FAQ: Prior major releases of Premiere, Audition, Prelude and AME have been removed

Report · Nov 18, 2017

It looks like Adobe has just pulled many of the primary installers that were available for previous major versions of Premiere Pro, Audition, Prelude, and Adobe Media Encoder (AME).

Notably the following base releases are now gone, and not currently available to customers via any means (whether using the Creative Cloud Desktop app or through direct download links😞

— Premiere Pro CC 2015.3 (versions 10.3 & 10.4 – June 2016)

— Premiere Pro CC 2015 (version 9.0 – June 2015)

— Premiere Pro CC 2014 (version 8.0 – June 2014)

— Audition CC 2015.2 (versions 9.2 & 9.2.1 – June 2016)

— Audition CC 2015 (version 8.0 – June 2015)

— Audition CC 2014 (version 7.0 – June 2014)

— Prelude CC 2015.4 (versions 5.0 & 5.0.1 – June 2016)

— Prelude CC 2015 (version 4.0 – June 2015)

— Prelude CC 2014 (version 3.0 – June 2014)

— Media Encoder CC 2015.3 (versions 10.3 & 10.4 – June 2016)

— Media Encoder CC 2015 (version 9.0 – June 2015)

— Media Encoder CC 2014 (version 8.0 – June 2014)

Note that this loss affects all revisions from these three years (2014, 2015, and 2016), because without the base installers available, none of the minor version updates can be installed either.

Can't say for sure why this happened, but it could possibly be related to the recent change in CC application support for the Dolby codec.

One of the great promises of Creative Cloud is the ability to use any version of the CC apps that you desire or require. This is especially important for video customers, who are urged by Adobe experts to install and maintain multiple CC versions and to always re-open their .prproj files with the exact same versions of Premiere with which they were created, no matter how new or old. This is for compatibility reasons.

Updating and Backing Up Premiere Pro Project Files: Best Practices

The loss of these major releases could also be a big issue for customers who cannot upgrade, for example, due to changed system requirements or newer versions that their current hardware cannot support. They will not be able to access or reinstall older versions of their software.

Adobe also sometimes drops features or functionality between releases, and says that if you want to use the discontinued feature, then you need to go back and install/use the previous version.

If you would like to have these three years of CC releases restored, then the most likely path to having that happen is to let Adobe know how important these are to you (their customers) – so please share why you want or need them...

Please add your feedback below, and/or click "I have the same question" underneath this text.

Report · Nov 27, 2017

Cool!

Edited by Moderator: Warning. Please do not discuss legal issues on these forums. It is against our community guidelines.

Report · Nov 27, 2017

The Creative Cloud subscription terms and conditions allow Adobe to terminate the supply of software to a subscriber at any time, including without warning, if they "are required to do so by law (for example, where the provision of the Services or Software to you is, or becomes, unlawful)" or "elect to discontinue the Services or Software, in whole or in part". You agreed to those T&Cs when you signed up. Trust me, if lawyers are driving this process, they will have made absolutely sure that what they're doing cannot come back and bite them.

Report · Nov 27, 2017

Dave,

A few weeks ago, Adobe took down the CC 2017 installers for the DVA apps, removed the Dolby codec, and then restored their availability online.

CC 2017 was gone for a few days while this happened, and then reappeared.

Having done that, there is no technical or legal reason why the company couldn't do the same for all of the CC 2015.x and 2014 versions which were pulled down a week ago.

A modest effort here would save countless customers a lot of grief going forward.

There are many valid reasons why the previous installers are needed, including:

– Need to work with collaborators or clients using those versions

– Third-party plug-in compatibility

– Need to use legacy features not available in newer releases

– Changed system requirements or newer versions that their current hardware cannot support

– General best practices for opening older projects created in those same versions

– Creative Cloud customers have been promised to be able to use, or continue to use, any CC version

– The complete version collection as a whole provides significant value and utility to customers

Bring them back!

