Need serial number to install CS3

[Guest]

I have had a Mac computer for 10 years and had CS3 installed on it.  Just recently the computer broke and i was forced to buy a new one.  I bought a new desktop computer, however there is no port for me to insert the CD into the computer.  Now when I try to get my serial number from the CS3 Design Standard box, it tells me to go to www.myidentit-e.com/adobe/na  .... Problem is that I have not had to make an account for over 10 years and i dont remember any of my account details (email/ pass/ etc.) So basically i feel like i have hit a dead end.  I called customer service and they told me to make a post on these forums to see if anybody could help me.  Is there some place i can go in person with the discs and box to get the serial number?  I really need this program redownloaded to my computer as i use it for school and work and i cannot afford to buy a new program!   PLEASE PLEASE HELP ME!!!!

[Szalam]

I'm pretty sure CS3 won't run on El Capitan anyway.

donttoewsmebro wrote:

i cannot afford to buy a new program!

Luckily, it costs very little to get a CC subscription. It's around $50 a month ( it costs even less if you're a student or you get a promotional price) instead of over a thousand dollars.

[DelphiZoa · Accepted solution]

It's odd that you would be rerouted to the myidentit portal. That is typically for verifying student status. Is your CS3 an education version? Also, are you sure you're entering a serial number or is it perhaps a redemption code? Redemption codes are used when you purchase software from a third party reseller. They are typically alphanumeric and are entered once to get your serial number, which numbers only. I ask because entering a redemption code might take you to the myidentit portal to verify education status, but a serial number shouldn't do that.

I would recommend going over the suggestions in this help document to see if you can verify/recover your serial number: Find your Adobe product serial number quickly. I know you said you don't remember your account details, but perhaps you can make a guess at what e-mail you were using 10 years ago. Your e-mail address = your Adobe ID, and you can use it to Sign in - Adobe ID to get the serial number.

I doubt there is anywhere you can go in person with the disks and box to get the serial number. Again, if you purchased CS3 from a reseller, the numbers on the packaging are probably redemption codes, and you have to go through the steps in Find your Adobe product serial number quickly. If you purchased directly from Adobe and the numbers are indeed a serial number, you should be able to enter it when prompted during installation without a redirect to myidentit.

Incidentally, since you don't have a CD drive on the new computer, you can download CS3 directly and install that way: Download Adobe Creative Suite 3 products​. Make sure you download the exact version you own (ie. CS3 Design Standard not one of the other links). Your serial number will only work for the suite you purchased.

Finally, Szalam is right that CS3 may not run on the newest Mac operating system, which is El Capitan. CS3 is nearly 10 years old and hasn't been tested on modern operating systems. That said, it's worth a shot, especially for us cash poor types.

[DelphiZoa]

Installation help for downloaded software (once you get the serial number sorted): How to download, install, and activate Adobe applications (just in case).