How to remove deactivated devices from Admin Console?

[UC San Diego Extension]

I deactivated 34 device licenses and need to remove these devices from the deactivated devices so that I can re-license new machines using the same computer names.

I've tried creating a device license package but running the AdobeSerialization.exe file does nothing. I still get "the license for Creative Cloud on this device has been denied" > Try Again > "There is no license associated with this device".

[alisterblack]

Hi,

How did you deactivate the device licenses? The process that should be followed is to deactivate on your Admin Console which will return the license to the license pool, allowing you to allocate the license to another device. https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/help/manage-device-licenses.html

Manage your Adobe Creative Cloud for education device licenses

Check that you have available licenses on the Admin Console

[namd12176040]

I actually had Adobe tech support remote into one of my Macs to try and reactivate the license. He could not and said it was a system-wide bug.

[UC San Diego Extension]

To preface, this is all for Windows 10 machines.

I deactivated the device licenses by clicking deactivate for each computer name in the admin console. The license does indeed return to the license pool and it displays that I have 34 available licenses left. However, I'm unable to re-activate these licenses using the license packager (AdobeSerialization.exe). I've tried creating the license package multiple times on multiple machines (with and without Adobe CC) but the AdobeSerialization.exe file does not activate the licenses.

As stated in my original post, "I still get 'the license for Creative Cloud on this device has been denied' > Try Again > 'There is no license associated with this device.' " My theory is that since the computer that I'm trying to activate has the same hostname as a device in the deactivated devices list, the activation window throws the "license has been denied" error.

I think re-imaging all the machines should do the trick. I tested this out yesterday on one machine and I do see the computer name in the activated device list, launching Adobe CC on this machine did not throw any errors. I'm hesitant to re-image all machines with the licensing issue since I've done a decent amount of post-configuration work on these machines and would hate to throw hours of work down the drain, but it's looking like my only choice at the moment.

Any help is appreciated, thank you.

[alisterblack]

It may be that you have left over or corrupt licensing data.

Try the following.

Delete local cached account information and try again:

1. Remove cached licensing information data on the machine
   • Mac OS:

• /Library/Application\ Support/Adobe/SLCache
• /Library/Application\ Support/Adobe/SLStore
• Windows:
• C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Adobe\SLCache
• C:\ProgramData\Adobe\SLStore

[namd12176040]

Just an update in my case. The Adobe tech remoted into the Mac and gave me a license reset script which involved putting it into terminal and adding our VIP ID. This removed the device from the deactivated devices section in the Adobe console. He said we'll need to do this for our other machines as well.

[gordonm86753517]

I have the same issue

Station rebuilt and Im unable to activate, station shows in deactivated devices section in the Adobe console

Deleted the folders mentioned above from the computer and now being asked for a serial number

Is there any solution to this?

Edit: Should add I have 1 device licence available

[twist0105]

I am stuck right here as well. (OSX Sierra 10.12.6) Seems promising.  as well deleted the folders, re-ran the CC Packaged license tool, now being asked to sign in with adobe ID (progress - before, was just being told it was denied a license).

Getting errors 5120 and then 20 in my
wait results.

A support person I was in touch with sent me this somewhat odd instruction, relating to the VIP id as well (which I have, just not sure where to put it...)

• Open terminal and drag the extracted file to the terminal and type the VIP number (Please make sure there is only 1 space after sltool)
• /user/download/sltool <VIP NUMBER> (without brackets) 
• Once you press enter it will show you the serial number is deleted.
• Create a new license file and run it. It will fix the issue.

Not sure what this user/download/sltool is or what the extracted file is. Insight, others in same boat?

[gordonm86753517]

Thanks for the feedback, good to know I’m not alone.

I’m not sure what those instructions mean if I’m perfectly honest,
can anyone clarify?

We are about to replace or rebuild every computer at one of
my sites with Windows 10 (500 devices) this has disaster written all over it. I’m
thinking the best option might be to use new names for the stations rather than
use the existing names and deactivate all the licences beforehand via the admin
console.

However that does not solve the issue with the one computer
I have current not running the software.

[twist0105]

I should clarify a bit about my issue...

1. CC 2015 (or 16) was previously installed on the machine.

2. It is probable one of my faculty members signed into it using his user license (I may have screwed up by leaving the Creative Cloud app on a device license machine, a support person told me).

