CS4 with Mac High Sierra

[lynneb26552762]

I've been using CS4 Creative Suite for several years and with every system upgrade I worry that I won't be able to continue using it.  (I don't use it regularly but I have important documents that I need to access periodically).  I just updated my MacBook Pro to the latest OS, High Sierra.  During the installation, I was prompted to upgrade Java to be able to use InDesign which I did and that installation was successful.  Today, I tried to open an InDesign doc.  In Design opened (finally) but the doc did not open (the name shows up at the top of the window, but nothing else is visible.

[Test Screen Name]

You're right to worry. Even CC2017 has issues and will need an Apple fix. If you want to freeze your software that's fine but freeze all of it: you can't cherry pick the upgrades that sound Good and skip the ones you don't want to buy.

[BobLevine]

I hope you made a good solid backup, especially if that machine had a solid state drive.

[Bill Silbert · Accepted solution]

You should be aware that even current software will (and in the Case of CC 2017 InDesign DOES) have potential problems running on the first version of a new OS. CS4 has not been supported for at least two versions of the Mac OS so the only probable way that you'll be able to fix this is to roll back your OS (I think Yosemite was the last version to support CS4 but I could be wrong about that).

[bigtomolin]

CS4 worked with Sierra, but not High Sierra.  I'm trying to get back to Sierra, but am having the damndest time.  I tired downloading El Capitan, but it said it wouldn't open because there was an upgraded system already installed - that must be High Sierra.  I have Sierra on my laptop and will attempt to pull the over to my iMac.  It says El Capitan is downloaded, but I don't know where to look.  This incompatibility issue is just plain awful.

[Barb Binder]

Does this help?

https://www.imore.com/how-downgrade-macos

[joesickspack]

CS4 may not be supported, but it still works on MacOS up through Sierra. Yes, there are a few things you must watch out for, but it does work. I just finished a 36 page color catalog using CS4 (PS, AI, and ID) without any issues.

1. Do a clean install of CS4.

2. Turn off "Automatically hide and show menu bar" in System Prefs > General (ID will usually crash otherwise)

3. Turn off "Use dark menu bar and Dock" in Sytem Prefs > General (makes font menu readable)

4. Apple>System Preferences>Accessibility>Display>ReduceTransparency (fixes font menus)

5. Trick CS4 into thinking Java is installed (see my post above)

6. Install Raul Alvarez's fix for Illustrator (if you want to place Photoshop images in Illustrator). See:

illustrator CS4 plugin problem after upgrade to... | Communities

[BobLevine]

It works for YOU! That does not mean it will work for everyone.

[joesickspack]

No software works in every situation, but I've gotten CS4 to work with every OS through El Capitan on a 2007 iMac, and with Mavericks through Sierra on a 2009 (2010 firmware) Mac Pro. Plenty of other people have it working in many other situations. Why pay a $600/year subscription if the work you do and your psychology don't  require the latest software.

That said, High Sierra seems to be a different story.

[joesickspack]

Useful pages on the Adobe website:

Links to updaters and extras for every Adobe product:

http://www.adobe.com/downloads/updates.html

In particular:

InDesign (six updaters for CS4)

http://supportdownloads.adobe.com/product.jsp?product=31&platform=Macintosh

Photoshop (two updaters for CS4)

http://supportdownloads.adobe.com/product.jsp?product=39&platform=Macintosh

To run the updaters under Sierra or High Sierra, you will probably have to use the advice in batnert's post #18 above to get around the "Required resources are missing" error. This Adobe page has detailed instructions:

https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/kb/install-creative-suite-mac-os-sierra.html

[CPlum]

Photoshop CS6, CS4 InDesign and Illustrator worked fine, no problems, in Sierra OS.

After upgrade to High Sierra I started having problems to the extent that neither Illustrator nor InDesign CS4 would open. I asked the tech at Apple  if he could revert the OS to Sierra and he said they'd have to wipe the whole computer.

Finally the computer died (iMac 2011) 3 weeks ago, after installation. No we did not have a memorial service.

