Invalid serial number!!

[actech12]

Hi,

can anyone help with this?  I have CS5 Extended which I have had installed on my old pc for about 7 months until the pc crashed and burned.  I admit to buying my copy off e-bay, I make no apologies for that as there is nothing wrong with looking for a bargain.  I made every attempt to verify that it was a genuine unused copy, to the point of having e-mails from the seller should I need to look for redress on this.  The first installation went fine but it would not let me register with Adobe, so I e-mailed the seller again.  The program continued to work so I assumed it was a glitch with the installer ( a lot of people I have spoken have had issues with Adobe installers, especially on Windows based systems).  Forward 7 - 8 months and my pc has crashed and burned, probably from expecting too much from my 9-year old creation.  I now have a new monster with Windows 7 pro instead of XP 32-bit,  SSD's etc., but this is causing no end of problems migrating all my programs, some of which are beyond salvation.  However, like most of you out there, I find Adobe photoshop extremely expensive and cannot write this off.  I look at the packaging, the disc and part numbers (?) for each individual piece of packaging including the 'Genuine Adobe' holographic label, the serial number and I do not believe (nor anyone else that sees it) that my copy is not genuine.  Now upon installation, during the initial instal it accepts my serial number no problem, but when I first use it and am asked to register it, I get the message 'invalid serial number for this product'.  From several threads I have found this seems quite common but have found no answer.  Does anyone have a solution to this before the 'trial' period expires?

[gener7]

You go to Help > Deactivate on your other computer, but to be honest you are allowed a quota of two computers. Keep the old one active and see if the install activates on the new PC.

Gene

[leslier54597071]

So, if I've moved the software once before, I can't move it to a new computer again? That seems pretty crappy. If I paid for the software, I should be able to keep using it, so long as it's not on another computer at the same time, which it would not be.

[gener7]

What that means is that you can activate on two computer, fo example one for home and one for travel.

When you want to move to a third computer, go to Help > Deactivate to free up one of your 2 slots and activate on the new one. You need not call Adobe about it. As long as you do that you can move to as many as you want.

Is this copy of Acrobat refusing to activate on install? That's the only time you should ask support.

If your serial number is not listed, register it again on your account.

[leslier54597071]

The reason I had to contact support was that I have TWO separate Adobe Acrobat Pros. One on my desktop computer and a separate one on my laptop. I purchased the first one, I wasn't sure if I could use it on my laptop as well, so I purchased a second copy of the software.

This is complicated, so I'll try to explain in more detail:

I have an old desktop (still using it for now) with Acrobat on it, working perfectly, never any issues. I have an old laptop that I recently uninstalled Acrobat from (I forgot that I was supposed to deactivate it, so I just uninstalled it). I got a new laptop, and I want to use the Acrobat that I uninstalled from the old laptop, but I have two problems:

1. I didn't deactivate it when I uninstalled from the old laptop, and

2. Both Acrobat software boxes look identical, and I don't know which serial was the one that was to the Acrobat that I uninstalled from the old laptop.

I decided if I could figure out which serial is on the Acrobat still on my old desktop, then I'd know to use the OTHER serial when I install Acrobat to the new laptop. Problem is, I can't find the serial number to the Acrobat installed on the desktop. You won't just find the serial in About Acrobat (like you can do in some programs). It's more involved than that. I tried finding the serial using Belarc Advisor on my old desktop, but it didn't provide the serial number. I Googled how to find the serial, and it involved going into the registry, which I did. No dice...I didn't find it in there, either. So, how the heck am I to know which Acrobat serial to use without compromising the license?

Support refused to help be because they insist my licenses are both "invalid". They are NOT invalid. Both the software on my desktop and the one I had installed to my old laptop worked fine. No issues, no error messages, no notices from Adobe.

I've never installed either software to more than one computer, so it's not as if I've "used up" my licenses.

[gener7]

Just so I'm clear on what to do, what version of Acrobat Pro is this?

[leslier54597071]

Adobe Acrobat X Pro

[gener7]

A bit on the tech side, but should work. Locations are different for 32 and 64 bit Windows.

serial number - Find Key of Installed and Activated instance Adobe Acrobat Professional without usin...