3. The hostname did remain the same, and it was present in the deauthorized devices list. However, I'm about to encounter a lot more of these (automated deployments re-use the same computer name on both mac and pc side. I had been previously told I didn't have to clear out old names from the adobe "manage team" console, but a support rep told me today I SHOULD be doing this.)

4. I've followed these network tests: Resolve connection errors with Adobe Creative Cloud and Creative Suite applications

5. I attempted to remove each and every last individual application with it's uninstaller (in the installers folder), reboot, then tried a new install. Fail. Also ran this feller: Use the Creative Cloud Cleaner Tool to solve installation problems (remember things like this from the CS# days when I'd have a failed install halfway through on the image, and had to use something like this prior to starting over). It ran successfully, but after reboot, still nada.

6. Deleting the SLCache and SLStore folders as suggested by alisterblack did change the behavour. Previously  running an adobe app after attempting to run AdobeSerialize (which returns codes 5120 and 20 as the wait results) resulted in a message something like "The device was denied a license." (Paraphrasing, haven't made it back to office yet.) Affer deleting SLCache and SLStore, running an app prompts me to sign in with my adobe id (Which I don't want to do as my user license in my name matches the account email I use to manage the team. Thanks, adobe, for that confusing bit - Apple, looking at you too with that same issue on the Apple store...)

7. I am, however, considering signing in as me, then running the unserialize/reserialize, just to try. What could I do, break it?

8. This remote script someone provided namd### that requires the VIPID seems to be a key. My support tech hinted at this in his email to me - but to be fair, it was towards the end of a long day, I had been working with this group for about 5 hours and we got to a "lets pick it up tomorrow" phase. I'm wondering if he forgot to email attach the sltool, which may have been the one given to namd?

I'll keep you posted, expecting contact today.

[alisterblack]

In your package, did you include the Creative Cloud Desktop App? This will ask for an Adobe ID login, which will cause an issue with your device license. If so, rebuild your package without CCDA.

If you have removed all of the CC apps then you can uninstall the CC Desktop App using the instructions at the following link.

Uninstall the Creative Cloud desktop app

[twist0105]

As a side note - I was on the phone with our university's reseller/support reps for a good portion of the day yesterday.

In the first package, I did include the CC Desktop app. The support rep had me rebuild a new package without the Desktop app. I ran the uninstaller, I ran the linked Uninstall Creative Cloud desktop app, reboot, reinstalled. This install did not solve the issue. I am now at a spot where launching the app asks me to sign in with an adobe Id. This was definitely built with the packager for teams. I have attempted to run the AdobeSerialization tool - again, I'm getting return codes of 5120+20 with that app, which I have never seen. I followed the steps of "check connectivity, ping adobe.

The support rep, just before signing off for the night yesterday, mailed and mentioned something about an SLTool, with which I would provide my VIP number, and it would "show you that the serial number was deleted". This seems to coincide with the advice/steps that were provided to namd12176040 above. (His actual copied/pasted suggestion is in my post at 4:52 on oct 3, above.) However, my rep didn't mail or link this tool, and has not yet gotten back to me today.

Sorry to pester - I've got a TV production that was supposed to happen on this specific Mac today, and a classroom that I probably just took down last night. (The rep had me clear out 12 licenses that were showing in the Admin Console as awaiting payment, although we were below our device limit. We had 109 device licenses, 80ish in use, but 12 were showing as Temporary/awaiting payment and a red warning note displaying. Incidentally, these were confirmed as paid. Even at the time, my math said there should have been 10 licenses free... however, the rep had me deactivate the ones awaiting payment - bringing the console back to normal. Console currently shows 109 purchased device licenses, 84 in use, 25 available.)

Just noting, I have run through the "test connectivity" steps successfully as linked in my earlier post.

[alisterblack]

Hi Twist1015,

If you require urgent support I would advise contacting Adobe support teams directly. They can assist with the tools you mentioned.

Contact Customer Care

[twist0105]

Update/Summary:

I did indeed open a case directly with adobe through the support chat, from the most time sensitive machine needed for a TV production last night. (Case still open... posted follow-up info to the support case.) The person was helpful - after half an hour we got that machine running.

He remoted in, looked at some logs, and worked on some files (may have been the SLCache files), and eventually got it to register with my build of the AdobeSerialization tool (so it wasn't a problem with my AdobeSerialization). He expressed the opinion that I may have corrupted some of the files, which is absolutely fair, as the prior day I had installed/uninstalled/reinstalled like 10 times while working with our support partners - who knows what I did to that machine. He asked me to check my other macs that might be affected.

