Activating Illustrator CS2

[Kevin15776]

I bought Adobe Illustrator CS2 years ago and have kept the CD and box.  I was able to put the program on my laptop but I cannot activate it anymore.  Is there a way around this?  I LOVED Illustrator!!

[Ashutosh_Mishra · Accepted solution]

Hi Kevin,

Thanks for reaching out. Our aging activation servers for earlier versions of Creative Suite (CS) applications had to be retired. Without the activation servers, these applications display an activation or connection error when trying to verify a license. Please check out community post https://community.adobe.com/t5/get-started/activation-server-shut-down-for-creative-suite-2-acrobat-... for more details on this.

I'd recommend using latest version of Adobe app. You may try the latest version on https://www.adobe.com/products/illustrator/free-trial-download.html

Hope it helps.

Regards,

Ashutosh

[Verne5FA4]

so the $426.93 i paid for this means nothing???? 

now it is only by subscription????

Seriously?!?!?

[jane-e]

CS2 was released in April 2005, so you got 16 years of service out of it, which comes to about $26-27 per year. You can continue to use it if it is still installed on your old computer; but there is no way to activate it on a new computer.

~ Jane

(forum volunteer)

[Gallucci Art]

This is the part I don't care for with adobe. Your customer service in this area needs a lot of work.

You're a multi-cagillion dollar company, supporting previous versions must be obtainable. What gets me the most is that those who were born on illustrator 5.5, or earlier, helped make adobe what it is today.

I'd say, take better care of your customers, but I know adobe doesn't care, because you don't have to...

[RLS-Junk5FB8]

I ran into the same problem.  My Windows 2000 machine (hard drive failed) and my full version of Adobe Creative Suite went with it.  I replaced the hard drive reinstalled Windows 2000 and Adobe Creative Suite CS2 (which I still have with serial number) and now it won't allow me to contiue to use it without a phone number authorization code.   My work around for now is to kill Windows 2000 and reinstall Adobe Creative Suite CS2 with Acrobat 7 every 30 days when its activation ends.  Really bad for Adobe, cause I'm moving all my work over to non-Adobe software. This is suppose to be like a book...keep it forever until the pages fall out... Apparently not so with Adobe.  Even Microsoft will allow continue use of their software as old as it is.  

Hope this helps those like me that still use the old versions.   P.S. the Windows 2000 machine is not internet connected ...eliminates any virus stuff.

[Bobby Henderson]

There was a period of time (more than a year if I recall correctly) when Adobe made activation free versions of CS2 software available to registered users to download shortly before and for some time after they shut down the CS2 activation servers. I think they did the same thing for the CS3 generation of applications.

Out of the Creative Suite era, I don't know which activation servers are still running. I assume the CS6 servers are still active. I have an old Master Collection CS 5.5 box that cost me a fairly hefty upgrade price from CS3 Design Premium, but I don't know if CS5 or CS5.5 servers are still operational.

[jane-e]

---

@Bobby Henderson wrote:

but I don't know if CS5 or CS5.5 servers are still operational.

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See here:

https://helpx.adobe.com/download-install/kb/activation-deactivation-help.html

Jane

[Monika Gause]

Hope this helps those like me that still use the old versions.   P.S. the Windows 2000 machine is not internet connected ...eliminates any virus stuff.

By @RLS-Junk5FB8

Those who run the old versions most likely downloaded the special version with its activvation key during the 5 years or so period it was available. They care for their aging software and their computers, which you obviously don't.

When running ancient systems it's even more important to watch out for changes.

Companies have to care for their current paying customers.

What's the difference between never updating and moving to competitor software?

[ивани24286754]

For this who have original CDs with CS2 and wondering about how to activate CS2. I fount this archived webpage so you could activate your CS2 Suite. 

[weblink removed]

[jane-e · Accepted solution]

@ивани24286754 

The activation servers for CS2 have been shut down and CS2 cannot be activated. I've removed the link you posted from the archived webpage, as it will not work. Details here:

https://helpx.adobe.com/download-install/kb/activation-deactivation-help.html

Jane