Someone else changed my password and is using my serial number

[paulam6224062]

I purchased the perpetual product of InDesign a number of years ago. I'm a freelance editor. For one project, the documents were on the client's server, and I signed in from home to do the editing. When the project was complete, I discovered that somehow the client had changed my password to theirs, and I can no longer access my own legal copy of InDesign.

Since then I have rented InDesign when I needed it for other projects, but it really bothers me to have the program on my computer and be unable to use it.

I tried going to my account on the Adobe website to update my InDesign, but when I typed in the serial number I got the message "This serial number is already in use."

How do I reclaim my legally purchased product?

[Willi Adelberger · Accepted solution]

Change your password and log out all computers via your account. Current versions have no serial. They were available only until CS6. 
Adobe offers no support for CS6 anymore. This is a product in EOL, End Of Life.

[paulam6224062]

Thank you, Willi. 

Do you know ... Is it possible to purchase perpetual InDesign rather than rent it month by month? I looked online and don't see that option. 😞

[JonathanArias]

whats the point on that? yeah you can own a copy of indesign forever, but it wont be able to run in a computer forever. Software and OS requirements stop that. eventually it wont work on the OS version if you update. unless you never update your OS? but you risk security issues since you dont' get security updates/patches.

[defaultgrlky7d4x87n]

You're right, Jonathan. Yeah, I've given up. I'll pay the ransom, uh, excuse me, subscription.
Now that doesn't seem to work either. Adobe has saved my old payment info, and I could find no way on the site to update that. I gave up and opened a new account, ordered the subscription, and opted to pay with PayPal (since I don't trust them with my credit card number). Now I'm getting error messages about not accepting that.

So far I've wasted more than four hours on this mess today. Gonna go walk around the block.

But thanks for your reply. I appreciate that you took the time to answer.

[JonathanArias]

oh my that sounds awful, i am sorry. i too use paypal for the same reason. we are happy to help you further. that is furstrating...

[Steve Werner]

You need to contact Adobe customer service.

Contact Customer Care - Adobe Help Centerhttps://helpx.adobe.com › contact

[paulam6224062]

Thank you, Steve. Might amuse you to know I contacted customer service first, and they sent me here! 🙂

[Steve Werner]

It's because I didn't read your message carefully enough. Your copy is end-of-life and is no longer supported by Customer Support.

[Laubender]

" I discovered that somehow the client had changed my password to theirs"

How could that happen?

Did you give your client your full Adobe ID ?

When you talk about "my legally purchased product" are you talking about the perpetual version of InDesign CS6?

Was that version registered with Adobe and tied to your Adobe ID? And does your client claim that you have sold the product to him?

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

[paulam6224062]

I honestly don't know how they did it. Yes, I bought the perpetual version of InDesign, it was registered, and it was tied to my Adobe ID. I used it successfully for several years, keeping it updated of course. Then I accepted a client with an InDesign project on their own server, and they gave me their password to use while working from my own computer. When the project ended, I started getting warnings from Adobe that my "subscription" needed to be renewed for a large sum of money. I contacted my client to see what was going on but they never replied. Since I already owned the perpetual version, I ignored the invoice. Then next time I tried to log in to InDesign under my own credentials, I got a message that my password was invalid. Time went by as I did other projects. Meanwhile I have a raft of InDesign documents on my computer that I cannot open. Recently I logged in to Adobe (I can get into my account, just not into InDesign), thinking by now I'd need to update. When I typed my serial number on the update page, I got a message saying "This serial number is already in use." I've chatted with customer service repeatedly to no avail. Meanwhile, I have a large number of InDesign files on my computer that I can no longer open. If you can solve this mystery, you're a genius!

[Test Screen Name]

I think I may have some idea what happened. It's rather the opposite of what you described.

"I bought the perpetual version of InDesign....  I accepted a client with an InDesign project on their own server, and they gave me their password to use while working from my own computer." Ok, that's ABSOLUTELY WRONG, both of the client to give you the password and for you to accept it. I assume that as well as accepting the password, you installed Creative Cloud to get access to files, or apps - in breach of all licensing, sad to say. What happened next isn't Adobe punishing you though, just a concequence.

The key thing is that Creative Cloud includes CS6, and takes over its licensing. It may install special updates (CS6.1 you might say). Anyway, you are now in the situation that your apps now are subscription based.

"When the project ended, I started getting warnings from Adobe that my "subscription" needed to be renewed"

Yes, because you are now running in subscription mode. 

", I ignored the invoice. " So InDesign will stop working.

" Then next time I tried to log in to InDesign under my own credentials, I got a message that my password was invalid."  Not quite sure about that, except the "old" InDesign (the pre-CC one you used to use doesn't need you to log in again). 

" Recently I logged in to Adobe .... When I typed my serial number on the update page"  Now you've lost me. I don't know what update page you mean. CS6 was end of the line for updates. 

What you need to do is get rid of the CC licensing. This is challenging, but it is a challenge that has often been faced here.

[Creamer Training]

I believe the Creative Cloud only takes over the licensing of the standalone CS6 if one updates through the CC app. If you open CS6 and update though the ID app, it should stay independent. 

The OPs problem sounds like a comedy of errors due to sharing private passwords in order to install software. Unless one is getting assigned a CC acount from a business with multiple Teams licenses, licenses are for a single user only. The dual-activation option is for the convienence of a single user--not for sharing with another person. 

If one really just wanted to share files, many other options could have been used instead of sharing passwords. 

[Laubender]

Hm. Sounds like identity theft…

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

[Brad @ Roaring Mouse]

As someone who has gone through the process to transfer a license, I can tell you it's not so easy that someone could just do it without your knowledge, as it requires verified information from both parties on an official Adobe License Transfer Form.

That aside:

The obvious:

On your Adobe account, and if you did indeed register your copy "back when", it should be listed under Plans > Products > Registered Products. What does yours show?

Also: under Plans > My Plans > Activated devices, what does it show? AS Willi has already said, if you have maxed out activations already, you need to deactive at least one to be able to reactivate on another machine and stay at two maximum.

The other thing to check is to see how many sessions are logged in to your account (this has nothing to do with activations, but might point to "someone that is not you"). Go to Profile > Active Sessions. If any of these look unfamilar, end them.