Report · Nov 27, 2017

CC 2017 was gone for a few days

It was a couple of weeks, actually. Which at least hints at the work necessary to fulfill your request. Time I would still prefer Adobe devoted to moving forward.

Report · Nov 27, 2017

I'm not disputing that it's technically possible to re-write all the legacy versions without Dolby support, just that it's perfectly within the T&Cs for Adobe to remove them from availability without notice. They might well reappear in that state at some point but it's hardly top priority for the engineering team given the bug queue in the current build.

People who accidentally uninstalled a Dolby-enabled build and are hoping that they can somehow regain access to that build's installer package including the Dolby codecs are out of luck. I appreciate their frustration, after all it's affected me too - I'm stuck on CC2017.1 for the foreseeable future because I have clients who use those codecs. However that's the price to pay for software that you 'license' rather than buy outright. Even if it came in a box, it's never legally your property. It's not an Adobe thing; everyone has the same terms and conditions. Microsoft can remove Windows features anytime they want to (and with W10 you don't even get the chance to say no). Apple stopped support for Quicktime on Windows with no warning and left it with a published vulnerability -that messed up far more users than Dolby's actions.

Report · Nov 27, 2017

Don't you agree with me that none of the two things happened?

Report · Jan 01, 2018

It's sad Adobe removed access to 2015. One of our PCs got upgraded to 2018 in stealth mode it seems. Fortunately it is dual boot so the CC 2015 on the Win10 Partition is intact. CC 2018 is bloatware that does not play well with BCC 11. Maybe time to go back to AVID MC.

Report · Jan 01, 2018

I have never understood why some Premiere users feel the need to upgrade or update as soon Adobe makes them available. Users should know by now that there are usually problems.

Report · Jan 01, 2018

One of our PCs got upgraded to 2018 in stealth mode it seems.

That's just not possible. Updating/upgrading is always and only manually initiated by a user.

More likely, someone just doesn't want to admit they did it.

Report · Jan 10, 2018

Just to voice my anger, I copy-paste from my own post in another thread.

This is a huge problem. I have several projects that are running on different Premiere versions, which cannot be upgraded/have to stay on the same version for various reasons. e.g. It used to be simple to revert back and forth between versions 11.0.2 and 11.1.2.

Why can't original functionality be restored on the CC downloader app? This would be extremely important. I know several editors around me who are having these exact same problems as I do. Direct download links would help, but original functionality would be even better. The only reason this is a problem is because projects from newer cc2017 can't be opened by all other cc2017 versions. For obvious reasons, all non-up-and-downward-compatible versions should be made available for all. Image this would be the case with PSD files? That whoever is running last years Photoshop, has no way of opening files created on newer computers? Avid can do it too.

once you do have the downloader (maybe through an alternative source), I did find a temporary workaround, that for now exceeds my expectations: It is possible to have several installations of e.g. cc2017. On OS X, through Time Machine it is possible to "restore" an older installation, while keeping the current installation as-is. When entering time machine and finding the "right" old version just restore and then click "keep both". Up until now it works without major problems, only the media-encoder link breaks for the older versions. but i can live with that.

Report · Feb 04, 2018

Adobe needs to consider being more customer service oriented. People will end up being wary of upgrading for fear of the inability to go back if need be due to older projects or computer compatibility. Good service will generate more profit in the long run just look at what happened to avid and finalcut pro when they focused solely on selling the newest to the richest.... The educational and independent markets are huge and loyal- think about it adobe.

Report · Feb 04, 2018

People will end up being wary of upgrading

You should be. Always test out new versions on a second system.

Report · Feb 06, 2018

How Can i download premiere pro cc2014 ?

Report · Feb 06, 2018

Very sorry, it is still not possible...

The situation at this time has not changed since the original post above.

Report · Feb 06, 2018

CC 2017 is fairly stable. However, CC 2018 with Boris BCC11/Red 5 crashes and freezes. Unless you have CC 2014 on another PC you are not going to use it again. I got around the new inability to bring in audio files from ripped DVDs by using Sony/Magix Vegas Pro.

