Windows XP System Restore & ReActivation

AC
Posted By
Andrew_Curatola
Nov 13, 2003
Views
661
Replies
21
Status
Closed
I don’t know if this particular problem has been addressed so far. First let me say I didn’t activate my CS when I first got it, I was going to hold off in case I ran into any problems. Anyway after 9 days my CS wouldn’t function until I activated CS so I did, no big deal everything seem to be going all right. Now for the bummer:
I have Windows XP and this morning I used the System Restore function to restore back to yesterday. No big deal but when I tried to get into Photoshop CS, I was hit with the message telling me that I had to reactivate my Photoshop CS again.
I called Adobe Customer Service and was told that was a normal function of the Activation process. I didn’t mind Adobe’s Activation thingy at all but now it seems like its going to be a pain in the neck because I use System Restore at least 5,6 times a year which I’m sure alot of people on this forum do the same.

Andrew

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Y
YrbkMgr
Nov 13, 2003
So… no 30 day grace period for activation – the first time?

When you were required to re-activate, was it the same process – just hit "okay" kind of thing and do it through the net? Or did you have to call Adobe Customer Service to activate?
AC
Andrew_Curatola
Nov 13, 2003
My 30 day grace period only lasted 9 days.
I just had to hit OK and that was it just like my first activation. Now I have to call Adobe whenever I use system restore on Windows XP to activate my Photoshop CS. Andrew
G
graffiti
Nov 13, 2003
Now I have to call Adobe whenever I use system restore on Windows XP

<sarcasm>THAT’S going to be handy.
Y
YrbkMgr
Nov 13, 2003
Now I have to call Adobe whenever I use system restore on Windows XP to activate my Photoshop CS.

Are you sure? Maybe it’ll require re-activation, but it could be a non-event; i.e., just hit "okay" again and connect through the net. I’m hoping.

I mean, presuming the machine hash is still present on the hard drive, you may not need ACS interaction.

It’s just a guess, I don’t know squat.
ND
Nick_Decker
Nov 13, 2003
Andrew, if I’m reading you correctly, you used XP system restore to restore to a date that was before you had activated PS. It seems to me that if you restore to a date after you activate PS, you shouldn’t need to reactivate. Maybe somebody who knows more about it will jump in here.
AC
Andrew_Curatola
Nov 13, 2003
According to Adobe tech support I used up my 2 shots and I would have to call them to reactivate if I should run into another problem.
It also seemed to me while talking to the tech person that the System Restore thing is a good valid reason for Adobe to reactivate your CS if needed.
Andrew
Y
YrbkMgr
Nov 13, 2003
According to Adobe tech support I used up my 2 shots and I would have to call them to reactivate if I should run into another problem.

Sigh. Then I echo Graffiti’s sentiments.
AC
Andrew_Curatola
Nov 13, 2003
I was very passive about this whole Activation thing, I couldn’t care less about it now I think it stinks.
Andrew
Y
YrbkMgr
Nov 13, 2003
Well, I’ve been opposed to it from the beginning, foreseeing issues with everyday users. I was beaten down that I was living in dreamland.

Adobe stepped up to the plate and said that their priority was smooth implementation.

I’m not 100% convinced that they can execute… but I hope.
DM
dave_milbut
Nov 13, 2003
The sky is Is the sky falling?
Y
YrbkMgr
Nov 13, 2003
<chuckle> Dave, you don’t know how many times I wanted to reference that… but I’ve restrained myself.
AC
Andrew_Curatola
Nov 13, 2003
YrbkMgr, apparently you were right in your way of thinking and now you don’t have to live in dreamland anymore.I’m sure there is an awful lot of people with both Windows XP & Photoshop CS that would get annoyed if they had to wait 10,20,30 minutes on hold to speak to somebody to get their CS reactivated ater using System Restore a couple of times.
Andrew
RH
r_harvey
Nov 13, 2003
Is the sky falling?

