uninstall vs deactivate

[Guest]

I have to move my Frame 9 installation to a new drive.

I have uninstalled Frame 9 from the existing drive, but a colleague says I needed to deactivate it.

Did the uninstall perform a deactivation automatically?  If not, how do I regain the installation rights from the previous instance?

[Arnis Gubins]

AFAIK, if the re-installation is on the same machine, then you don't have to deactivate. There's a set of activation FAQs at: http://www.adobe.com/products/activation/

[Guest]

Thanks. I don't know what the IT guys have planned -- same processor, new drive, or whole new machine. All I know is this one's acting up and they want to rebuild it.

I'll read the FAQ. Thanks for the pointer!

[MichaelKazlow]

I have to disagree here. If you reformat the drive, you don't need to reactivate, but I believe a new drive will require activation. I'd rather be safe and de-activate even if it means re-installing the software first. If its not possible and you have used your activations, Adobe will grant you an additional activation. So I wouldn't sweat it, but if I can avoid the hassle, I do.

[Arnis Gubins]

If the machine is being rebuilt, rather than just a new drive being added, then I would go with Mike's recommendation to deactivate. The Adobe Licensing software is finicky & ornery, hiding stuff all over your drive. If you replace the drive, then this prior info is lost and you could be up the creek without a paddle. I just went through an exercise in frustration trying to get all components of the TechCommSUite running properly after a disk glitch forced me to LicenseRepair and re-install, since I couldn't deactivate prior to having the disk hiccup. The only saving grace was a deactivation followed by an uninstall, running Adobe's clean scripts and a re-install to get things working properly.

[Guest]

Thanks, but it's moot; I've already uninstalled. To deactivate it I would have to install it again. But if I attempt an install, I am asked for the license key, so it's not clear whether my prior activation is still in effect.

[Art Campbell]

I've never had a problem with Adobe tech support when something like this has happened -- installation support is free, and they're quite familiar with this scenario. So best case is the software will go on and activate without a hitch. Worst case is the activation will be screwed, which means you have a 30-day window during which the software works to give you a window to call Adobe tech support and get it resolved. Which usually isn't a big deal -- just keying in a new key.

Art

[Guest]

Thanks, I've filed a Customer service case and am waiting to hear back. If they're familiar with this scenario, maybe they should do something about it!