[Locked] Photoshop CS3 Activation [CS3 is dead]

[al52268624]

Adobe has retired the activation servers for Creative Suite 3 (CS3) and Acrobat 8 applications and has left CS3 users hanging.  When the software is opened, a request for activation appears that cannot be activated because Adobe no longer has activation servers.  Instead, you are told to request a new serial key for a "special version" of the software that has to be installed to replace the original software.  According to Adobe, the "special version" of the software does not require activation.  After requesting a new serial key and installing the "special version" twice, I still get the message that the software has to be activated.  I have spent hours online and on the phone with customer support and no one seems to be able to resolve this issue.  I now have Photoshop CS3 that I purchased for a substantial amount of money that I can no longer use because I can't activate it.  Is anyone else having this problem and is there an answer?

[gener7]

https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-suite/kb/activation-fails-c…

[gener7]

I don't know what to say. I've gone from a to z and got cs3 running. You may retry and look at other replies in this thread.

[gener7]

You can restart your Mac and try again, but there is one more trick:

It involves the Terminal again:

Installing Creative Suite on macOS 10.12 (Sierra)  So just use that method to open Install.app

[scottb87904652]

Well, that worked...sort of.

I got Premier elements installed, and was able to open it, but none of the old files showed up under Open Recent and even when I navigated to a .prel file and tried to open it, it didn't.

I set back my Security and Privacy settings to Allow applications downloaded from App store and certified developers.  Apparently Apple takes away the Anywhere radio button once you deselect that, without having to do anything in Terminal.

[scottb87904652]

Hmm, well, after >3 hours, Adobe tech came online with my call.  He's now put me on hold.  The only remaining problem is that I can't open any pre-existing .prel files in Premier elements anymore.  Also, I can't get photoshop elements to work either, but since I never use that, I can live with that.

[johnj67038146]

THANKS, Matt - this was the solution on my daughter's laptop, which had driven me nutz!  PS CS3 works fine now.

[andrewc4923334]

Thank you so much for posting this workaround!!!! After many hours trying to figure it out I found your solution and it worked!!!!!

[scottb87904652]

Does this path apply to iMacs too?  I have the same problem: I bought CS3 some years ago, upgraded my iMac to a new machine via Apple's in-store transfer.  I no longer have the old machine and none of my CS3 apps will run on the new iMac.

Adobe help - both online and offline - is horrible.  The online help leads you in circles with nonsense about installing the "installer" which doesn't solve anything.

I have been on hold now for an hour and previous techs just wanted to get me off the phone and kept saying boilerplate answers that did not solve the problem.

I am NOT going to pay $20/month FOREVER for a product I barely use, when I paid $400 for the complete suite years ago.

[gener7]

If you have the old serial number, you trade it in for the new CS3 that will run on your iMac. See the marked correct answer at the beginning of this thread.

[scottb87904652]

The Adobe tech had to take remote control for almost 2 hours to get this to work, and he's a dedicated professional!  Individual files had to be cleaned off almost one at a time.  Adobe needs to fix their upgrade process, even for their own techs.

Unfortunately, the tech cleared off my Premier Elements and Photoshop elements too.  He said he couldn't install the CS3 suite with them on the machine.  He started the download of them, but like all the techs before, he wanted to get off the line before these products were reinstalled, and now, again, I can't install these either.  I'm getting a message

"“Install.app” can’t be opened. You should eject the disk image.

“Install.app” is on the disk image “PremiereElements_9_LS15.dmg”. Firefox downloaded this disk image today at 1:36 PM from trials2.adobe.com."

I have the serial numbers form the original box but no way to enter them or to get new serial numbers.  I don't see anything online that downloads anything more then the installer for these.  I have videos I created using Premier elements, so I need that back.

[scottb87904652]

Oh, and I have now been on hold, again, for over half an hour, supposedly halfway through a 56 min wait.

WTF is this?

