How do you Deactivate a Computer for CS6?

[ashleigh1842]

TLDR: I need to deactivate an inaccessible computer in order to continue using my CS6 products.

Note: I do not have a subscription to CC or whatever the newer monthly plan is. My CS6 package was purchased in 2013.

I recently replaced the motherboard and CPU in my PC and now my Adobe products recognize this as a brand new device. I get an error message saying that I already have 2 computers activated and I will need to deactivate one before I can continue using this product. I have no way to sign in to my "old" computer since the motherboard/CPU were fried and it wouldn't even turn on (hence the replacement). I'm pretty sure the second computer was my old laptop that also had a fried motherboard way back when, so I don't have access to that either. 
There are no devices listed under my Adobe Account page, since apparently it only shows devices that utilize the newer subscription service and CS6 is no longer supported. I tried getting on a chat with an Adobe representative who was unable to help and said they don't know anything about CS6 since it's unsupported, and only suggested that I sign in on my old device(s) and deactivate the app from there (not an option for me). Am I just SOL here...? Hopefully that's not the case; I put so much money into this Production Premium package back in the day and there's no way I could afford a $50+/mo plan. 

[Nancy OShea]

If you have exceeded your activation liimit, contact Adobe Support and ask for a "reset of your activation count."  Don't ask for anything else.  If they give you any trouble, ask for a supervisor who knows how to do it.  Most new hires don't.

================
Online Chat: https://helpx.adobe.com/contact.html?rghtup=autoOpen   Type AGENT followed by Enter key.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/adobecare

Hope that helps.

[ashleigh1842]

Thank you so much! I contacted Adobe Support for a second time and used this specific wording. They did give me trouble again, and just pushed that I buy a CC subscription, but once I asked for a supervisor then suddenly they were able to help me (: I'm back in actionnnn!!

[Nancy OShea]

Glad you got it sorted. 🙂  Thanks for the update.

[dufusj]

I know this is old, but I wanted to add to this conversation.  I have a similar problem.  My SSD crashed and I had to replace it.  Naturally I had no chance to deactivate, so when I went to reinstall on the same computer, it said my activate count has been exceeded.  I followed the advice in the "Correct answer" here, and this is the response I got from customer service (word for word from their chat mechanism):

"I understand your concern but the CS5.5 is an older out of support product and activation servers have been retired for this, Adobe provides the steps to deactivate the application before installing it again on same or different computer, Since you were not able to do that, the activation counts are exhausted.  We can not reset the activation counts from our end neither we can deactivate the previous installed application."

So it would appear that from now on, they are dumping all the non-subscription folks completely.  Any recourse left or go to a competitor's product?  I cannot afford the subscription, and even if I could, my purchased product has effectively been stolen from me, so I would not support Adobe again even if I could.

[D Fosse]

That's right. This is a recent change of policy and the screws are tightened. But to be fair, this is 14 year old software and on most machines it won't even run.

Just so it's said, $10 a month including Lightroom and including all upgrades as they come, is a lot cheaper than the old perpetual licenses if you spread it out. You can probably subscribe for another 14 years before hitting break-even.

[dufusj]

Thanks for the reply and the info.  I understand what you are saying, but my CS5.5 was already paid for.  In other words, my monthly cost was $0/month.  I don't know what perpetual license cost you are using for your 14 year argument, but for what I paid for CS5.5 I could not even subscribe to the cloud for one year.  And it still runs rock solid on my 2 year old Windows 10 computer.  If it's so old and cloud is so much better and it's no longer worth it to keep up the license servers, why not just allow anyone to activate it?  So now it's off to find something I can buy for another one-time small fee.  I'm discovering there are a lot of nice alternatives out there since I last looked around.

[Lumigraphics]

Adobe made a business decision that supporting 14 year-old software was too costly. You are not really a customer at this point. Bottom line you pay them or pay someone else.

Note that I don't agree with this but it is what it is.

