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[Locked] Photoshop CS3 Activation [CS3 is dead]

Forum|Forum|8 years ago
August 1, 2017
15 replies
79545 views

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?

How to

Correct answer Nancy OShea

It's now 2020. As an update, CS3 activation servers are gone. And Adobe ended access to activation-free installers and replacement serial numbers. Customer Care agents cannot help with this matter. CS3 is officially dead.

If you never upgrade your computer or OS, you could potentially keep using CS3 for another 12+ years. But I'm sorry to say that re-installation is no longer an option.

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GarthVader

Participant

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

Participating Frequently

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.

Y

Yemil

Participating Frequently

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.

K

kporlando

Participating Frequently

I too have the same issue, i.e., after uninstalling the old version and installing the "non-activating" version, it is still wants to reactivate the old serial number and never asks for the new one. After 2 hours waiting for a chat, final chatted with a tech who provided an answer that did not work. He saw I had versions 10 and was thinking that was CS4. I knew I had CS3, but he gave me the download for CS4. That did not work with the old or new serial number, as I expected. Tried to call phone support and hung up after an hour. That was 2 days ago. Several hours ago I again called support and instead of waiting selected option for a call back. None yet?

Is this the usual type of support from Adobe? If so, I will NOT pay a subscription for any of their new products.

K

kporlando

Participating Frequently

After hours of chat and phone support and being transferred to 4 different techs who "can fix my issue", I finally got an answer...

"Sorry, we do not support CS3 any more".

Thus they will not attempt to resolve why the non-activation version download/install does not work.

Guess I have to but the newest version...NOT!!!!!! Not with this kind of support.

M

MatthV20021590

Participant

I went through the same scenario with Adobe support. Spent hours on chat explaining the problem and ended up receiving the same response. I called and the answer was that I had to upgrade. What makes me so angry with this is that I paid for this license and now can't use it. I would have considered upgrading except for the fact that now Adobe has a subscription service. After paying for a license and then having to continue to pay to use the software for the rest of my life is unacceptable. It's all about money!

've followed the following instructions given by Nancy OShea. It worked:

Activation or connection error | CS3, Acrobat 8

It's official. CS3 Activation Servers have been retired. If you have CS3 or Acrobat 8, see this help article for further details on how to obtain a replacement version & new serial number that does not require activation. This is not freeware. You will be asked to log-in with your Adobe ID and provide a valid CS3 serial number.

Activation or connection error when starting CS3 or Acrobat 8

NOTE: For best results, remove your old CS3 / Acrobat 8 BEFORE installing the replacement version. Below is a link to the CS Cleaner Tool.

Use the Creative Cloud Cleaner Tool to solve installation problems

If after installing replacement version you still see an Activation Countdown, remove the cache.db file from this folder.

Program Files (x86)/Common Files/Adobe/Adobe PCD/cache/

When prompted for serial number, enter the new one. And click on Never Register.

Restart your computer.

JJMack

Community Expert

Yes CS2, CS3 are 32bit versions of Photoshop. The main reasons I upgraded to CS5 and 6 was ACR and 64bit support to take advantage of more then 4GB of ram to improve performance. After that added SSD Photoshop can be a resource hungry application.

JJMack

gener7

Community Expert

I tried out a test file on CS3. The SSD made a world of difference in speed. Back in 2007 they must have cost a fortune. I don't do any high demand projects, so CS3 is fun to work with.

I'm moving my CS licenses from Windows to Mac simply because I have three mac laptops. Adobe still allows the cross platform swap on CS6 so I might as well do this while I can.

Gene

gener7

Community Expert

Personally not myself, but I wonder if you have components of the old CS3 in your system.

Try uninstalling, then download and run the Cleaner tool Use the Creative Cloud Cleaner Tool to solve installation problems using the instructions in the link.

Then right click on the new installer, Run as Administrator, just to be sure it runs properly.

A

al52268624Author

Participant

I've tried using the cleaner tool and then reinstalled, but it doesn't make any difference.

gener7

Community Expert

Since I have an old CS3 license, I did the swap, copied the serial number they gave me (Ctrl c/Ctrl v into Notepad) and downloaded the installer. I refused the akamai option and they let me download it via browser.

I unpacked and ran the installer and restarted as asked. (Windows 10)

I launched CS3, pasted the serial number I had copied from Notepad and what I got was a Registration Screen. I clicked on Never Register and CS3 went through the splash screen and opened. I hope you got that serial number correct.

I closed and restarted and it still launches. That's all I can tell you.

Activation or connection error | CS3, Acrobat 8

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