Activating Dreamweaver MX 2004 [MX IS DEAD]

[cas_crp]

My old computer died. I've since loaded my DreamweaverMX from 2004 (which I've been using since 2004) onto the new computer and been attempting to activate it online. From the box that pops up telling me I have to. A box which then, again and again and again, tells me it’s "Unable to connect to the Internet. To try again." A problem I have had every single time with this particular software (and only it) every time I've had to activate it on a new machine.

I just finished an online chat with an Adobe representative who couldn't have been of less help. She asked for the Product Serial Number. Which I copied in from the preprinted sleeve the disk was in (which the activation box has always accepted as a valid Serial Number with a little green check-mark) only to be told by the representative that it wasn't. That it couldn't start with letters as it does. DWD. I asked to verify that she knew we were discussing a product from 2004. She said it made no difference and then that my only option was to go to www.identif-e.com/adobe. That, there, I could either find what was my 'proper number' or, if not, open a 'service ticket' and get help that way. The page was of no help (wouldn't even let me do any sort of search) nor was there means that I could see to initiate a ticket. The only option for making contact taking me right back to the option to chat with another representative.

I have to say, this is the second time in the same number of days I have been thoroughly let-down by Adobe, by its unwillingness to support its older products.

If anyone has any suggestions, perhaps just where I can communicate with a real live person by phone, I would very much appreciate it. I now have 17 days until my business website goes dark.

Thank you.

[Jon Fritz]

The old Macromedia servers are long gone, along with any kind of official support for a version that old.

I don't think the chat support guys get any kind of training what-so-ever on that particular legacy version.

Follow the info on this page and you should be able to activate your copy (with the supplied serial, not your own)...

Error, "Unable to Activate" in Macromedia legacy products

[cas_crp]

I owe you an apology, Mr. Fritz. You gave me the information I needed right at the start and, being impatient and annoyed, I never scrolled down the page. Just assuming the site was merely confirming that there was no way to USE the software. Humble apologies and many, many thanks.

[cdeatherage]

I believe your version of Dreamweaver was released by Macromedia, not Adobe, and the likely reason the install is not connecting to the Internet is that the exe file is looking to connect to www.macromedia.com -- which no longer exists. Your MX is 12 years old now, which is the equivalent of trying to use something created before the Industrial Revolution. It also is very likely that your new operating system (WIN 10 or the latest Mac OS) cannot run the program even if you could get its files copied onto your computer.

Now, that issue aside, you write that your site will "go dark" in 17 days. Why? What is that issue? The only ways I know that a site can go dark is if there is a problem with the hosting service, or the site is shut down due to non-payment of the hosting fee, or the files are deliberately removed from the server. If it is a question of editing/updating your website, you don't need MX to make the changes. Coding can be written in a text editor like Notepad and uploaded via an FTP client like FileZilla or CuteFTP. Or files can be uploaded/managed directly through the C-Panel dashboard provided by your host.

Chris

[cas_crp]

Thank you for your feedback and concern.

I'd intended to say that my website might as well go dark but, if I had, I couldn't have basked in your snarky allusion to the Industrial Revolution.

This said, my old computer was also running Windows 10 and my dinosaur of a product worked just fine for my needs. A product now the responsibility to my mind of Adobe. One of several that I own, in fact, that they no longer support. Which I find reprehensible. As someone without the means to continually reinvest in needless upgrades (needless for me), this or willing to take-on recurring payments (seemingly now the only option with most of their software) all just only to continue using a product I bought and paid for. Reprehensible.

[BenPleysier]

The fact that you are not running Windows XP and managed to deviate from your religion by installing the latest version of Windows, has not gone unnoticed. Is this because Microsoft no longer support XP?

There are other programs that will be of a lot more use to you in today's environment than a 12 yo program. Have you tried Brackets or Visual Studio?

[cas_crp]

Sure are a lot of snippy people on this board.

Since you're concerned, as it happens, I have kept up with every new release of Windows. I just never saw the need to replace certain software that has continued to do what I needed, and would continue to do so even today, 12 years later,  if there was a computer (or person) at Adobe that would answer the program's attempt to communicate.

I will look at the software you've recommended and thank you for the suggestions but it is my religious hope not to have to spend any money if I needn't but, rather, to activate my aged program.

With that said, to anyone who might be following this thread, if you haven't any suggestions that address getting the software activated, please, focus on helping someone else.

Thanks.

[John Waller]

I will look at the software you've recommended and thank you for the suggestions but it is my religious hope not to have to spend any money if I needn't but, rather, to activate my aged program.

You cannot activate MX 2004 since the activation servers no longer exist.

Adobe has instead provided an alternative method of "activating" MX 2004 with an alternative serial number shown at the link provided earlier in this thread by Jon Fritz II. Use that alternative serial number instead of the now unuseable one you got when you bought MX 2004.

Error, "Unable to Activate" in Macromedia legacy products

Try the steps outlined in that article.

[cas_crp]

Bless You, Kind Sir.

[Nancy OShea]

Which operating system do you have now?

Keep in mind that MX 2004 is too old to work with modern OSs.  So even if you use the non-activation copy & serial number, it may not work as expected on your new system.

You may well have reached that point of no return.    In which case, you'll need to get  modern software that's compatible with your system. 

Adobe is currently running a special until Dec 2nd.

Creative Cloud Plan:  USD $39.99/mo for entire suite of products.

Alternatively, you can get just DW CC for $19.99/mo.

Creative Cloud pricing and membership plans | Adobe Creative Cloud

A paid subscription entitles you to free support, updates and upgrades for as long as you remain a member.

Nancy

[chickeneps]

(ALERT JON FRITZ) I still am using DW 2004 and why? Cause it works and I don't want to pay Adobe subscription when I don't need to. Anyway, I changed hard drives on my laptop and I got the authorization thing and of course the servers don't work. It gives me a phone alternative and I'm on hold for a long time still. The link Jon Fritz posted no longer exists. Is there a newer solution?

[Jon Fritz · Accepted solution]

There is no newer solution. The phone activation was a temporary offering from Adobe that they discontinued several years ago. 

All versions older than CS5 are now totally unsupported and can no longer be legally activated.

[chickeneps]

(Rant starting, knowing you can do nothing about it) But they ARE supporting it still, since they chose to continue with the program being dependent on an external server. To truly unsupport it, they need to offer a "sunset edition" which no longer has that dependency. It was their decision to have that dependency, not ours. (Rant off, thanks for listening)

You mentioned a workaround in earlier posts on this thread, with an alternative serial. The apge you direct no longer exists. Do you have that page, or that special serial?

[Nancy OShea · Accepted solution]

The page you direct no longer exists. Do you have that page, or that special serial?

By @chickeneps

==========

No.  Adobe deleted it and removed it from their servers.  MX was woefully outdated & useless for creating modern code.  Time to find a new code editor.  If not Dreamweaver (which is minimally maintained now), then something else.

CODE EDITORS:
-- Adobe Dreamweaver CC - https://www.adobe.com/products/dreamweaver.html
-- Codespaces (free, browser-based) - https://github.com/features/codespaces
-- Nova (Mac only, formerly called Coda) - https://nova.app/
-- Pinegrow - https://pinegrow.com/
-- Sublime Text - http://www.sublimetext.com/
-- Visual Studio Code (free) - https://code.visualstudio.com/
-- Wappler ~ Visual Web App Builder - https://wappler.io/

Hope that helps.

[Discussion from 2016 locked by moderator.]