[dufusj]

Again, I hear you, and I understand.  But if I hadn't had to reinstall, I'd still be using it.  It was their decision to set up a licensing mechanism that required servers in the first place, and their decision to yank them.  I never agreed to a time limit when I made my purchase.  As far as I'm concerned, they just stole the product from me.  They should have just opened it up then.  But they can't, because it's still very good software.  Only problem is, no subscription fee.  Anyway, this has been discussed on here ad infinitum, so we are literally beating a dead horse, again.  It is what it is, but no more money from me, not that they ever got much anyway, so I'm sure they don't care.  Thanks again for the help everybody.  It is sad.  I liked photoshop.

[ashleigh1842]

Thank you for this heads up, good to know! I'm so sorry about your CS5, I would be angry, too. The fact of the matter is that we spent a lot of money in the past to purchase something with the understanding that it would be ours going forward indefinitely. So the fact that they can stop support for the limited activates is kind of BS, especially knowing in this day and age that people are going to need to update their PCs with new components (or replace them altogether). I also wish that they would have just made the limited activates no longer applicable since apparently it is so outdated that it's not worth anything to them anyway.  And now I don't know anyone whose computer doesn't run CS5 anymore? I've never had an issue running CS5/CS6 on my updated PC..
But alas, the company's just a money grab nowadays and they think know how to squeeze more from us by doing this. It is sad, I also liked photoshop. But luckily there are tons of other comparable programs, like you said. Good luck!

[Nancy OShea · Accepted solution]

By way of an update to this topic from 2023, an activation count reset for legacy software might not be possible anymore. 

For best results, do not reinstall legacy software without first deactivating the currently installed versions from your Help menu.  If deactivation isn't possible and you've exceeded your product's activation limit, you're stuck.  It's time to find a replacement.

MODERN OPTIONS:
==============
FREE Acrobat Reader -- view, comment, print & sign PDF.
https://acrobat.adobe.com/us/en/acrobat/pdf-reader.html

Paid Acrobat Pro or Standard -- the complete solution for creating and saving PDF.
https://acrobat.adobe.com/us/en/acrobat/acrobat-pro.html

Photoshop Elements or Premiere Elements (no subscription needed).
https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop-elements.html

Creative Cloud Photography Plan (approx $10/month for 12 months). Includes the following:

• Photoshop CC and Photoshop on iPad
• Camera Raw
• Lightroom on desktop, mobile and the web
• Lightroom Classic
• Portfolio website + hosting
• Adobe Express (free starter plan)
• Bridge
• 20 GB cloud storage (upgradable to 1 TB).
• Free upgrades for paid subscribers

https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/photography.html

Premium Adobe Express ($10/month). Mobile & web-based graphics & video apps for social media content creators.
https://helpx.adobe.com/express/using/express-overview.html

Creative Cloud Apps (20 + pro apps & services) and Single App Plans
https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/plans.html

Hope that helps.

[BrightShade]

Adobe made a business decision that supporting 14 year-old software was too costly. You are not really a customer at this point. Bottom line you pay them or pay someone else.

Note that I don't agree with this but it is what it is.

By @Lumigraphics

This may be an older discussion, but an important point is being overlooked: the license agreement for these older products contained the word "perpetual." For example, the license.html file on my installation media has this phrase, "License Term shall be perpetual" -- meaning Adobe's "business decision" was to violate the terms of the license.

[Lumigraphics]

It is perpetual. You can use the same computer and software forever.

[l_8871]

@Lumigraphics Adobe has broken its promise. I found Adobe's Q&A regarding activation issues, but Adobe did not keep its promise. Users with permanent authorization have been deceived by Adobe

I posted in multiple sections, but they have already started locking down replies

[Lumigraphics]

If you think you have a case, certainly file a complaint with your local authorities. In the US it would be your state attorney general and the FTC. Good luck.

[Nancy OShea]

LICENSE vs SOFTWARE vs HARDWARE

'Perpetual license' is relative to the life of the Adobe product you purchased.  In theory, you could use it indefinitely, providing your computer hardware and operating system never change.  And you never need to re-install or re-activate the serial number. 

Adobe didn't take your license away.  The surrounding technology & infrastructure changed.