Participating Frequently

Question

Installing In Design on a new computer and getting all my old work onto it

Forum|Forum|1 year ago
January 5, 2025
3 replies
1066 views

Hi, recently I bought a new computer and when I try to install In Design it says I need to pay again. But I am already paying $$$ a month for it. How do I access my old account on my new computer? And when I do get In Design on my new computer, how do I get all my old work on it?

Best,

Catherine Mullins

How to

Dave Creamer of IDEAS

Community Expert

The info already posted is correct, but something is strange. When I activate a different (third) system, I get a dialog box asking me what device I want to deactivate. Are you sure you are logging in with the same Adobe account?

David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)

Peter Spier

Community Expert

The info already posted is correct, but something is strange. When I activate a different (third) system, I get a dialog box asking me what device I want to deactivate. Are you sure you are logging in with the same Adobe account?

By @Dave Creamer of IDEAS

I wonder that, too. When I check my products pane I see my CC subscription listed with a serial number which implies that @CatherineMullins is logged in with a different ID than the one to which the subscription is registered.

Randy Hagan

Community Expert

It's a pretty straightforward process to activate/deactivate devices through your Creative Cloud desktop application.:

1. Open your Adobe Creative Cloud application. When the application window appears, click on the Manage Account link under the account name as shown below.

2. This opens a web page on your default browser. In the pull-down menus at the top of the page, first select the Plans & Pricing pull-down menu, then the Activated Devices command in the pull-down menu, as illustrated below.

This opens a list of your activated devices to use Creative Cloud, as seen in the image below.

Note that in the lead paragraph it says you can only activate two devices. From here it's easy to choose which systems you do/do not want to be running Creative Cloud applications. Eliminate the old computer, make sure the new computer is showing, then return to your new system. You should be able to use your installed Creative Cloud applications in the future.

From this point, it's simply a matter of using your local network or an external drive (a.k.a. Sneakernet) to 1) find all your old work files on your old computer and then 2) copy/transfer those old work files from your old computer to your new one. That's going to be as easy or as hard as your old computer's filing system makes the job. If it's hard to find all the old files on your old computer, this might be the perfect opportunity to set up a better file system that will serve you well on your new one.

Hope this helps,

Randy

C

CatherineMullinsAuthor

Participating Frequently

Thank you so much! This was really helpful. I am very new to Adobe and Creative Cloud and so the screenshots really helped. That being said, I keep getting this screen when I try to view my products.

Do I need a code from when I bought In Design a few years ago? Or is this just because I haven't activated my current device yet? And how do I activate my current device?

Best,

Catherine

C

CatherineMullinsAuthor

Participating Frequently

Open that webpage again and keep it handy. We'll use it to confirm we've done what we've done.

Go to the new computer. I'm going to assume that you have InDesign and Creative Cloud desktop application installed. Open InDesign.
Go to the Help pull-down menu and select the Sign in... menu command.
Sign in with your Adobe ID (that email address you used) and password.
InDesign should now run as you expect.
Give it a couple of minutes. Go back to your web browser and check that webpage. Refresh the browser.
Make sure that your new computer is listed on the webpage. All should be good.

If you delete the old computer listed on the page, you're set up to install your Creative Cloud applications on one other system, to the specifications of your agreement with Adobe Systems.

Let us know if this worked for you. If it didn't — and for all good reasons, it should — let us know and we'll try to help you through your issues.

Hope this does the job for you,

Randy

Ok, I think I got it. The program kept wanting to sign in with an email I never use. Finally got it to listen to me and sign in with the correct email and now it's working. I also found all of my old work on the SSD card with all my photos. Is there a way to import all that work onto InDesign so that it is on my computer?

Best,

Catherine

Willi Adelberger

Community Expert

Deactivate your subscription on the old computer and a activate it on the new ons.
you can activate simultaneously on 2 computers. If you cannot activate one more, so if is activated on 2 computers.

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