Gene

[jamesw67938706]

Gene, sorry to butt into the conversation, but I have cs4 and registered it when I purchased it.  After going to adobe's website this morning out of curiosity I tried to find my serial number.  Guess what.  Said I had no adobe products.  It offered me the chance to put in a serial number for old products which I did.  Then it came up with message saying the product is already registered?  So if I needed my serial number where could I find it?

[gener7]

You should contact Customer Care to see what happened. Having the paperwork or emails to prove ownership helps.

I'm forum level support and have no access to those records.

Contact Customer Care

[ben_geo]

I have just had an almost identical experience after I used "Chat" to deal with Adobe's claim that my Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements 13 were counterfeit, even though my serial numbers are stated clearly on my Adobe account page and I dowbloaded the software directly from them.

The only advice the two useless Chat people could give was (1) upgrade to version 15, as they won't help with version 13, and (2) go to this Forum site for help.

Disgraceful behaviour -- and probably illegal if I pushed it hard enough under an appropriate jurisdiction.

[L3GAC7]

Same has happened to me. I've been waiting years for Adobe to change, seems they haven't caught up with the times.

[monique28e]

I am finding this to be a recurring problem with older versions of PS.  I bought Photoshop CS4 six or seven years ago from an online computer and software retailer (NO, not on eBay!!!).  I cannot remember the name of the online store unfortunately and the old computer that had my receipt crashed so I have no record of my purchase.  (I know, I know... backing up my stuff would have been very helpful... lesson learned!)  Anyways, I had no reason to suspect the website was not legitimate. I paid for the software, received it and installed it on my desktop and it validated without any problems.  I'm fairly sure I registered my software because I tend to register all my software but I cannot say 100% that I did.  I usually follow all prompts during installation and such so I cannot imagine not registering. Anyways, that pc died and I got a laptop.  Installed my CS4, validated with no problems.  That laptop went downhill so I now have my current laptop and now suddenly I get an error that my serial # is invalid.  How did it go from being VALID for years and then suddenly changing to "invalid"?  That is just bizarre to me and quite a head scratcher.  I contacted customer care chat and they could not validate my serial #.  They kept asking me give them the correct #, which I did 3 times! Frankly I was getting a little upset that he/she thought I was stupid or something!  They kept telling me that I must be reading it wrong or something so they asked me to send in a photo of the serial #, which I did. Then they told me that it was invalid and that I needed to show them the receipt for my purchase.  As I was typing my reply about not having the receipt from something I bought 6 or 7 years ago, the customer care rep, Satwinder, closed out our chat session!!!  I cannot believe how RUDE that was!!!!  I was replying to his/her question!  Anyways, I never even got a transcript copy of the chat session (and yes, I checked the box to get the transcript at the very beginning of our session and I even saw a confirmation of it pop up on the screen). So now I have no record of my chat with Adobe Customer Care, a suddenly "invalid" CS4 and a horrible experience with Customer "Care?".  I just want to know... How does a VALID serial # suddenly become invalid? No one seems to be able to explain that.  Everyone just keeps telling me that the # I have is invalid but offers NO EXPLANATION to how it was VALID for YEARS prior and now suddenly it's not!  If I was a victim of a scam and I unknowingly bought a pirated version, it would have been nice to know at the beginning because then I could have sought legal action against the online store.  But now I'm up a creek without a paddle, so to speak, and no one seems to be willing to tackle my question.  I'm a very frustrated and dissatisfied customer!

[billw17588154]

I would like to add that I purchased CS5 student via Adobe and have original email with serial #'s from them and I was told that these serial numbers will not work with Yosemite.  All in all there is something that is not adding up with this many people having the same problem and I do not think there are that many people who have bought pirated software.  This is not only CS5 but Acrobat Pro as well.

[Test Screen Name]

Do they say the serial numbers won't work with Yosemite, or that the old software version (CS5) won't work with Yosemite? Very different things.

[billw17588154]

They said that the serial numbers they sent to me when I purchased it would not work with Yosemite!  But, tried trashing CS5 and reloading it and used the serial numbers they had issued and it was accepted.  I also had downloaded with Apple's recommendation Java.  I also did the same with Photoshop Elements 13 and it is now working.  I have not gone through any long workouts with any of the CS5 and that will come when I get new cables for the external drives I use.  I think that there are ways to get the programs working and not enough is being revealed.

