Can't activate CS3

[rbhudson47]

I had to replace the hard drive in my laptop. When I try to activate my copy of CS3 I get a no connection error but I am definitely connected to the internet and not using a proxy server. How can I activate my software?

[John Waller]

Adobe shut down the CS3 activation server a few years ago so CS3 can no longer be activated.

Until last year, Adobe offered a non-activation version (one which did not require activation) of CS3 for owners of valid serial numbers. Last year, that option was removed.

So, the short answer now is that unfortunately CS3 is dead and there's no way of using it beyond the 30 day trial period.

Your options now are to either subscribe to an Adobe Cloud plan or buy Photoshop Elements, provided your laptop and operating system can run them.

[mikeg78690913]

As John said you can't and I have to admit I'm not happy about it. I just wasted 4 hours on a chat with Adobe support and they were not aware that there was no way to activate it for the first couple of hours until I was transferred to additional managers who tried but failed to help. I find it very hard to believe but I have the transcript. They finally said there was nothing they could do and instructed me to request help from the community forums because I was told that is the only place that activation issues can be addressed for older software. I told them I would ask but some quick forum searches doesn't leave me much hope. Adobe had a nice product with CS3 and I really like(d) using Fireworks and the older Photoshop and Dreamweaver suite continued to work fine for me but they're now dead for no real technical reason. It's really not that I don't upgrade because I do have a Creative Cloud subscription for an employee that needs the newer Suite but the older CS3 Suite worked fine for me and included Fireworks which all still work fine on Windows XP, 7 and 10 at least until a Windows update apparently made it prompt for a "Repair" activation this week. FWIW, I do not expect to get any support for a 12 year old software but unless an OS or hardware update causes incompatibilies then I do expect a perpectual license to continue to function until it can't for technical reasons (not because of disabled web and phone activation). They have every right to turn off their activation servers if they want to but if they do then I should be provided some alternative method to legally activate the legally purchased and perpetually licensed software. I know it's only a program suite and I will certainly get over it but why turn off both the activation servers and phone activation and not continue to offer the "no activation" keys to existing customers. I can only speculate but my best guess would be that perpetual licenses don't make money but to be honest that doesn't really make sense because I've upgraded perpetual licenses multiple times. I started with Dreamweaver in 2001 when it was Macromedia UtraDev and upgraded to MX then MX4 and onto Adobe CS3 and a CC subscription. I use(d) CS3 because my needs are simple and it just worked and did not require a monthly subscription. If I need additional functionality I upgrade. Since I told support that I would ask the forums well here it is. Does there happen to  be an Adobe support person here that can help me get a replacement "no activation" serial number. Pretty please... with a cherry on top... do it...  you know you want to... come on.... Thanks for reading.

[Lumigraphics]

CS3 is dead. Adobe no longer activates it. I have a copy that is useless, as well.

[NB, colourmanagement]

Frustrating.

Sending you to the community is a waste of time - we volunteers can't change Adobe policy on this. They stopped activation and that's it, CS3 is gone. My own copy is unusable too

neil