No, that’s locusts and frogs.
DP
Daryl Pritchard
Nov 13, 2003
I’ve yet to activate PSCS, and from what I’ve read thus far, I’m glad I haven’t. When I’ve got the time to do it, I’ll uninstall PS CS, build a system image as well as study up a bit more on low-level drive formatting, and then reinstall PSCS. A low-level format and system image restore should provide a nice, clean recovery if worse comes to worse. I’m actually wondering if a low-level format is even needed…I think much depends upon where exactly the activation record is stored on the drive and whether a utility such as Hard Drive Mechanic might even allow it to be deleted without affecting the drive’s data integrity. Running CleanSweep during an installation of PS CS should capture the registry changes, although there’s a possibility too that CleanSweep would have to be disabled during installation as some installers don’t like it. This is all more than should ever be needed and I don’t really anticipate any problems with activation, or even a reactivation, if I choose to go along with the idea, but at least it’s nice to have a contingency plan.

Daryl
Y
YrbkMgr
Nov 13, 2003
Daryl,

A sage approach to be sure.

I think much depends upon where exactly the activation record is stored

It is stored in both, the registry and the hard drive. Where the hard drive is concerned, a machine hash is written to an undocumented sector. High level formatting almost certainly will not affect the machine hash – that’s based on my reading elsewhere, so I don’t know how Adobe may deviate from the norm.

That said, one needs to be aware that low level formating and "unfriendly" disk partitioning mechanisms (such as FDisk) may have an adverse affect.

Also, mirroring your drive prior to activation should do you, basically, no good. Once you have done an activation, after you restore your HD to PRE activation state, you will be asked to activate again, and you will need to contact ACS to explain that you restored your HD to a previous state. That is to say, as I understand it, once a "handshake" has occured between your installation and Adobe, subsequent activations will need approval (outside the issue of 2 activations).

So if you activate first, THEN mirror your drive, you should be able to restore the system to an "activation okay" state; but of course, you lose recent data.

That’s my understanding – I don’t see a viable contigency plan… at all.
DP
Daryl Pritchard
Nov 13, 2003
Tony,

OK, scratch that thought….what you say makes total sense. I’ll blame these antihistamines I’m taking for having me writing in my sleep and not quite thinking this through enough. Somewhere in what I was saying, I was of the idea that perhaps I could detect what changes were made to perform the activation, and insert them again myself…something I made no mention of. Another online re-activation would certainly be easier. 🙂

Daryl
Y
YrbkMgr
Nov 13, 2003
Daryl,

Totally understand, man. Antihistamines can be a drag.

Frankly though…

I was of the idea that perhaps I could detect what changes were made to perform the activation, and insert them again myself…

If I understand it right… that’d be ALMOST like a crack – a way around activation. I’m sure it’s possible anyway, but for your own system, probably far too much trouble.
DM
dave_milbut
Nov 13, 2003
That is to say, as I understand it, once a "handshake" has occured between your installation and Adobe, subsequent activations will need approval (outside the issue of 2 activations).

Not sure if this is true or not. I’d like clarification. I was under the impression that if nothing in your hardware list has changed, if you reformat the activations should be automatic w/no call required (as the machine hash would be the same) no matter how many times you actually activate. Only if you change hardware more that the 2x should a call be necessary. Can someone please address this?
DP
Daryl Pritchard
Nov 13, 2003
"probably far too much trouble" ….Yep, I agree.

By the way Tony, as you seem pretty PC savvy, could I drop an e-mail your way with a question? If so, please use send me your address by e-mailing me at daryl AT jazzdiver DOT com (de-spam accordingly). Thanks.
SB
Scott_Byer
Nov 13, 2003
Boy, oh, boy do people like to believe negative things!

Andrew system-retored to BEFORE activation, so of course that killed the registry activation marker. Since one of the markers was missing, the activation code figured someone was trying to work around activation and required immediate activation.

It did NOT take up an additional license slot since it’s re-activation on the same machine. Andrew, you could have done that 10 times and not had to call. Plain and simple, same hardware, same hash, same license slot. You can still install and use on another machine and activate over the net.

You can also uninstall, re-install, and re-activate Photoshop on the same machine all day and have no problems.

-Scott
RL
Robert_Levine
Nov 13, 2003
You can also uninstall, re-install, and re-activate Photoshop on the same machine all day and have no problems.

Hmmmm, sounds like a fun hobby. 🙂

Bob

Must-have mockup pack for every graphic designer 🔥🔥🔥

Easy-to-use drag-n-drop Photoshop scene creator with more than 2800 items.

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