Creative Cloud update to 2019 now all apps Trial

[capeschools]

We have a 100 device license for Creative Cloud that does not expire until July 2019.  Today I updated to the latest versions of the apps which appear to be 2019 versions, and now all the apps say 'Start Trial' and if opened, prompt me that I have 7 days.

What the heck is going on?  I would contact Adobe Support directly but frankly I had to do that earlier this summer when they failed to update our account when we renewed and all the apps stopped working...and it took them about a month to fix it and then never even contacted me to tell me it was fixed - so no faith there.

[mtsuemce6167253]

Agreed 100%. Adobe has really screwed their customers on this one.

[ChrisHalkovic]

Here is a document I found online for the new Shared Device Licensing. It says Q1 2019 release. We know that means it won't be done until March 31, 2019.

[joelp93294430]

That document is interesting. The wording leaves some questions as to if even when the "Shared Device License" system is implemented will there be a required login for the students to be able to use the software.

"How does this change impact students accessing Creative Cloud?

To access the latest apps and services in Creative Cloud, students will be prompted for an ID and password."

"How are shared devices counted against a customer’s entitlement?

A Shared Device License is only counted against entitlement when a student logs in for the first time. After deployment the consumption of licenses will show as “0” until students start to use the machines."

It could be read that even with the "Shared Device License" model, the students will be prompted for an ID and password and that will signify to the Admin Console that a license was consumed on that device or profile. Which, if read that way, sounds exactly like Named User Licensing and not "shared" or "device" licensing at all.

[msnead53]

I don't think it's ambiguous at all.  It'll be different than "named" because the student that signs in will not be given rights to use the software on a different device.  Them signing in will activate the license on the device.

What is really going to suck, and I think we may seriously look at alternative software because of it, is I do not want to have to create 1600 (1 school), or 3200 (secondary students), or 8000+ student (district) and 1000+ staff accounts to use software that only a fraction of them will use, and only for a few weeks or months at a time to boot.  One may say, "well just create it for the ones that need it then."  Well guess what-- the ones that need it is a constantly revolving door, every marking period in some cases.

On top of that-- hey Adobe, ever hear of COPPA and FERPA laws?  Yea, so if we do decide to actually keep your software and get forced into creating these Adobe accounts, we also now have a generate letters to send home to parents to get them to approve us to provide student information to an outside company.

All of this headache for absolutely *0* benefit.  None.

[PsyMan]

Just here to add my name to the list of frustrated admins. 272 device licenses here rising potentially by another 200+ in 19/20. Deployed in August/Sep 2018 and now the 10 sites want to update for various bug fixes. I have had to send out an emergency warning to all of my IT Staff to make sure they do not update the software.

We try to market ourselves as a cutting edge training company sporting the latest hardware and software. Adobe have now made that a bit of a lie despite our best efforts to pay them for the latest software.

Autodesk on the other hand provide us with all of their software for free knowing full well we are turning out thousands of potential customers per year.

I really do not relish having to manage thousands of user accounts, we may have to have one generic student@ account for all of them. That would of course break the "cloud" part of creative cloud but at least they can use it the old fashioned way.

It really is hard enough trying to navigate this already frustrating licensing system without having to also battle the company you are paying good money to as they try to cut you down mid academic year. Too big to care I suppose....

I think Jeff is just an auto-responder to make it look like Adobe read the forums 😉

[ProDesignTools]

Hi Everyone,

Here are a bunch of new help pages up on Adobe's site – hopefully they will help answer some questions:

Shared device license FAQ

Migrate from Device Licensing to Shared Device Licensing

Shared device licensing | Deployment Guide

Shared Device configuration

[msnead53]

FYI-- that FAQ is not 100% accurate.  I talked to someone from Adobe regarding this just yesterday (took me about 2 weeks to finally get someone to actually call me).

One note on the FAQ says, "Can I use a single email address to activate 300 computer units?" -- "NO"  ... I asked if I could create 30 generic accounts and have everyone use those in the one lab I have that uses CC.  I have 2000+ students in this school and would rather not create all of those accounts for 0 benefit and lots of hassle.  Their response to me was, "you should have no problem using a single generic account."

Another note says, "Can Shared device licensing be applied to staff computers as well?" -- "NO" ... I immediately went to my reseller on this question because we just recently (before this giant debacle) purchased a site license of 100 devices licenses for staff.  They went back and forth and the answer was, "Adobe said the licenses can be installed on single use computers." ...And when I questioned the definition of "single use" I was told, "Single use meaning it is primarily used by the same user each day."

When I brought up these two facts to the person I talked to from Adobe he said quite frankly to me, "things are changing every day and we are all kind of fumbling through this because there have been a lot of complaints and many different solutions."

[krobbb1]

Do you know of any school who is now using 2018 Device licenses and have gone through the migration process to 2019 CC Shared Device licenses and then the install, create packages and deploying the packages? I have all of the Adobe links, and I have read them. I am more confused there are too many options and I am not sure which are relevant to my school. I am the one who is going to do this process. I have been the one who created the packages and installed them in the past, but this seems so confusing. I would love to just have a step by step list of what I need to do for our situation. We are using Macs are k-12 and adult we have been in the team category. In the 2018 and before I have gone to the Adobe console, created a package and then  built then installed it on the devices, not many issues.

If anyone knows anyone who has gone through this process I would like to ask them some questions. I don't want to start the process and them get stuck and not know what to do or what choices are the right ones for our situation. Any person or school gone through this?

