Photoshop Elements 12 license number not valid

Report · Jan 10, 2021

I purchased PE 9 and have the original cd, I upgraded and purchased PS 12 digitally and have the original email with the new license number from 2013. Recently when I launch Pe 12 Adobe states that my licsense number is not valid. What can I do to get PE 12 running again as my "30 day trial" is expiring. I do not want to purchase a new version, just get my legitimate copy running again.

Report · Jan 10, 2021

Help > Sign in or Help > Activate from the Editor menu and enter your serial number.

If an upgrade, you may have to enter both the version 9 and version 12 serial numbers when prompted for each.

Report · Jan 10, 2021

Hello Peru Bob, sorry it is not clear to me where find "Help > Sign in or Help > Activate from the Editor menu" is located. Could you explain your reply a bit more please? Cheers

Report · Jan 10, 2021

I'm assuming that you are talking about Photoshop Elements and that PE is the same as PS.

I'm not sure about this but when you purchase an upgraded version at a discount, you may have to insert your original serial number (to show your eligibility for the upgrade), before entering the upgraded version's serial number.

Does your Adobe.com account show the serial number for both versions? If you have a registered serial number for Elements 12, you should start a chat session with Adobe support by clicking on the blue Contact Us button under the Support menu at Adobe.com.

You can also look at some troubleshooting here.

Report · Jan 10, 2021

Sorry for the typo error I am talking about photoshop elements 9 and photoshop elements 12

Report · Jan 11, 2021

Under the Editor's Help Menu, you will find Sign in option.
Click on the Sign in now button. If you are already signed in, you can skip to step 5.
A new dialog will open where you can enter your Adobe.com email address
A new dialog will open where you can enter your password
If you have entered the information correctly, the Trial screen will appear. Click on the option to License This Software.
Enter your Serial Number and click Next.

Report · Jan 12, 2021

Thanks Greg, I did get that far in my quest, however my elements 9 serial number is not valid, even thought I have the original cd and cd sleeve with the yellow sticker with the seial number, and my digital elements 12 serial number has been revoked. I not sure where to go from here. I did see on my personal account that elements 12 is listed, as well as another product (Dreamweaver) that I purchased. I can't understand why my elements 12 is not working.

Report · Jan 13, 2021

Try contacting Elements support. You can start a chat session by clicking on the blue Contact Us button under the Support menu at Adobe.com.

Report · Jan 13, 2021

Thanks Greg, could not get an answer from support about photoshop elements 9 invalid serial number, or the version 12 revoked serial number (running since 2005). the support chat just ended up by Adobe trying in to sell my a subscription model for photshop elements which I am not interested in. Too bad, as a business we have used Adobe products for close to 20 years.

Report · Jan 13, 2021

If you don't want to give up, I suggest contacting Adobe Support again. Tell the agent that you purchased a permanent license for Photoshop Elements. Permanent means permanent. You are entitled to use the Elements 12 license for as long as it will work with your hardware and OS. (I just successfully installed Elements 12 from DVD about a month ago. So the licensing servers are still working.)

Make it clear that you do not want to upgrade and that you are entitled to have you registered license activated. And if the agent cannot help you, ask to be put in contact with a supervisor.

Now having said all of that, I assume that you purchased both Elements 9 and 12 from a legitimate source. You haven't told us whether you purchased directly from Adobe. If you purchased the download copy from a third party, then you may have to contact the third party. But if you purchased directly from Adobe, then there is no question that you are entitled to have a working license.

One other proviso. You state that your business has used Adobe products for years. Is your license a bulk/educational license? If that is the case, then I have no idea what the terms might be.

If you still feel that you are entitled to have the license activated but cannot get any satisfaction from Support, send me a Private Message and I will try to put you in touch with the right channels.

Report · Jan 13, 2021

Did you purchase both version 9 and the version 12 upgrade directly from Adobe?

Report · Jan 14, 2021

Hi Peru Bob, version 9 was original software from a Dell desktop purchase, veersion 12 was a digital upgrade from a third party. I had another software licence problem today and it just occured to me that I had replaced my defective motherboard, four months ago, on my desktop pc, at that time I had to purchase a new win 10 pro operating system because the computer id had changed. Perhaps that is the prolem?

Report · Jan 15, 2021

@Christopher15A7 said:

I had another software licence problem today and it just occured to me that I had replaced my defective motherboard, four months ago, on my desktop pc, at that time I had to purchase a new win 10 pro operating system because the computer id had changed. Perhaps that is the prolem?

Possibly. Contact Adobe support and tell them you want to deactivate all computers currently activated under your Elements license numbers. Then try signing in again.