-
Welcome to the new forums! Please read this first. For known issues we are working to resolve, click here.
CS2 activation no longer possible?
- Thread starter 1DSmII
- Start date
Solution
atom14
Senior Member
I've had it (CS2) for a decade - the free version. I could NOT "activate" it then, so the servers have been defunct for at least that long. All I do is click on "Do Not Register" each time I open it. It has not balked since it installed so long ago (in Win 8 then Win 10).
Actually, the only glitch I occasionally get is that it "forgets" the settings and color settings and just reverts to the default settings, with the color swatches etc. To get around this, I just set it all up how I like it and save a copy of the two files on the Desktop.
If this is of interest to you, here are the details (for Win 10):
C:\Users\User\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Photoshop\9.0\Adobe Photoshop CS2 Settings\
Adobe Photoshop CS2 Prefs.psp
and
Color Settings.csf
Both live in that folder.
atom14.
Solution
Ho72
Senior Member
Registration and activation are not the same thing.
I had a niggling feeling there was something I was forgetting.
Thank you for posting this!
The Irony is I've been through it a few times now, but unless I do something regularly, I forget. I'll write myself a few reminders!
I'm still using CS5 and have activated everytime I have built a new PC. You will need to access your Adobe account and you can find all of the Adobe products you own.
I hope you can contact Adobe support and get back into your account.
I also have switched to Affinity Photo, but there a still a couple of things I need to do in PhotoShop but I'm getting better at Affinity!
I hope you can contact Adobe support and get back into your account.
I also have switched to Affinity Photo, but there a still a couple of things I need to do in PhotoShop but I'm getting better at Affinity!
Had another go at reinstalling. Not sure what I did wrong last time (either install path or neglecting to run as administrator), but now it all works, and there's no nag screen!
Ease of making selections, and UI eye-candy, aside, CS2 (and older) versions of Photoshop are still very powerful.
You can still do frequency separation and other advanced PP with the same ease as now. It's a shame Adobe render older software useless.
You can still do frequency separation and other advanced PP with the same ease as now. It's a shame Adobe render older software useless.
That is why I want it back. It does almost everything I need from photo editing software, and, just as important, I know my way around it - at least the parts I need - but as I've heard people say before, you could spend a life time learning the whole package.
Not quite. I'll likely be using CS2 till it's no longer compatible with current Windows versions (or if I can still install Win 10/11).
Ho72
Senior Member
If you installed it without activation you have a 30 day trial.
That's not the case.
I have a different version of CS2, that was downloaded from Adobe, with the specific purpose of getting around the activation issue. It was mentioned earlier on in the thread by Tom_N:
"Adobe then issued a revised CS2 – for CS2 owners – that doesn't depend on being able to contact the (now-dead) Adobe DRM servers. I don't remember if that one came with its own key or if Adobe meant for you to plug in the key you got when you bought CS2."
...but I did not twig that that was the version I have here at the time.
As I mentioned, I've been through this before, and know the outcome... it's just been a while since I last did it, and my memory is great at forgetting these crucial details!
So bottom line, if you bought CS2 and have a valid key, plus this version of CS2, and you are running Win 7/10/11, you can still install and use CS2, in theory for as long as an OS that supports CS2 is still available - no trial period, and no nag screens, it just works as if it was installed from disk and activated before the servers shut down.
Ho72
Senior Member
OK, that wasn't at all clear to me, especially with the title you gave this thread:
CS2 activation no longer possible? as well as some of your comments: I fully intend to complain, as I did pay a lot for CS2! ... I'll try Adobe support ... Would I be eligible for an upgrade? I did pay full price for CS2 ... I've been through this before, and know the outcome...
You had the activation-free version all along and forgot? Oh well, sounds like you're up and running so good on you.
You need to read through the thread. You may have missed something.
Last edited:
Well yes, I'd forgotten that the servers were already dead when I'd installed it previously, and I initially thought something had changed between then and now, but obviously that was not the case!
Well, that was one of the later comments I wrote here, after having gone through it all over again, so by this time I'd worked out my error.
The PC I'm typing on now (I only use it for light work since it's not a well specd PC) has the same version of CS2 installed, so yes, once I knew where I was so to speak, I realized that there would be no issue with trial period or anything like that.
atom14
Senior Member
Ta for pointing that out and reminding me.
Adobe provided ?activation codes (as a string of numbers) for each of the Win and Mac versions. After I installed it (for Win) the "Register" box came up. I tried to register it as well but got nowhere. I guess that's what I was confusing. I just click it off each startup of CS2.
Now seriously, I think it's time they made CS6 available for free the same way :-O
atom14.
Your best bet might be to contact Adobe directly if you’re a legit owner and see if they can help. But honestly, considering how outdated CS2 is, it might be worth moving on to a newer tool that’s still supported and compatible with modern formats.
atom14
Senior Member
Countrax. I think he got the answer to his question, which, t paraphrase a general reply, is to reinstall the free version and click on Do Not Activate.
It does really relate to the individual's needs, which may not warrant your suggestion.
atom14.
It does really relate to the individual's needs, which may not warrant your suggestion.
atom14.
Ho72
Senior Member
A post by atom14 was chosen as the solution to this problem 693 days ago. Sometimes it helps to actually read the thread before you reply.
--
Sometimes I look at posts from people I've placed on my IGNORE list. When I do, I'm quickly reminded of why I chose to ignore them in the first place.
Last edited:
- Messages
- 15,232
- Solutions
- 17
- Reaction score
- 7,706
I'll lock the thread to prevent recurrences.
- Status
Similar threads
Keyboard shortcuts
- f
- Forum