Help. Thank you.

[alisterblack]

Hi,

I would recommend booking an Expert Session through your Admin Console Support tab.

This is a half hour session with Adobe support where they can outline how this works and you can ask questions.

[krobbb1]

Thank you, I will try it. I didn't know that this was available.

Karen

[krobbb1]

Hi, Thank you.

Is this a phone or chat conversation?

What if I need more help after the half hour?

I still have not found anyone who has gone through the Migration from Device licenses to Shared Device licenses. This is crazy, you would think that there would be someone out there who has done it. I need to read all of the links and summarize what I think are the steps I need to go through and then ask some one for help. There are so many options and I have so many questions. I am afraid to start the process and then run into a road block (then what?) I am not new at the package and install scenario, I have done it for years, but this is making me confused and frustrated.

Thank you again for your help.

Karen

[msnead53]

You are not alone.  All the unknowns with only 30 days to figure it out before everything blows up is exactly why I've held off so far.

[alisterblack]

Hi Karen,

Expert Sessions are usually conducted via phone with screen sharing. If you run into further issues or have questions you can open a support case from your Admin Console.

[msnead53]

@alisterblack -- When I did a support call on this subject it took literally 2 weeks to get someone to call me.

[Wes Wooten]

This is appalling.  If the folks at Adobe can't even figure this out, what chance do we have?
I am reading through all their FAQs and they seem to contradict themselves.

I have the same issue, 30 days to get everyone working on the "new and improved" licensing is just nuts.  Oh, and by the way, if this doesn't work for you, you can't go back either. (argh)

I was always concerned something like this would happen when they started active online serial verification.  Now that it has happened we're kind of over a barrel.  'Move to the new system by December or you're done, we don't care what you paid us.'

And because our users don't understand (or care) about licensing, we end up looking like the bad guy because they can't use "their" software.

Did you ever actually get the help you needed?

[krobbb1]

No, I have not migrated yet. I am reading all of the links from Adobe and a few other sites, like Mac mule and a guy from University of Utan. Everyone is frustrated with the whole process. I am still confused and afraid to go through the process. I was hoping that someone out there that is in the same situation has gone trough the process, not no one has that I am aware of, if they have I wish I could talk to them.

Adobe did call me after I messaged them and told me that when I do start the process I can email them and they will call me to help me. I will believe it when I see it. I am afraid that after I migrate I will get stuck and then my students will not be able to use CC 2019. I can't believe that they only give us 90 days, then what if I can't figure out what to do. There are too many options in their directions and even Adobe told me that it is new to them too, and all they could do is provide me with links of how to's. I have been making a list of steps based on what I have read and I did send it to they guy who emailed and called me from Adobe, he read my list and gave me a few things to change. I am updating the list of steps and I will resend it to him. I won't go through the migration, uninstall and package build and install until I feel comfortable with the process.

[msnead53]

krobbb1​ Where did you get 90 days from?  90 days would be awesome.  According to this page: Migrate from Device Licensing to Shared Device Licensing  it still says 30 days (in 2 places).

[krobbb1]

So sorry, it is 30 days. Not enough time.

[Wes Wooten]

Has anyone gone through this yet.  I am at a point where I have to move forward or face a mob of angry users.

At least as higher ed we have the option for users to maintain their own Adobe ID instead of us having to do that part.  I can't imagine the headache K-12 is going to have with all of this!

[msnead53]

I've been holding out (I'm in K-12) hoping they extend the 30 days to something more manageable like 90 days.

[Wes Wooten]

Hmm, my replies disappeared and my last post got branched??

Reposting the pertinent info that is now missing for people who are going into Trial Mode in 2019.  You are required to migrate to Shared Device Licensing to continue using Adobe CC.  Device Licensed machines with auto updates will upgrade to 2019 but not be able to activate (hence Trial Mode)

You only have 30 days to convert your entire organization over to the new scheme.  The process is relatively straightforward, but you will have to create all new packages and evidently manually uninstall previous versions.

I didn't save a copy of the 5 warning screenshots during the conversion process, but suffice it to say the conversion process seems to work.

The original deadline to complete that was December 2019, that allowance has evidently now been removed and they are blacklisting nearly all previous versions of Adobe CC (from AdobeCC Admin website): 

"IMPORTANT NOTICE: If you have not yet updated to the latest version of Creative Cloud, please note that you are no longer licensed to use certain older versions of the apps or to deploy packages containing these older versions. Your organization should discontinue usage of the unauthorized products shown at this link and update to the authorized versions. Instructions are provided at the same link."

[ProDesignTools]

Thanks, yes – this is a new development which may complicate things for some...

Adobe Restricts Downloads for Older Versions of CC and CS Software

[Wes Wooten]

Well, we built our first package, uninstalled all our working older versions, installed the new version.  Guess what, it won't activate.

Thanks Adobe.

Now we have to figure out why it won't register with a package I created from Adobe Packager.

[Wes Wooten]

After a call to Adobe Support our installs are now activating. 

So for hopefully my last post in this discussion; wait 7 months for the ability to update your subscription, migrate your licensing, create all new installer packages, manually remove all previous versions of Creative Cloud, install new version of Shared Device Licensed Creative Cloud, wait for them to activate. 

NOW you can use the current versions, with device licensing, without going into Trial Mode (after you create Adobe IDs for every single person that wants to use the machine of course.)  {And I never was presented with the opportunity to back up my user list.}