I thinking of making my PC a dual boot system…W2K and XP. Does anyone know what impact this has on Photoshop CS with respect to the Activation Process? There will need to be two seperate installations of CS, one for each OS, but will it think it needs reactivating everytime I switch the OS.
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Theoretically, this should work just fine since the system hardware configuration is intact. However, for this not to cause any problem, then I’d expect it means that there is a unique activation record for each O/S written to the hidden area of the hard drive boot sectory. Otherwise, the same problem that affects system restorations (whether via System Restore or a drive imaging tool) should seemingly affect dual-boot operation as well. That is, each time PS CS is run under an O/S, the synchronization of the activation records would be performed and a reboot to a different O/S would find those records out of synch and a reactivation required. Definitely that should not occur, but as I’m not running a dual-boot configuration, I can’t verify that to be true.
So, my question is…Ho, are you running a dual boot configuration where you can painlessly (reactivation-free) run PS CS under one O/S, then reboot to the other OS and again run PS C/S there?
Colin,
If Ho is running dual-boot successfully, then I’d say go for it. Otherwise, I’d recommend you not plan on running PS CS under each O/S of a dual-boot system until someone can report having done so without problems of having to reactivate each time.
Colin, I have a dual-boot WXP SP1 / W2k SP4 configuration with each OS in its own partition–hidden from the other–using System Commander 7.05.
PS CS is installed in each and required separate activation. Everything works fine! My "heavy duty" photoshop work is best done in Windows 2000 Pro rather than Windows XP Pro.
The two PS CS activations count as a "single" computer with any additional activation requiring a phone call.
This is from a forum reply by Adobe staffer, Stephanie Schaefer, posting regarding a forum question "PS CS Activation and Multi-boot Computers" posted by Daryl Pritchard – 08:03am Oct 31, 2003 Pacific. Link to this thread direct to the Stephanie Schaefer reply is at: Stephanie Schaefer "PS CS Activation and Multi-boot Computers" 10/31/03 4:52pm </cgi-bin/webx?14/11>
From all the forums and searches I’ve come across it would appear they are identical in functionality but but the licensing agreements are different and there’s some concern about whether or not you can move the OEM copy to a new machine should you get one.
There’s even some suggestion that you cannot put the OEM version onto anything other than a clean hard drive.
there’s some concern about whether or not you can move the OEM copy to a new machine should you get one.
if the oem hardware you’re getting the discount on is the machine, then the answer is no, you can’t move it. If it’s the mouse (to use the above example) then all you need to do is move the mouse. that’s how oem works. it needs to stay with the hardware you got with it as the discount is associated only with that specific hardware.
Still not sure about that. Pre-installed I’d perhaps agree but even that’s debatable by some. As for moving it with the mouse that may be a weasel way out of it but again it’s unlikely that MS would give you a reactivation on a new machine. The mouse doesn’t contribute to the machine id that MS gets.
The bigger issue for me seems to be that the OEM version can only be installed on a clean system which prevents me having a dual boot.
I am now trying to figure out if I’d run into problems having two hard drives….one W2K and one XP and just changing the boot order in the bios.
dependent of course on the actual license. and I was using bob’s example from above. not saying you could move a mouse IF the oem was attached to the machine, but ONLY if it was sold with the mouse.
Are you absolutely sure about that? I never heard of a version of Windows that requires a clean harddrive. And even with that, you should be installing to a clean partition anyway.
Unless you can point to a link somewhere with that info, I’m inclined to think that someone is steering you in the wrong direction. Of course, I could also be wrong, but you really should check this out very carefully.
Dave, what happens when the hardware goes south? You can’t use your software anymore? I’ve got a Photoshop OEM license that came bundled with a cheap scanner, and that scanner bit the dust years ago
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Rick Moore Barnes Gromatzky Kosarek Architects 512 476 7133 www.bgkarchitects.com
I think the Adobe software that came with hardware is a different beast than OEM operating systems. They’re called "For Bundles Only" and they are not to be SOLD without the original hardware, I didn’t find anything about USING the license w/o the hardware. http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/antipiracy/avoid.html
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Rick Moore Barnes Gromatzky Kosarek Architects 512 476 7133 www.bgkarchitects.com
I’d forgotten of my having asked that old question about multi-boot computers and PS CS activation. While Stephanie did answer my question at the time, I guess I didn’t present all of the questions I had nor did I follow up with more. So, with that in mind, and hoping Stephanie or others from Adobe see this:
For a multi-boot PC that uses the native boot manager of the O/S and not some 3rd-party boot manager, does the activation process for PS CS create a separate activation record in the drive’s boot sector area for each O/S? If not, then how does one avoid the problem with the erroneous prompt for reactivation when the activation records are found to be out of synch? Is a 3rd-party boot manager actually required in order to avoid this? I don’t know how 3rd-party boot managers work, but if they actually create a unique boot sector for each O/S such that the activation license manager never sees the inactive sector and associated activation record, maybe the false need for reactivation wouldn’t arise.
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