Cs4 has deactivated itself- how can I fix? Error code 150:30

[hahnphoto]

My hard copy/boxed version of Cs4 has deactivated itself- how can I fix? Error code 150:30 says "licensing for this product has stopped working". I called into support and they checked the serial number, they confirmed it is valid and should not have any issues- however the program won't work with this licensing error. They said they could not help me over the phone, but someone from adobe could assist me on the forums. This has happened once in the past, and they fixed it over the phone (on their end). 

I understand this is an older version, however I paid VERY GOOD money for it and it was working 100% fine up until last week when I got the licensing error. I hadn't done anything new/different. Using a mac, and no I'm not interested in doing the monthly subscription on this computer. I want my paid copy to work! 

[davescm]

According to this Adobe help page :

https://helpx.adobe.com/uk/creative-suite.html

CS4 can no longer be activated as the activation server has been retired.

Dave

[hahnphoto]

It was already activated. It's been working fine for years. I shouldn't need to re-activate an existing install. 

[War Unicorn]

CS4 is ancient in IT terms. We're talking 2008, 14 years ago. There's no guarantee it will work on future versions of a specific OS. Your best bet, like some people who want to preserve a specific program, would have been to install CS4 on a computer that would match that era. That way, there wouldn't be any surprises down the road as technology progresses and upgrades.

[hahnphoto]

That's exactly what I did. It's alreay installed on my older iMac and was working 100% great until this past week when that error popped up out of nowhere. I didn't add or change anything. I don't update this iMac and it runs all my old software fine. 

[hahnphoto]

I don't need it to work on any future versions. I just need it to keep working on this older iMac running 10.14 mojave 

[Leslie Moak Murray]

I feel your pain and I think people who paid a fortune for their copy of Photoshop should be able to use it and not be nudged into the Cloud if they don't want to be. Since Adobe told you someone here might be able to help, let's wait and see if someone shows up.

[Jeff Arola · Accepted solution]

Hopefully you can fix the error by following the directions laid out by gener7:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/getting-error-150-30-opening-photosho...

[hahnphoto]

Jeff thank you so much! I owe gener7 big time! Thank you very much jeff for posting such a helpful step by step tutorial