Previously-working Adobe CS3-CS5.5 programs error, can neither be uninstalled or reinstalled

[D_A_Renoir]

I'm not sure what happened, but suddenly a bunch of my already-installed Adobe programs that have been running fine for the past year on my Win 11 computer can no longer run. They all give me this "please uninstall and reinstall" popup message.

At first, the CS4-CS6 programs all reinstalled just fine. Only CS3 can't reinstall, and I decided to give up on it since I figured it might be too just old. A few days later, the exact same error occur. This time, CS4 and CS5.5 can no longer uninstall and reinstall. Only CS6 reinstalled successfully. There has been no new Windows updates, no errors, no BSOD, no suspicious downloads, and antivirus detects no virus.

I uninstalled the programs via Programs and Features, and they tell me "program is already uninstalled", but the folders still remain in Program Files. I used the Adobe Cleaner and nothing happens.

Trying to just forcefully reinstall on top of the broken one without uninstalling cannot work. The Installers simply gave me errrors. The After Effects CS4 installer refused to run altogether, saying that there's an error and I need to contact Support. The Flash CS5.5 installer opens up the isntaller and it begins to run, but then gave me an error and failed to install (Error message/log attached).

I've tried many different online fixes and they don't work, and I'm just stumped.

Edit: I discover that this seems to be only happening to programs that had previously been successfully installed in this computer. It's not anything to do with what number of the Suite is. I had randomly tested an Installer for Adobe Premiere CS3, which I have never installed in this computer, and the installer loads up and runs perfectly fine. So it appears that there's something in the computer that "locks up" the programs and messes them up somehow.

[kglad]

cs2, cs3 and cs4 can no longer be activated so it doesn't make much sense to put any effort into installing them.

cs5, cs5.5 and cs6 can all still be activated with the correct installation files and serial numbers.

because you have cs6 successfully installed (and i assume activated), i'm not sure why you're making an effort to install and activate cs5.5, but from the error message you attached, you either have an "unclean" (relative to cs5.5) computer or your just need to restart your computer to install cs5.5.

if restarting (and using compatibility mode to install) is insufficient, putting more effort into installing cs5.5 (eg, "cleaning") risks your cs6 installation.  but your choice if you want help proceeding with the cs5.5 cleaning.

[D_A_Renoir]

I have different Adobe programs of varying CS versions, not the complete suite. The CS6 is Illustrator, for example, the CS5.5 is Flash, the CS4 is After Effects. 

Restarting and using compatibility mode does not work. I would like to reiterate that when the computer was still brand new, all of the above installs just fine. They all work fine for the past year or so. I don't know what glitched in the computer that suddenly messes up the installation. I did not install any new Windows updates, and there are no malwares. All I did was restart the computer.

It would just intermittently happen on its own. 

And let's assume they've all gone bad somehow and obsolete. I seriously cannot uninstall any of them. Control Panel uninstaller just doesn't work, and these folders are all sitting there wasting space. Can I just manually delete all of the folders? 

[kglad]

what exactly do you see when installing flash cs5.5?

what computer os do you use for compatibility mode?

[Nancy OShea]

I seriously cannot uninstall any of them. Control Panel uninstaller just doesn't work, and these folders are all sitting there wasting space. Can I just manually delete all of the folders? 

By @D_A_Renoir

===========

Adding/Removing software is only possible from an Admin User Account with full file read/write/execute permissions.  Google your operating system for more details on how to create a new user account with Admin level access.

Adobe Cleaner Tool -- to remove old Adobe software.

https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/kb/cc-cleaner-tool-installation-problems.html

[D_A_Renoir]

My user account has full permission. Before this glitch suddenly occured, installation and uninstallation of Adobe programs all work fine. I had previously installed the wrong version of Flash, uninstalled it, and reinstalled the correct version. Everything was great back then. Once the glitch occurs, suddenly the uninstall processes just all fail.

Adobe Cleaner tool does not work. It didn't even detect the programs as existing on the computer.