I don't edit for fun so stability is very important to me. Couple of our part timers edit with Vegas, they are happy with it. I like the multiple sequences on the timeline so Vegas is not for me. But I have used it for thousands of hours since Sony Vegas 3 came out in early 2000s.

You might want to look at AVID MC, it is pretty good.

Peter

Report · Feb 06, 2018

In the news today, Best Buy plans to pull CDs off the shelves by July this year. Another nail in the coffin for the shiny disks.

At some point these arguments are going to be mute and some will have to adapt, or consider a keeping a legacy machine on site for those occasional one-offs.

I occasionally get asked to put something onto a DVD/CD and I hand out thumb drive instead: "Time to join the 21st century." Five years and not a single argument or retort for doing so, (non technical people are surprised to learn that they can plug a USB stick into their new TV's. As little guidance from you, turns into a win as the go to guy for future work).

I also remember discovering that some of my archives on DVD had corroded! Some were only three years old! I have hard drives that are much older and still spin up. I also had some clients ask for new copies for the same reason. It comes down to quality control, pits in the plastic, bad adhesive on labels and acid in some markers. I dumped the DVD/CD pipeline and spent a long week creating digital archives. I have fond memories salvaging my films to digital all well. The only constant is that formats never remain a constant.

Report · Feb 06, 2018

Peferling wrote
I occasionally get asked to put something onto a DVD/CD and I hand out thumb drive instead:

What do you do if they want a menu?

Report · Feb 06, 2018

The last non-DVD menu program I did was done using a custom website as a shell, on a thumb drive for a specific need.

Believe it or not, I don't get asked for that and I don't sell it, either. I don't miss it. They get straight video. Just like Netflix, or any other online. It just plays on their wide screen or on their PC (burn to a folder and add an autostart script if you like). They're happy, (it's all they want, anyway). Corporate folks get separate clips or for links for their individual slides. Menu's and other fancy effects are out the equation. I've yet to asked for a menu based DVD. My legacy machine gathers dust.

This is getting old. Wait till you can't buy a real PC anymore, (it's coming). Then we'll have something fun to talk about.

Report · Feb 06, 2018

As the main editor for one of the top tech YouTube channels, I'd like to know more about your claim that people won't be able to buy a real PC anymore.

Report · Mar 14, 2018

I just successfully re-installed Premiere CC 2015.3 on Mac OSX 10.9.5 by copying the installation from another computer:

Copy the folder /Applications/Adobe Premiere Pro CC 2015.3 from the source computer to a transfer drive.
Copy the folder /Library/Application Support/Adobe/PremierePro/10.0 from the source computer to a transfer drive.
Copy both folders to the same location on the target computer.

Prior to this I did install Premiere Pro CC 7.2.2 via Creative Cloud, so it's possible this also placed other support files on the target system. No promises this will work for you, but hope it helps. I know I was relieved to get back up and running!

Report · Mar 14, 2018

Thanks Tom! Going to try this exact thing right now. Fingers crossed!

Report · Mar 15, 2018

Any luck? This is totally absurd.

Report · Mar 15, 2018

Of course not. This is about Adobe saving money by no longer having to pay for the Dobly codec.

Your subscription is worth far less to them than the money they'd have to spend on it.

They will never bring these back.

Go ahead, Adobe. Tell me I'm wrong.

The only place to get them would be... well, just hope that you had saved a backup. Or that someone else did...

Report · Mar 15, 2018

TaranVH wrote
This is about Adobe saving money by no longer having to pay for the Dobly codec.

That is not true. There is a legal dispute currently between Dolby and Adobe.

Report · Mar 16, 2018

There is a legal dispute currently between Dolby and Adobe.

That may be true, but it does seem that Resolve is also using the OS for Dolby decoding. So whatever is going on at Dolby doesn't seem confined to affecting Adobe alone.