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Participating Frequently
October 10, 2016
Answered

How to Activate Photoshop CS on my new computer

  • October 10, 2016
  • 6 replies
  • 17821 views

I have been running my Photoshop CS on my old computer which has now given up the ghost.

It is now replaced, and I have installed Photoshop, but find activation will not work from the programme and "help" points me in the direction of Forums.

System is Windows Ten, Bags of ram & hard drive capacity.

Can anyone help Please?

Graham

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Terri Stevens

Terri

Have managed to install CS2 and Photoshop now working. The only thing I cannot get is the "Help" menu.

I get a dialogue box which says "The topic you want view applies to a CS2 product you have not installed" 

If I click on the Adobe Help Icon in the start menu I get an "internal server fault" message, contact Adobe website link.

Any ideas?

Graham


Hello,

I can't really suggest much Graham. On a Windows 7 virtual machine help does work, but it is a program rather than a collection of files so may not be compatible with Windows 10. I get that "internal server fault" message as well and imagine that means the server it relates to has been closed down or moved. When you installed CS2 it will have created files probably at 'C:\PhSp_CS2_UE_Ret\Help' If you go to that help folder you will find the Photoshop CS2 manual as a PDF file-it's 17.5MB which may help out a bit.

You didn't say if you are using a 'compatibility mode', but that would be something to try. At C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CS2 you will find photoshop.exe. Right click that and select properties and then the compatibility tab. Under compatibility mode select Windows 7. Also tick 'run this program as administrator' as well. That should make Photoshop think it is running under Windows 7 and you might get round some of the Windows 10 issues doing things that way. If that doesn't work then you may need to do without the Help menu , but you can easily find tutorials on YouTube or written ones by Googling. Also the forum here still answers CS2 questions as we are not Adobe technical support.

6 replies

November 22, 2016
JJMack
Community Expert
Community Expert
October 11, 2016

Only Adobe Customer Support can access their activation severs databases and reset your CS6 activation.  Yes program support is only available for current versions of Adobe applications.  However Adobe can not stop you using old products versions you paid for.  Adobe Customer Support should help your activate your CS6 install they help many with you problen.. 

JJMack
Participating Frequently
October 11, 2016

I am trying to be proactive with this problem.  If I remove the CS6 and don't deactivate, likely they are going refuse to allow me to use it on my new laptop.  I think you see my frustration here.  I don't know if there is a solution.

JJMack
Community Expert
Community Expert
October 11, 2016

You wrote you had CS6 installed on a machine that gave up to ghost which makes it impossible  for you to deactivate an activation you need to use on you new machine.  Only Adobe customer support can deactivate that activation by updating their Activation servers database to free up an activation for your Product serial number.  You need Adobe's to help you with your installation Problem. They help users with this problem regularly.  Make sure you tell Adobe Customer Support you need their help activating your product you have a valid licence for.

JJMack
Participating Frequently
October 11, 2016

I have a similar problem.  I have Photoshop 6 on a laptop computer and want to switch it to a new laptop computer.  The deactivation line is gray and does not function under the help icon.  Since Adobe is no longer supporting Photoshop 6, no one will help either on-line or in the chat service.  The other copy of Photoshop 6 is on my desktop and the same problem with the deactivation line is there.

Does someone have a solution to this problem?

Kevin Stohlmeyer
Community Expert
Community Expert
October 11, 2016

Do you mean CS6 or Photoshop 6 from 2000?

Participating Frequently
October 11, 2016

Yes, CS6.

Kevin Stohlmeyer
Community Expert
Community Expert
October 11, 2016

CS2 has absolutely no guarantees of even running on Windows 10 even if you get the proper activation to work. It is hit or miss at best. As Terri said, it was never designed to run on Win 10 and unfortunately both Adobe and Windows have stopped supporting it outright.

If you have been happy with the available resources for CS2 Photoshop, perhaps a good alternative would be to look at Photoshop Elements 15. It has most of the same capabilities as CS2 and will run fine on Win. 10 without any subscriptions.

Picture editor software, photo enhancement tools | Adobe Photoshop Elements 15

Terri Stevens
Legend
October 10, 2016

Hello,

you will not any longer be able to use Photoshop CS as the server that carries out activation has been shut down. Fortunately you do qualify to use Photoshop CS2 instead. CS2 also cannot be activated but Adobe has provided a special version that does not require any activation.

Download Adobe Acrobat 7 and Adobe Creative Suite 2 products

Just download the appropriate language but note the serial number on the web page as that is the only one that will work. For anyone else reading this the download linked to is not free you must already own Photoshop CS or CS2 in order to use it.

Participating Frequently
October 11, 2016

Thanks for your help Terri,

Have downloaded files as you suggested, all went according to plan, but the serial number on the down load page was rejected!

Acrobat was accepted but not CS2.

Graham

Terri Stevens
Legend
October 11, 2016

Hi Graham,

that's strange. I just downloaded and installed on a virtual machine and it accepted the serial without a problem-that was on a Windows 7 machine but it should not make a difference. As the serial is on an Adobe public website , I'll take the chance of being shot by the forum admin and tell you the correct one for the special English version of CS2 for Windows is

1045-1412-5685-1654-6343-1431

Let us know if it works

JJMack
Community Expert
Community Expert
October 10, 2016

If you did not deactivate you old install and can not activate you new install you will need Adobe Customer support help via chat or Phone. Users here do not work for Adobe and can not access Adobe activation servers databases.  You need Adobe's help.

JJMack
Participating Frequently
October 12, 2016

Thanks for help JJMack

Regards

Graham