of the site is 'Adobe Support Community' and is hosted by Adobe, with moderation by and contributions from Adobe personnel.....my bad obviously!  You'll also have noticed (or maybe you didn't...!) that the last sentence of my post reads "Anyone else had the same issue?"

Thanks again and have a Merry Christmas

[kglad]

many others have reported this problem.  typically, one contact with support resolves the issue.

you could request a different serial number from support.

[Bill27677834l8s1]

I have the exact problem. Recommendation is to contact support, but I don't see anything on any of the sites about how to contact support.

[kglad · Accepted solution]

there are 3 ways to contact adobe; chat, phone and twitter:

chat:
use a browser that allows popups and cookies, and click here, https://helpx.adobe.com/contact.html?rghtup=autoOpen
in the chat field (lower right), type AGENT
be patient, it can take quite a while to reach a human.

phone:
https://helpx.adobe.com/contact/phone.html

twitter:
tweet @AdobeCare

p.s. if you're contacted by anyone (via email or private message), it's much more likely to be a scammer than an adobe representative. ie, double check for an employee badge if contacted in the forums and look for an adobe.com domain in the email address if you click reply to an email. then check again and be very suspicious. any other method of contacting (or offering to contact you) is almost certainly a scam, https://community.adobe.com/t5/using-the-community-discussions/staying-safe-in-the-adobe-support-com...

[Dan27697561ffhz]

I am having the exact same problem. I responded to an offer from Adobe, bought and downloaded the software. I received an email from Adobe containing my order number and serial number. I installed and activated Adobe Elements 2023 using the serial number provided in the email, and ran it successfully yesterday. There is a charge of $79.68 showing on my credit card, and it says payment was made to "Adobe Systems." Today, it said the software still needed to be activated and prompted me again for the serial number. I again copied it from the email and pasted it into the field. But this time it said the serial number had been "revoked." I tried again a couple of times, sometimes typing the serial number in by hand, sometimes copying and pasting. Still "revoked." I logged into my Adobe account and found the order, showing the identical serial number. I followed the "troubleshooting" steps and it said that a "revoked" serial number meant i had bought unauthorized software and that I should call Adobe. Of course they are closed for the weekend. I do not see how it is possible that the software could be anything other than a genuine Adobe product. 

[kglad]

@Dan27697561ffhz 

you're correct. there's an problem with the software falsely reporting revoked serial numbers. i don't know why this is suddenly occurring, but i know to resolve you need to contact adobe support.

and yes, it's christmas morning so it's going to be more difficult (or maybe impossible) to make contact today.  but don't give up.

there are 3 ways to contact adobe; chat, phone and twitter:

chat:
use a browser that allows popups and cookies, and click here, https://helpx.adobe.com/contact.html?rghtup=autoOpen
in the chat field (lower right), type AGENT
be patient, it can take quite a while to reach a human.

phone:
https://helpx.adobe.com/contact/phone.html

twitter:
tweet @AdobeCare

p.s. if you're contacted by anyone (via email or private message), it's much more likely to be a scammer than an adobe representative. ie, double check for an employee badge if contacted in the forums and look for an adobe.com domain in the email address if you click reply to an email. then check again and be very suspicious. any other method of contacting (or offering to contact you) is almost certainly a scam, https://community.adobe.com/t5/using-the-community-discussions/staying-safe-in-the-adobe-support-com...

[Dan27697561ffhz]

Chat transcript: "Dan we apologize for the inconvenience caused. The concerned team is already working on this issue and trying to fix the bug on urgent basis . We request you to please allow us a maximum of 24 hours and we will email you the new serial number if it does not get resolved.
You (12/25/22, 7:12:00 AM EST):
OK, I understand.
Harshal (12/25/22, 7:12:16 AM EST):
We will continue to investigate the case, and will follow up with an update. Thanks for contacting Adobe."

[Dan27697561ffhz]

Sounds... OK I guess. I can live with 2020 and see what happens. I am reluctant to try the seven-day trial because IN GENERAL when things are getting squirrelly it is safer to do an installation of the actual product than to deal with the possibility that a software component gets confused by the installation of real on top of trial.

[Dan27697561ffhz]

If I get prompted to rate "Harshall's" response I will give them five stars because they understood the problem, acknowledged Adobe knows about it, and says it will be fixed. 

[Dan27697561ffhz]

Thank you very much for suggesting the chat option. The stupid, infuriating online directions for dealing with a revoked serial number mention no options other than telephone... and say, over and over again, that a revoked serial number means you must have bought unauthorized software from a scammer--which, needless to say, is infuriating when you bought directly from Adobe in response to a "Holiday Special" offer from Adobe.

[kglad]

@Dan27697561ffhz 

ok, in 24 hrs, if you have time, can you follow up?

[Dan27697561ffhz]

Yes, will do. FYI, within the last half hour I received a unsatisfactory email from Adobe Customer Care, with a case number, asking me to try a "new" serial number. It is, in fact, not a new number, it's the same one I got in the "Your Serial Numbers" email from "storemanager@adobe.com". But I figured they might have un-revoked it behind the scenes and I tried it anyway. Nope. Still "revoked." I'm cutting them slack for it's being Christmas and all, and obviously it's some massive problem effecting many customers. But I'm not happy. If a company is going to go in for extremely strict license management they ought to be extremely careful that the system actually works reliably. 

[kglad]

thank you for the follow up.  and i agree about the licensing issue being inexcusable.

for what it's worth, i've been helping on the adobe forums for 20 years and this pse issue is the first time i've encountered incorrect license revocations.  

but that excuses nothing. and, in fact, is especially bad because this issue is, at least, 2weeks old.

[Dan27697561ffhz]

I replied to the email that simply gave me the same serial number. Within less than an hour they me another email with a new serial number. The new serial number works. (I hope it will continue to work). I consider their "chat"-based customer service to be good, because they paid attention to my complaint ("it's the same serial number and it still doesn't work") and corrected it.

Shame for Adobe, kudos to Adobe customer support. Ain't perfect, but good enough.

[kglad]

oh, thank you that info.  

i'm inclined to relent on some if my criticism because of that follow up email on christmas morning (in the usa).

now have a merry christmas and joyful holiday season.  (and take some family pics that you can edit in pse.). 

you had to work for it, but good for you not getting too discouraged and giving up!

[Retired EE]

I had same issue.  My advice: During CHAT do a screen snapshot to elevate the issue (used Win 11 snip and upload via the insert icon in the CHAT box). Stay on CHAT and go through the 3 or 4 hand-offs until you get someone who will resend a new license. Keep "support" focused on revoke license and don't accept their upgrade offers. After new license works don't ask "support?" for any more help. 

I got the new S/N which allowed me to install Elements properly. BUT when I checked my active devices, I had no active devices - which obviously I do! Also my old revoked license is still listed as my product. And Adobe system Info tells me I have Windows 10 32 bit - I really have Windows 11 (22H2) 64 bit.  Another "support" contact was tried, but I gave up after so much bad info.

Too bad I like the app because "support" makes me never want to buy any Adobe products ever again.

[kglad]

@Retired EE 

thank you for the information.