[Ben M]

Windows updates are an automatic feature in Windows 11 unless you have manually disabled the service which I doubt has happened. So it is very possible an update has prevented your old versions from working and you may need to consider virtual machines to run an old VM capable of the software or consider upgrading or switching solutions entirely.

[Nancy OShea]

CS3 is dead. 

CS5 is on life support.  It will only work on older computers with supporting operating systems.  With each OS update, you move further & further away from compatilibity until one day the software stops working. That's the risk you take with unsupported software from 10+ years ago.

My advice is to get modern software. 

MODERN OPTIONS:
Photoshop Elements or Premiere Elements (no subscription needed).
https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop-elements.html

Creative Cloud Photography Plan (approx $10/month for 12 months). Includes the following:

• Photoshop CC and Photoshop on iPad
• Camera Raw
• Lightroom on desktop, mobile and the web
• Lightroom Classic
• Portfolio website + hosting
• Adobe Express (free starter plan)
• Bridge
• 20 GB cloud storage (upgradable to 1 TB).
• Free upgrades for paid subscribers

https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/photography.html

Premium Adobe Express ($10/month).

• Adobe Express app (web and mobile)
• Premiere Rush (video editing on desktop and mobile)
• Photoshop Express (mobile)
• Spark Video (mobile)
• Spark Page (mobile)
• Adobe Portfolio + hosting
• 100 GB of cloud storage
• All premium templates and design assets including the collection of over 160 million royalty-free Adobe Stock photo collection.

https://helpx.adobe.com/express/using/express-overview.html

Creative Cloud All Apps (20 + pro apps & services) and Single App Plans
https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/plans.html

Hope that helps.

[D_A_Renoir]

The problem is, I would like to remove the old software from the computer, which it simply refuses to do. The Add/Remove Programs and Cleaner does not even detect those old programs as existing on the computer, even though they're all still right there.

[kglad]

you can back up your data, reformat your hard drive, install and update your os and then install your cs5, cs5.5 and cs6 apps.

[D_A_Renoir]

It would be nice if there's a solution that does not involve complete reset/reformat. Since the Adobe stuff is the only thing that's having problems (probably because of incompatibility, as everyone says), and everything else that's up to date is running just fine. 

[kglad]

there may be but you enumerated so many problems it's difficult to see anything simple.

[D_A_Renoir]

I only listed one problem, though. It just have a very strange symptom, and I'm sure it is indeed complex in the back end. The programs suddenly just ceased to function one day, and it became a "ghost" program that cannot be uninstalled, but at the same time I cannot override it by simply reinstalling without uninstalling. 

Since it's all unusable anyway, can I maybe just delete all the folders without uninstall? 

[kglad]

contact adobe support via chat.  there are 2 ways to contact adobe; chat and twitter (now x):

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.

twitter/x:
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.

[Nancy OShea]

How do you know the programs are still installed?

[D_A_Renoir]

Because I haven't touched the programs at all. It was working one day. I turn of the computer, turn it back on the next day, and suddenly it can no longer be opened and it's showing a message saying "please uninstall and reinstall". However, attempting to uninstall is not possible, because the computer detects the program as non-existent. The folders and everything were still intact.

[Nancy OShea]

Sounds like a permissions problem.  Are you logged-in to your computer with a user profile that has administrative permissions?

If the computer belongs to your employer or school, contact your IT dept for assistance.

Also refer to this help articles:

https://helpx.adobe.com/manage-account/kb/troubleshoot-creative-cloud-sign-out-sign-in.html

[D_A_Renoir]

No, it's my own personal computer. The issue is that this is not Creative Cloud. I was using older CS editions of the Adobe programs, since it's what I already had for years. I understand that these are obsolete, but for a time they were working just fine so I didn't think there was any problems with it. Would it be safe to just delete the folders manually? Since it cannot be uninstalled in normal means.

[kglad]

if you don't plan to reinstall, it won't hurt anything adobe to manually delete.

[D_A_Renoir]

OK, was just worried that if I don't uninstall it properly there might be leftover traces in the computer registry or other parts of the system that could mess up other things. 

[kglad]

there will be lots of leftover files but they'll only cause adobe problems.