[John T Smith]

Adobe no longer supports CS3

The only CS3 help you will find is in these links

CS3 and Acrobat 8 activation server is retired see reply #1 https://forums.adobe.com/thread/2372929

-you MUST use the special serial number AND the special installer you download, not your originals

-above includes a link to get the special version AND links to help with activation problems

-more information on activation problems with the new version https://forums.adobe.com/thread/2385900

[gener7]

scottb87904652  wrote

  I'm getting a message

"“Install.app” can’t be opened. You should eject the disk image.

“Install.app” is on the disk image “PremiereElements_9_LS15.dmg”. Firefox downloaded this disk image today at 1:36 PM from trials2.adobe.com."

I have the serial numbers form the original box but no way to enter them or to get new serial numbers.  I don't see anything online that downloads anything more then the installer for these.  I have videos I created using Premier elements, so I need that back.

The serial number trade is for CS3, not Elements.

Install.app” can’t be opened. You should eject the disk image.

This error comes up because the application you’ve downloaded is not digitally signed by Apple.

Before you can install unsigned software, you have to change your security settings.

- Click on the Apple icon in the top left corner of your screen and choose System Preferences.

- Next, click on Security & Privacy icon.

- To edit the security setttings, you must first click the padlock icon in the bottom left of the window.

- You will be asked to confirm your Mac credentials, just enter them and hit Unlock.

- On the following screen, you'll see the options for "Allow applications downloaded from", you need to click on the "Anywhere" radio button, once you click that you will see a confirmation window, click on "Allow From Anywhere".

I recommend that you set this option back to "Mac App Store" or "Mac App Store and identified developers" once you have finished installing the software. You can always change it back again later and it will prevent you, or someone else using your computer, from installing unsigned and potentially untrusted software.

[scottb87904652]

Thanks, but there is no "Anywhere" option in my Security and Privacy settings.  Perhaps Apple took that away during the last recent upgrade?  I have High Sierra 10.13.4.

[gener7]

Then see this article:

How to Enable "Allow apps download from Anywhere" in High Sierra Gatekeeper?

You should re-enable it when done.

[scottb87904652]

Well, that worked, as soon as I typed it in manually.  But it still won't let me run the install.app with the previous error message, even with Anywhere checked on.

[lindah31137588]

I found this answer and it seemed to help a lot of people.

Okay, we have the solution working here:

The problem is that the old serial number remains on the PC in a common file even after removing CS3.

Here is what worked for us:

1. Go to Adobe support page, key in CS3 activation. It will bring up the page on Activation or Connection error.

2. Sign in with Adobe login or create one.

3. It will ask for your CS3 serial number.  Key it in.  The page will respond with a new CS3 serial number.

4. Note the links further down this page for installing the new CS3.

5. Close out of CS3 and out of any browsers.

6. Go to control panel and de-install CS3 completely.

7. When this is finished, use File Explorer to find the AdobePCD folder in the c:Program Files (x86)/Common Files/Adobe folder. Delete this AdobePCD folder. This is the one that has the old serial number that is preventing the new activation and it is not deleted by de-installing CS3.

8. Now click on each of the two file links (file 1 of 2 and file 2 of 2) noted above on the CS3 install page. These will spawn a loader program which you must accept and will take quite a quite a while to load. In the middle of the first load, a box will open noting a missing AdobePDF.dll file. Use the browse button and find the file at c:Windows/sysWow64/ Once you have chosen this path, click okay.  The first file load will complete, then click on file 2 of 2 and let it load.

9. Once the loads complete, open CS3. This time it will ask for the new serial number obtained from the Adobe website above. Key it in as noted.

10. Open CS3 again.  It will bring up a box to register. Click on "Never Register." Now you are done.

I have opened and used CS3 several times since the above procedure.  There is no longer an activation request.  So far, every function is working with Windows 10 (even if the program is not certified for Win10.)

I hope this will help someone avoid the hours I spent yesterday loading and reloading.

