Activating CS over and over and over

SR
Posted By
Scott_R._Hirschman
Jan 17, 2004
Views
942
Replies
9
Status
Closed
I posted this problem awhile ago when I first installed PS CS. What is happening is when I startup PS CS everyday, it acts like I never ran the program before in that it tells me to activate the software and if I don’t I wont be able to use it. Again, this happened when it first came out and several of the replies I got were to un-install it and re-install the program.

Well, last week I caused my machine to crash (dumb me I know) but anyway I had to do a total rebuild of everything:

1. FDisk the HDD, then run a killdisk against it.
2. Break my raid "0" array.
3. Rebuild the array.
4. Re-install XP on a new 7 gig volume that I quick formated NTFS
5. Rebuilt my dynamic volumes and formatted them quick NTFS
6. Re-installed all my programs including PS CS

Now when I startup PS CS every day it tells me I have to register the software. Basically it is the same problem I had before all of the above took place. An interesting side note is when CS is "registering" the process bar doesnt get all the way to the end and it only runs for like 4 seconds before it thanks me for activating!! I am wondering if the application is getting through my firewall? Is it running on Port 80? Or something else that I should open up?

Here are my system specs: AMD 1.4 GHz CPU
512 megs of ram
(2) IBM Deskstar 60 gig HDD in a raid 0 array using a RocketRaid PC card that is not scuzzy. (1) IBM Deskstar 40 gig HDD not it a raid array but hooked up to a IDE channel. Matrox G450 vid card.

Any insight as to what may be causing this to happen? It doesnt really bother me except for the fact that Adobe is going to have me down a trillion times as registering the same software.

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CC
Chris_Cox
Jan 17, 2004
Is it the registration or activation that’s firing every time? Those are 2 different things….
SR
Scott_R._Hirschman
Jan 17, 2004
Hi Chris:

Here is what it is saying:Adobe Activation, Your computer’s configuration appears to have changed since the time this product was activated. To continue using this product, click OK to activate it again for your new computers configuration, or click cancel to exit.

Funny, I got this same message this morning and the only thing I did different was to turn the PC off for a few hours and turn it back on again.

When I click ok the next screen is the Activation Screen, if I click on Activation Information and read the fine print I read this: This product can tolerate changes to your computer’s configuration. Minor reconfiguration of your hardware after activation will not require an additional activation. If you replace or overhaul your hard drive, or if you remove this product from one licensed computer and install it on another licensed computer, you may be required to activate this product.

Im doing none of this, I just have to fire up PS CS once every 24 hours it appears to get the Activation message. I also get this info at the bottom (ActivationInformation_080103_16:14) Not sure if this helps??

I click on Internet Activation and another screen appears, I get a blue bar that gets about half way to the end (it takes about 4 seconds) then I get a thank you for activating message, once I click on Done, I can continue to use the product.

Tomarrow when I boot up and start PS CS I will have to do this all over again though.

Any thoughs as to why this is happening? Do I have a bad CD or something??
MM
Mick_Murphy
Jan 18, 2004
This is what happens if you do a system restore. I wonder is this related to some program or script you are running at shutdown or startup which is changing something in the registry or system files. Perhaps you should list the other programs and utilities you are using.
SR
Scott_R._Hirschman
Jan 18, 2004
Mick:

It is a home PC, so as far as scripts, there are none. Just the normal startup for XP, I havent edited any of the services "yet"!!
To be totally honest, all I am doing is starting up the PC in the morning and opening up PS CS, although I dont even have to shut down I just have to start PS CS once every 24 hours to get the activation notice.
MM
Mick_Murphy
Jan 18, 2004
Scott

I haven’t heard this one since I started to frequent this forum around the time I upgraded to CS. Not fatal as long as you have your internet connection to reactivate but pretty annoying I expect. I don’t know enough about what triggers reactivation to help you troubleshoot but hopefully Adobe might have come across it. One possible temporary workaround would be to install a clean OS on a separate drive or partition and install CS only to see if it still happens. Best of luck.
DM
dave_milbut
Jan 18, 2004
anything like norton utils or go back or something running?
SR
Scott_R._Hirschman
Jan 18, 2004
<One possible temporary workaround would be to install a clean OS on a separate drive or partition and install CS only to see if it still happens.>

The One thing I didnt do during the install, thought about doing it, didnt do it was the low level format of my drives 🙁

Mick, thanks anyway for your help!!

Dave:

Norton system works 2004 installed but just the antivirus installed, not all the other stuff like cleansweep, disk doctor and stuff, I didnt install any of that.

Thanks for your help as well.
DM
dave_milbut
Jan 18, 2004
Norton system works 2004 installed but just the antivirus installed,

NSW2004 also has activation from the same company (macrovision) – i think. have you tried uninstalling that? I’m running NAV2002 with the av definition subscription and have no problems. maybe it’s competing activations that are throwing you out of whack. at the very least have you checked for NAV or NSW 2004 updates?

dave
DP
Daryl_Pritchard
Jan 18, 2004
Hi Scott,

I was rereading your posts earlier to see if I saw anything wrong, but I didn’t. Some time ago when trying to isolate a PS CS problem, I went as far as a low-level drive format and reinstall of everything. As you’d expect that does require you to activate PS CS again, but it also gives you the 30 days again since it would appear as a completely fresh install. So, that doesn’t sound like what you’re dealing with. I can’t see SystemWorks as a problem either, although I’m running 2003 rather than 2004.

The way you’ve mentioned this seems to occur after 24-hour intervals is an odd thing, if I read you right. That almost leaves me to wonder if there’s something buggy with your system clock. If so, that would be the first I’ve ever heard of such a thing….well, apart from the clock just drifting off the correct time.

So, while I can’t suggest anything, I’ll just ask whether or not I read you correctly…does a full 24-hour period have to elapse before you see the notice to activate reappear?

Smart suggestion Dave…I’d not thought of multiple activation schemes as possibly being in conflict. To that end I’ll add also that Macromedia also uses activation in their products.

Regards,

Daryl

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Give your photos a professional finish with sharpening in Photoshop. Learn to enhance details, create contrast, and prepare your images for print, web, and social media.

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