[debn82474442]

How do I or can I even roll back if I already updated to HIgh Sierra?

[BobLevine]

If you didn’t make a full system backup it’s going to be close to impossible.

[debn82474442]

I did backup... its been so long i don't remember how to unistall a system without the actual cds from back in the day! Any advice?

[CPlum]

Check youtube for reinstalling your program, they have SOOO many how-to videos up there, chances may be very good.

My old Mac(graphics board) finally burned out, don’t know if it was caused by High Sierra or not. Probably not. So I bought a new iMac,

Problem is CS4 and CS6 programs are not supported. So I’m spending $40 for Photoshop and Illustrator CC per month.

Not happy about it. Not getting InDesign. But for me its okay & gives me an excuse not to lay out a magazine I’ve been doing since

’99. Am not too upset about that. Good luck!

[T_Garrett]

My experience too, though Dreamweaver seems ok. ID files opened but nothing visible in the palettes. I've more or less gone across to Scribus for my dtp – it works surprisingly well for something that's free – and it's surprisingly quick to rebuild documents once you've got the hang of it! There's a utility called ID Util that previews ID files and allows you to copy text (£20 fee for the full thing but free trial) which might ease your pain. ID did work ok with Sierra but the CS4 programs are dropping one-by-one...

[eriknokc]

CS4 is not useable in High Sierra. All you get is blank screens and you can't edit anything and/or certain menus that don't work. For those of you that use Photoshop and Illustrator, there are 2 programs called Affinity Photo and Affinity Designer that are very comparable and are available in the macOS App Store for $50 each. They also support PSD and AI file import. Both of the apps are available for Mac and Windows, and Affinity Photo is available for iPad with Pencil support. I have found them to be great replacements for Photoshop and Illustrator. I haven't found a replacement for InDesign. Thankfully, my layout needs are not very extensive, so I am using Pages until I can find something better that's not pricey.

[patrickp57108470]

I have no problem with CS4 in High Sierra. The software was installed before upgrading the system. But now I'm trying to change my computer and if the DVD install works well in High Sierra, the serial number printed on my DVD box is considered as incorrect.

[BobLevine]

Nobody here can help with that. You'll need to contact Adobe directly.

Don't count on any help if you tell them it's High Sierra.

[Guest]

So sifting through all of the above posts - am I correct to conclude that there is no way to get InDesign CS4 to work on my iMac with High Sierra?  I have tried installing my CS4 suite several times (bought new computer to replace one that died and ugly death), and while I can seem to get Illustrator and Photoshop to act normally, I get the blank tool bars and blank windows when I try to open a file in InDesign. 

I originally tried using my CS4 disc, but for someone reason it could not complete the installation process, so used the download from the Adobe website with my key code. This seemed to work at first, until I try opening InDesign.

Was on the phone for 2.5 hours with Adobe, without success.

Is there no hope?!

[Bill Silbert]

No. You need to update.

[Laubender]

Hi KBalluff ,

I think you have two options with CS4:

1. Buy an older Mac where InDesign CS4 is supported.
That would one where you could install OS X 10.6.8. Maybe also up to 10.10, but this is experimental.

2. If your machine allows to install OS X 10.12, 10.11 or 10.10 ( I'm not sure what exactly is doable ) you could use two start up partitions. One with the latest OS X and one with a legacy version. Then try to install CS4 on one of the legacy versions.

Regards,
Uwe

[CPlum]

Happily I purchased a new iMac with Sierra OS after my older (2008) iMac's video-board died a very flashy death (literally! with other issues as well) a month after installing High Sierra. Do not know if its demise had anything to do with the High Sierra OS upgrade. Now that I'm back to Sierra on my new iMac I can install InDesign and Illustrator. Whew! Blissed out with the speed as well.

I can't imagine that whatever is causing the ID and AI problem won't be addressed and fixed in the future by Adobe. Keep your eyes open, I don't believe they'll let us down.

[BobLevine]

Your optimism is misplaced. CS4 will NEVER see another update…EVER!

[CPlum]

Bummer, couldn't they just fix the bugs (if it's a bug) that will simply make it functional again?