Photoshop CS6 Extended Offline Activation Questions...

[WoeFoxy]

Hello,

I am on the cusp of purchasing Photoshop CS6 Extended as a digital download from the Adobe store, and have some questions that i have been unable to find clarification on with Live Chat support. These are personally "make-or-break" issues regarding my purchase of Photoshop CS6 Extended.

1. I was told that during online installation and activation, you would sign-in with your adobe ID. Your e-mail would then be embedded in the "Help" menu of Photoshop, and displayed in the actual software interface. Personally, this is not desirable. If i perform an offline activation of the software, with a response code, will any e-mail or other information be displayed in the software interface?

2. If the offline activation results in no e-mail, etc. being displayed in or on the actual software interface for Photoshop CS6 Extended, and i proceed to use the software, is there any risk of issues (however minor) if i then proceed to connect the system to the internet? Will i be able to update Photoshop without issue through the adobe updater (on the off-chance a patch is released for some unforeseen reason). Will the updater have issues?

Sorry to be so particular, if not ridiculous. These are just some outstanding concerns i have...

[Jeffrey_A_Wright]

Woefoxy your Adobe ID will still be displayed even when completing the offline activation.  As part of the offline activation process you need to enter the Adobe ID which the software will be registered too.

You can find more details regarding the activation process at Activation & Deactivation Help.

If you are desiring to mask your Adobe ID while doing presentations then I would recommend avoiding the Help menu or signing out and running in trial mode. 

Alternately you could utilize an Adobe ID which you do want to be publicly available and use it as an additional promotional tool.

[WoeFoxy]

How would the Adobe ID be inserted into the software through offline activation, though? I'm aware that you would sign into your Adobe account on an internet enabled computer to receive the response code for system undergoing offline activation. Would the Adobe ID / e-mail address be somehow embedded in the response code and interpreted / displayed by Photoshop?

[Jeffrey_A_Wright]

The offline activation process is similar to the online activation process.  Unique identifiers are utilized.  I have had to transfer a license for a customer who I assisted with the offline activation process as I utilized my Adobe ID to generate the response code.

I would recommend the last option of utilizing the e-mail for self-promotion.  You can find information on how to adjust the e-mail address associated with your account at Changing the email associated with Adobe ID.

[WoeFoxy]

Thank you for the response and clarification, Jeff. Though i am still confused on some points. I understand that unique identifiers are arguably a "must" for the sake of activation, online or offline. Where i'm confused is how a response code (Which i had assumed was the unique identifier for offline identification) would translate to an e-mail being displayed, if this indeed happens, since according to this video ( Activating Adobe Creative Suite 6 via Offline Exception | Creative Cloud for Enterprise | Adobe TV ), there seems to be no point on the offline system where an e-mail is entered. Only the online system is logging onto the Adobe site with a serial and activation code, and receiving a response code, which is manually entered onto the offline system, unless i am mistaken...

Another point of confusion is, before i created this thread, an Adobe tech (via chat) said that no e-mail would be displayed through offline activation. I felt as though there may have been some misunderstanding, though, hence this thread.

I really do appreciate the responses. and i appreciate your suggestions. Not displaying an e-mail is still preferable, however, as i would rather avoid adding yet another e-mail to consider, especially if it's sole purpose is to be tied to so hefty a purchase as Photoshop.

[Jeffrey_A_Wright]

WoeFoxy you still have to be logged in in order to complete the Offline activation process.  If you have already logged into http://www.adobe.com/ then your credentials may be used.

You can find the offline activation process detailed at Offline Activation.  In addition you will also see the sign in option when you go to www.adobe.com/go/getactivated.  If you try to proceed without signing in you will be prompted to sign in.

[WoeFoxy]

I'm aware you log in to Adobe, but i had assumed that it would not be on the offline machine. Sorry if i'm being dense, or fundamentally failing to understand something. Here was what i had assumed would happen.

1. Run installer (Offline Machine)

2. Having Trouble Connecting to the Internet? (Offline Machine)

3. Begin offline activation (Offline Machine)

4. Generate Request Code (Offline Machine)

5. Go to Offline Activation website ( Offline Activation ) via separate, internet-connected machine (Online Machine)

6. Click "Generate Response Code" (Online Machine)

7. Sign in to Adobe Account (Online Machine)

8. Input request code generated by Offline Machine, and Serial Number into website (Online Machine)

9. Manually type the generated Response Code from Online Machine / website into Response Code field on Offline Machine (Offline Machine)

10. Click Activate (Offline Machine)

No where in the steps you posted ( Offline Activation ) do i see a step in which you sign in on the Offline Machine. I had made the assumption that as there is no sign in prompt on the Offline Machine, Photoshop would be activated solely through the use of the Response Code, and no e-mail would then be displayed. Is this entirely incorrect?

Sorry, personally, this is a large purchase, and a large sum of money to be spending. I just want to triple check! Sorry to be such a bother over what i would guess many would consider a minor issue.

[Jeffrey_A_Wright]

WoeFoxy the process you described is accurate.  The response code contains your personally identifiable information.  You are welcome to try the process yourself.  As long as you are purchasing directly from Adobe you can request a refund.  You can find the refund process at Return, cancel, or exchange an Adobe order.

[WoeFoxy]

Thank you, Jeff. So there will be no e-mail displayed in Photoshop after offline activation?

I am also still in the dark regarding the second question i had posted in the original post.

I really appreciate your help!

[Jeffrey_A_Wright]

WoeFoxy there will be an e-mail address displayed.  I did not cover question #2 as the first answer in post #1 stated that your e-mail address will be displayed.