I don't have this question anymore Show 28 Likes(28)

[lindah31137588]

Unfortunately, all I seem to be getting is Adobe Acrobat 8. I don't see any sign of Photoshop, and I''m not sure what "File 2" is (unless Akamai NetSession Interface is the first and Acrobat is the 2nd,) Any feedback? Anyone? I've been working on this for ages.

[Yemil]

Sadly Adobe is intentionally creating problems for it's users in an all out effort to get them tied up with a subscription to pay twice for the same product. I gave up trying to revive my Photoshop CS3 on my Mac as absolutely nothing worked after weeks of trying. I will  never have anything to do with their products again, the appalling time consuming experience has put me off them for good. It has been a nightmare for me and obviously a nightmare for way too many people and I think a class action lawsuit would be a great idea. No company should treat cutovers with such contempt, it is inexcusable.

[GarthVader]

I've got two original CS3 Design Premium licenses in play – one on a 2007 Mac Pro. The 2nd license was being used on a Macbook Pro 17" that recently became inoperable due to commonly occurring problems on these computers with their graphics/video chips. I plan to repair this MBPro17 myself ASAP but until then, I'm using an MBPro13. My plan was to deactivate the license (temporarily) on the MBPro17, then install CS3 Design Premium on the MBPro13 and reactivate the license until I found this and similar threads regarding Adobe's CS3 activation server "retirement."

I understand all the instructions about entering one’s current serial number to get a new serial number, downloading the new version of CS3, etc.

What I’m wondering is, if I obtain the new serial number, will it render my old serial number invalid? In other words, will opting for the new serial number and installation of the new software on this MBPro13 make the legacy versions of CS3 on my Mac Pro and MBPro17 (when it’s repaired) non-functional?

One might assume that if Adobe has retired the servers monitoring CS3 licenses, and are no longer supporting CS3, that they just don’t care about CS3 licensing at this point, but I prefer to err to the side of caution and not jeopardize my current legacy versions of CS3 which have been running just fine on those other machines. Any thoughts on this?

[johnj67038146]

Should have no effect on previous installed & activated versions. But going forward you will not be able to do new installs with the old media and reg number, because they won't activate.  But in each case, if it does stop working (not clear why this happens on some machines -- I think on PCs it is triggered by some other change, swap HD or upgrade OS) you will be able to use the new install files and the new SN to put CS3 on those machines.

[JJMack]

It more like your old valid serial can not be user use to activate you an install you do using your old installation media for the activation servers required for the activation process have been retired.   Because you have this valid licence you are able to download a new installer that does not need to be activated. The installed application will work as if it has been activated. The new downloads are available to Adobe customers. If there are Customers that give or sells that to others the software Adobe will have a valid reason to take legal action thief is illegal.  Assuming that Adobe does not care could get you into trouble. The risk is yours if you sell the risk may be greater.

CS3 was a very good release of Photoshop it dated and still work well on old machines with an OS.  There are may newer versions of Photoshop out there I do not think you will find a big market for CS3 if that is your plain...

[GarthVader]

JJMack... you're putting the proverbial cart before the horse and assuming a lot about my intentions here. I never suggested giving away or selling licenses to other people. I'm a longtime, loyal Adobe customer and would never do that, so I find the inference offensive. I much prefer johnj67038146's answer which demonstrates a clear understanding of the question and offers a reasonable response, without all the fear and paranoia. Plus, he can spell. Thanks johnj...

[1em2a3are4k]

JJ and Gene,  you guys do not get paid enough!  My old Window computer died and we ended up with a new (2014) iMac.  Through the forum, after many hours I determined that there was no way to make CS3 work on the High Sierra os.  We have VMware installed to allow us to have a virtual windows system on the iMac and had CS3 loaded there.  From this thread it was heartening to see that I was not the only one having activation problems.  As a non techie some of the options seemed to complicated for my abilities but the more recent posts allowed to work it out and CS3 is not up and running.  I wish you both well and hope to never be on here again. Mark

[JJMack]

I did not assume anything you just assumed I did.  I did not state I thought your intent was dishonest. Yes I can not type or spell...