CS2 is NOT installing ACTIVATION

KQ
Posted By
Kevin_Quattro
May 23, 2005
Views
648
Replies
11
Status
Closed
I think I have finally figured out why my CS2 upgrade is not working.

I uninstalled CS and CS2. I completely removed all reg entries and folders. Including the Licencing folder in ALL USERS.

I then reinstalled CS2, it asked for my CS CD, then installed. When it was done, NEVER did it ask me to activate, and thus it failed to load.

I checked for a licence folder for CS2 all over my system, nothing.

I uninstalled it, wipe all data, then installed CS. After install it asked for activation and a folder was created with my licence. CS runs, accept now it won’t load RAW files. (as I posted in another post)

I then installed CS2 update and it still won’t work.

I am calling Adobe Support tomorrow and will report back here any news. In case anyone else has these issues.

Windows Update recently updated the "Microsoft Installer" I am wondering if this is a cause.

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LT
Lee_Tucker
May 23, 2005
Can’t help you I’m afraid but I have a possibly related problem.

I use VCOMs System Suite 5 to regularly clean up my system & keep it running sweetly. Works well & have used it for 4years or so in its various versions.

However the registry cleaner is deleting the key containing the serial no. thus preventing the program from running. I can therefore either not use my clean up routine or use it but uninstall CS2 & then re-install it & reactivate it after a clean. Obviously the latter course of action is not a realistic option.

All I need are details of the registry key(s) involved so that I can ‘lock’ them in with a System Suite feature to prevent them being deleted.

Can anyone help? Adobe have not replied to what I thought was a simple request. Photoshop CS did not do this so they must have changed something in CS2.

Look forward to hearing from anyone.
DP
Daryl_Pritchard
May 23, 2005
Lee,

As far as I can tell, activation hashes are no longer written to the registry by PS CS2 as they were for PS CS. However, if serial number data entries in the registry were lost, that might still affect the usability of PS CS2 simply for the lack of what I vaguely recall being identified in error messages as "personalization data". To that end, I’d suggest locking HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ADOBE so that full key structure is left alone by any registry cleaner. I’d be surprised if much changed between PS CS and PS CS2 as related strictly to the registration info, but I’ve not looked at that very thoroughly.

Regards,

Daryl
KQ
Kevin_Quattro
May 23, 2005
So my CS2 is broken then? Cause at no time is it asking me to activate.
DP
Daryl_Pritchard
May 23, 2005
Kevin,

I’m not sure what to tell you, but if you deleted the proper license manager DAT file (or the parent Product License folder) for PS CS2, then that definitely should have triggered the License Manager into reporting someting to the effect of "your license data is unusable" when you launched PS CS2. If the DAT file was left intact, then seeing no activation prompt for a PS CS2 reinstall would be normal operation assuming no Transfer Activation had been performed. At the point where unusable license data is reported, you’d normally proceed through the provided prompts to perform another activation and one which should be shown with a code and some text indicating an Activation Type of "Repair", as opposed to "Normal" (1st install on a given PC). With nothing of this sort being presented to you, then yes, I’d likely conclude there is a problem with the PS CS2 installer and perhaps the License Manager itself. Contacting Adobe does seem the right direction to go. I’d not really expect the Microsoft Installer update to be the problem, but I may be wrong in assuming that is only used during the installation/uinstallation of software. Maybe something did go awry with the MSI when you first uninstalled PS CS2…it’s good that you at least paid attention and noticed that MSI update had been performed.

Good luck,

Daryl
KQ
Kevin_Quattro
May 23, 2005
Adobe has now told me they think it’s my RAID. The reason AdobeLM is not getting triggered properly may be due to my hard drive RAID setup.

I have to call them back and they are going to send me some "files" to hopefully fix this issue.

Still, odd that CS does not have this issue.
DM
dave_milbut
May 23, 2005
Still, odd that CS does not have this issue.

not really as i understand they’ve made a lot of changes to activation. glad your getting help from them though.

there was a user with cs who couldn’t get it to run for weeks. adobe finally sent her a copy without activation. they’re pretty cool like that. they’ll get you working.

good luck kevin,
dave
DP
Daryl_Pritchard
May 23, 2005
Kevin,

Glad you’re getting things resolved. The fact that activation is so dependent upon the hard drive configuration is one of the problems with how the process was designed. If you ran a RAID boot drive with PS CS successfully, I’m a bit surprised it failed you for PS CS2, but that is good to at least learn of such events occurring. What type of RAID are you running? With PS CS, the activation FAQ stated that problems MAY exist for some RAID configuraitions and I’m sure that remains true for PS CS2 and any other apps requiring activation where the activation hashes are written to the boot sector of the hard drive.

My personal opinion is that Adobe needs to abandon relying upon a boot sector activation hash, moving away from a hard-drive based authentication scheme to one that is truly a system authentication. In spite of this, it is at least encouraging to hear that Adobe is going to provide you some files to work around the problem caused by a RAID configuration….if that’s the jist of what they are for. Given the prevalence of RAID these days in performance systems (whether as system drives or data drives), it seems quite an oversight that manufacturers don’t take that into greater consideration with their software designs.

Regards,

Daryl
LT
Lee_Tucker
May 24, 2005
Daryl,

Thanks, I will try this in the next day or two & let you know what happens.

Lee
LT
Lee_Tucker
May 25, 2005
Daryl,

The key you suggested is not one that System Suite 5 tries to delete & unless it appears in the ‘delete’ list I can’t protect it.

It must therefore be some other key but none of those that appear make any reference to Adobe so I have no idea which ones to protect. I suppose I could protect them all but that would rather defeat the purpose of a registry cleaner in the first place.

This is an annoying problem as it would appear simple to fix. Very dissapointed that Adobe have not replyed to my email & the telephone responce from the Adobe helpline (here in the UK) was that they did not have the technical knowledge to help me! VCOM (System Suite producers) were not interested either, saying it was Adobes problem.

I assume I am not the only person using System Suite & CS2 is not a small utility only of use to a few, so the attitude so far displayed buy both of them is dissapointing to say the least, especially from Adobe as CS1 worked fine.
I
ID._Awe
May 25, 2005
I have SystemSuite 5 and having been using it for several years. I will run the registry cleaner to see what comes up. I have the trial version so I don’t think it will be the same. Hm-m-m–m.
DP
Daryl_Pritchard
May 25, 2005
Lee,

I’d have expected any registry cleaner to leave that Adobe registry key structure alone, but wasn’t certain, hence my suggestion. If ID observes something similar, perhaps that will help zero in on what is going on.

Regards,

Daryl

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