[gener7]

Uninstall again, checkmarking "Remove Preferences" if asked.

Run the Cleaner tool Use the CC Cleaner Tool to solve installation problems | CC, CS3-CS6

As a good step, use Disk Utility to very your disk and repair permissions.

Reinstall.

[roseb99605305]

yes invalid serial number. adobe shoppe elements 13. How do I correct problem???

[gener7]

Photoshop Elements has a forum whose members can better help you: Photoshop Elements

[khawk973]

So, not wanting to get stuck with a subscription, I chose to purchase Acrobat XI Pro for work.  Did the ebay thing, realized my mistake.  Talking with Adobe, they told me the only place they authorized and guaranteed as a reseller for their older products was Amazon, so went there and purchased a new, sealed in the box version of the software.  Got it, loaded it.  Bam, invalid serial number.  Contacted Adobe.  Seems they don't have a record of that serial number.  So much for their guarantee.  If I hadn't thrown their words back at them about their guarantee to me (glad I kept that transcript) they wouldn't have done anything and left me high and dry.  Had to forward them proof of purchase, now stuck waiting 48-72 hours as it get sent "up a level to see what needs to be done."  Even when you follow Adobe's instructions, they don't seem to want to let their older software work.  I'd have just bought it from them, but, of course, they won't sell it themselves since they want you to switch to the subscription service - makes them more money in the long run.

[Chris Cox]

This is the Photoshop forum. I think you want the Acrobat forum.

If you bought directly from Amazon, it wouldn't be a problem. But if you bought from another company that sells through Amazon, you can still be buying dodgy software.

[gener7]

Good to know the difference, Chris.

Gene

[pickers]

It is now 2017 and I have the same issue with Adobe, but I bought my software as a student from an American outfit who somehow gave me sufficient evidence as to their credibility that  I bought CS6 from them as a download five years ago.  Like previous people I now have the message that my validation code has been revoked even though I have reloaded the software many times after switching from Windows to Apple computers over the past 5 years.  The reason given by Adobe is that they have new software to detect pirated software and say that mine is false.  They offered me a discounted price of $9.99 if I liked to continue using CS6 but I refused to do it on cost alone.  To me, Adobe are  taking us all for a ride because they are falling behind on subscriptions to their rented software and want to create a captive market as it were to get more people on board.  I will not be buying any more Adobe products.

Peter

[gregorypoolemarine]

I had asked them if I could pay to keep CS6 and they told me no. I agree they are trying to get more people on board the cloud. It's horrible, not to mention shady.

[Test Screen Name]

"So, not wanting to get stuck with a subscription, I chose to purchase Acrobat XI Pro for work."

Not sure why you would buy the old version. This is going to be a problem. Adobe have stopped selling Acrobat XI. If someone is selling unlimited copies of Acrobat XI you have to ask where THEY get them? Did they happily buy several hundred copies and put them away before Acrobat XI was stopped? Or could they perhaps be making their own fakes?

The current version is Acrobat DC. You can buy direct from Adobe. You can buy a subscription, or you can buy a permanent license. Personally I would STRONGLY recommend subscribing. The subscription version is getting updates and new features and is already quite a lot different (for example it has tab views of files). Also, systems are now changing so fast that software you buy today without a promise of updates is going to stop working soon.

[gregorypoolemarine]

I still run CS5 (until this happened) and Creative Cloud. I have some customers I work with who do not have the Cloud so the older software is to work with them. I purchased my CS5 from Amazon. After 3 years I started getting the invalid serial number error. I wasn't even trying to re-install it, it was from the original install on the original computer. Also, I vividly remember registering my software online with Adobe when I purchased it. It doesn't show up in the 'my products' section of my Adobe profile though. I contacted them and they basically told me sorry, it wasn't a legitimate copy.Then they offered me a discounted rate on my cloud subscription. I thought they were offering a discount on my CURRENT subscription but they were offering it on a SECOND subscription. Why would I need two? I do think it's some sort of scam Adobe is pulling to push people toward paying the monthly subscription fee, because if you straight out own a copy then they aren't making any profit.