I did - checked an untouched machine that had been deactivated through the web-based adobe admin portal. Same error. (Worth noting that all of these machines retained their hostname. They are machines that were deactivated through the portal, and then we are attempting to reactivate. (I've got about 30 macs I'll have to address.)

Attempted to run the RemoveVolumeSerial, got Wait results 7680 and 30; attempted to then run AdobeSerialization, again got codes 5120 and 20. This machine had not been poked/prodded like the prior one.

I have been unable to find info about Activation wait code 20. I have found that Installation wait code 20 deals with:

"Exit code: 20 Install source path does not exist.

1. Ensure that the installer isn't corrupt (media.db is present in the payloads folder).

2. Make a local copy of the installer, and then retry the installation."

...but I don't think this is related?

I've reactivated a few (unreformatted) Windows 7/10 machines since this started, no issues. I seem to be having problems only on Sierra (10.12.x) machines. Simple summary: If a Mac was deactivated through the portal, I (we?) are unable to reactivate using the AdobeSerialiaztion tool.

Are there other files we should be tweaking other than the SLCache/SLStore? Two or three different support reps have mentioned a SLTool that uses the VIP number.

I'm heading in to try different variations of "deactivate/remove slcache/activate". Suggestion on order?

Good luck to all.

[alisterblack]

Hi,

SLTool is an executable that when used as instructed will remove the device license. At that point the serialization should be run again.

Please contact support to obtain the tool (I know you have done this already, but for the benefit of others reading this thread). Contact Customer Care

[thom_s_mg]

I would like to try the SLTool, if that could help, but I get a 404 when trying the link to Customer Care. I'm in Sweden, if that's important.

[alisterblack]

Contact Customer Care

Sorry, looks like I added an extra character - the above link will work.

[twist0105]

Hey all... just an update. Started a second support session (remote control in which they tried to activate my machine remotely) mostly to request the tool as alisterback suggested. This support person tried to activate, saw the 5120/20 error, then collected the logs and said he'd send send me a customized script shortly. Bit later - I didn't get a script, but got an email saying they'd identified a bug, and to hang tight as the engineering team investigated.

So, hanging, fingers crossed!

Good luck!

[gordonm86753517]

Thanks for the update Twist

I'm no further forward

I've rebuilt one station with a new name and reinstalled the package, no change still unable to licence the software.

Fingers and everything else crossed you get a fix.

NB:Only rebuilt stations are effected, allocating the package to a station which has never had it installed and it works first time. The issue (for me anyway) relates to the admin console

[twist0105]

Update.

Just received an email that "we're still working".

Not happy. Nor is my boss with me. Thank you.

[hugos88958890]

They still didn't found an answer then. I tried to reseriall my product to no avail. The adobeserialization runs and complets but I don't see the machine on my admin console.

[thom_s_mg]

(My language for Admin console is Swedish)

Testing installation for our school on an MacBook Air (10.12.5). The package installed ok.

Wanted to test deactivation. Worked fine, 1 inactive unit in Admin console.

Realized I had to change Share name on the computer, as all students otherwise would get the same machine ID, to be able to identify them in Admin console.

Then removed all CC-programs.

Reinstalled a package again. Now I got a message that I had no license.

Tried the exe "AdobeSerialization".  Got hangups until i removed the libraries mentioned, SLCache and SLStore.

Then I had to sign in with an AdobeID.

BUT - now I get the message that I have a 7 days test license.

When using the Serialization script i get the result:

"wait 5120

wait 20

logout"

all the time.

What can I do to activate the license again on this machine? I'm totally stuck.

[alisterblack]

To be clear, deleting slchache and slstore simply removes all licensing information. This step should only be taken if other methods have been tried and have been unsuccessful, as they are useful in the event that there is some corruption to these folders.

If you then sign in with an Adobe ID you are applying a new license - only in your case one with no entitlement, hence the trial status.

If you are using an imaging workflow you need to image a trial version and then run the serialization file on each client after application.

[alisterblack]

Did you run the license package created with Creative Cloud Packager?

[thom_s_mg]

I had customer support in my computer. Apart from repeating what I already had done, to no success, they tried Creative Could Cleaner tool, and removing all Adobe apps from program and library... then installing a new package. To no help.

I'm left with the suggestion to reinstall OSX.

It's ok for me, as I only have one computer I'm trying to reactivate CC on... But if you have several. I don't even want to dream of it. There must be some solution!

Good luck everyone;)