How do I de-activate a CS2 activation with Photoshop running?

LL
Posted By
Larry_Ligon
May 8, 2007
Views
843
Replies
8
Status
Closed
I have a problem. The hard drive that has my first CS2 activation has crashed. I bought a new Gateway computer and installed CS2 again and activated it. That new Gateway computer will not boot-up now. I want to install CS2 on another computer that I own but I currently have 2 activations active. I want to keep the second activation because I will repair that computer. I’ve open a Technical Support Case but have not had any response from Adobe.

How can I de-activate my first activation with being able to run Photoshop CS2?

Larry

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LL
Larry_Ligon
May 8, 2007
The message should have said WITHOUT running Photoshop CS2

How can I de-activate my first activation WITHOUT being able to run Photoshop CS2?

Larry
BL
Bob Levine
May 8, 2007
You can’t. But the activation counter does reset from time to time to allow for things like this.

Bob
DM
dave_milbut
May 8, 2007
calling adobe directly should get a rep to give you a code to activate even if you’ve technically used your 2 activations. they can reset the counter. don’t know why they would need to open a support case for this. call back and speak to another rep. tell them you have a dead computer. don’t confuse the issue with ‘i may get it back up at a later time’ etc. just say you want to install it on a second computer.
ND
Nick_Decker
May 8, 2007
And, the Transfer Activation phone number for CS2 (according to my screen) is 1-866-772-3623. You’ll probably have better luck there than with Tech Support.
DE
david_evanson
May 8, 2007
I had a similar problem – motherboard on the old PC failed and I could not de-activate CS2. I called customer support (in the UK) before I tried to install CS2 on my new PC and explained the situation – the CS rep checked the activation count against my registration details and reset the counter for me.
When I got round to installing CS2 it activated normally over the internet without any trouble.
TI
Thomas_Ireland
May 9, 2007
I formatted my hard drive after a lot of issues not related to CS on April 29th. After installing the OS and applications including CS, I tried to activate CS. It wouldn’t work through the net, so I had to call Adobe at the number listed on the screen.

I was surprised that they had anyone there on a Sunday afternoon, but not surprised by the initial result of the call. A person who would only give his name as "Ivan" said that I had two activations at that time and could not get another one.

I explained the problem and that the activation on the desktop machine (as opposed to the laptop) was no longer used because I had formatted the drive, and besides… it was the same drive. No go. Ivan insisted that I was not entitled to another activation, and refused to give me an activation number.

After arguing with Adobe’s fine and highly trained front line customer support person for ten minutes, I asked to speak with his supervisor. He refused to allow that to happen and thanks me for calling Adobe.

By then I was pretty ticked-off. I paid for a program and was being denied the use of it because of Adobe’s flaky activation/re-activation scheme. You know- the one Adobe ignored when customers complained about it? The one customers suggested fixed like a grace period for?

I demanded several times that Ivan connect me with a supervisor. He finally gave me an activation number, and still refused to give me even the name of his immediate supervisor, and thanked me for calling Adobe before hanging up on me.

I contacted another support person and got an e-mail address to a person who handles support issues, but after thinking about it for a while decided not to write. After all, it’s Adobe.
DP
Daryl_Pritchard
May 10, 2007
Thomas,

I’d encourage you to still e-mail Adobe about the support issues you had with Ivan. Whether they’d know who he is by a first-name-only reference or not, I don’t know, but such poor support and refusal to transfer to you to his supervisor warrants action being taken in my opinion. The more people that encounter similar problems with Ivan (or any other support person), the more Adobe’s image will suffer with regard to customer support. They ignored the customers regarding PS CS activation issues, never offering any solution for that version whatsoever. By now, the problem you ran into should not even have occurred; given that CS is now fully 2 versions old, activation should not even be required, especially given how faulty that version’s activation was. Adobe needs to issue a CS update that now will disable activation so that it is no longer required. That should be quite easy to do, knowing that activation cracks were available early in the CS game.

Meanwhile, if Ivan continues to argue with customers as he did with you, then he should be fired or reassigned to another non-support job.

Regards,

Daryl
LL
Larry_Ligon
May 13, 2007
Thanks Bob. I installed and activated again with no problem. Go figure!

Larry

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