please help – can’t reinstall CS2

Catherine,

still no response from Adobe after placing tech request on Aug 20

If you were trying for free support, I doubt that you will get it directly from Adobe for a discontinued application (about a year-and-a-half ago).

Some questions for you…

Which computer is this on? How much RAM? How large a hard drive? How much free space is on the drive? How did you format the new hard drive and install the OS? Did you format with/without case sensitivity? Is this your main internal drive with your OS on it? Did you use the original Adobe disc to install? How many activations do you have for your CS2? Did you uninstall each failed installation before reinstalling? How did you do that? Did you run Disk Utility and Disk Warrior prior to CS2 installation?

Neil

Neil, thank you so much for responding. Here are replies to your questions: Q: Which computer is this on? A: Machine Model = PowerBook 5,7, CPU Type = PowerBookPC G4 (1.2) Q: How much RAM? A: 1 GB DDR SDRAM Q: How large a hard drive? A: 1.67 GHz Power PC G4 (is that the size of drive?) Q: How much free space is on the drive? A: Can’t seem to find this figure – forgetting where to look – ? Should be lots of free space. Q: How did you format the new hard drive and install the OS? A: Formatted and installed by Mac dealer during replacement of bad hard drive. I installed the software with manufacturer’s discs. Q: Did you format with/without case sensitivity? A: Unknown, done by Mac. How can I check? Q: Is this your main internal drive with your OS on it? A: Yes. Q: Did you use the original Adobe disc to install? A: Yes, the original that I purchased new 3 years ago. Q: How many activations do you have for your CS2? A: I installed it once, originally after purchase. Then tried again 3 times last month to re-install, go to what seemed like very end before error message (missing file) appeared and installation ended. So I think that’s just 1 activation? Q: Did you uninstall each failed installation before reinstalling? A: Yes. Q: How did you do that? A: Basic drag icon/s to trash. Q: Did you run Disk Utility and Disk Warrior prior to CS2 installation? A: No, but will if you recommend. Do I need to download these, or are both part of my system? Thank you so much Neil for your assistance. -Catherine

that is a hard read, it would have been easier if the Q & A were all on separate lines.

You say you have a new hard drive. Did you install it?

Did you format the drive?

Did you install the OS?

Activation is unlimited on CS2

Hi Buko, My replacement hard drive and OS was installed and formatted by Mac. I only added the software, no problem with any other software re-installations until tried to re-install the Photoshop CS2…. -Catherine

Hmmm…

Not sure what to say. the error sounds like what you see after you upgrade the OS.

Routine maintenance is imperative.

I still advocate Repairing Permissions (with Apple’s Disk Utility) before AND after any system update or upgrade, as well as before AND after installing any software that requires an installer that asks for your password.

I have seen software installations go sour because the installer did not find everything as and where it should be.

I have also seen software installations go bad because the installer did not clean up after itself properly and did not leave everything as and where it should be.

This is just my own personal opinion and practice based on my own observations. Others may disagree and that’s OK. I can only base my routines and my advice to others on my own experience and conclusion. I don’t pretend to know why others believe otherwise.

Repairing Permissions after the fact (i. e. not immediately before and after an install) seldom helps.; Try it anyway, though.

====

Additionally, if your machine does not run 24/7 so that it runs the daily, weekly and monthly Cron Scripts in the middle of the night as intended by Apple, run Cocktail (shareware) as well.

Cron Scripts are maintenance routines designed by Apple to run on a daily, weekly and monthly basis in the middle of the night.

If you don’t run them, you WILL run into trouble, sooner rather than later.

Here’s an excerpt from the Apple tech doc <http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=107388>

Mac OS X performs background maintenance tasks at certain times if the computer is not in sleep mode. If your computer is shut down or in sleep at the designated times, the maintenance does not occur. In that case, you may want or need to run these manually.

Mac OS X periodically runs background tasks that, in part, remove system files that are no longer needed. This includes purging older information from log files or deleting certain temporary items. These tasks do not run if the computer is shut down or in sleep mode. If the tasks do not run, it is possible that certain log files (such as system.log) may become very large.
Also, from: <http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106978>

The disk activity generated by find is a normal part of file system maintenance, used for tasks such as removing invisible temporary files that are used by the system. It is scheduled to occur early in the morning at 03:15 everyday, 04:30 on Saturdays, and 05:30 on the first day of each month.

NOTE: There have been comments to the effect that Apple "fixed" this in 10.4.2 and later versions of the OS, but I have not been able to verify this to my satisfaction. The reference in the 10.4.2 release notes are far from explicit on this subject.

= = =

If you have DiskWarrior, run it regularly too.

Thank you Ramon. I will try these steps now and really appreciate that you took the time to explain these details.
Best regards, Catherine

You’re welcome, Catherine. All that verbiage is a four-keystrokes macro. 😀

Catherine:

When you open Disk Utility, you will see the answers to Neil’s questions concerning the way that the HD was formatted and how much space remains on it.

If it was NOT formatted to:
Mac OS Extended (Journaled) and was made case-sensitive, you will have o re-format it and re-install all of your software.

Hopefully, you have everything safely backed-up elsewhere?

Catherine,

"Journaling" is a feature that helps protect the file system against power outages or hardware component failures, reducing the need for system repairs. I believe it can be turned on or off without reformatting.

"Case-sensitive" OS file systems would see, for example, Text.txt and TEXT.TXT as different file names. But, it can cause problems with proper operation of many applications, particularly those used for backup and repair.

Enabling journaling is generally a good idea. Enabling case-sensitive HFS+ formatting is not.

Neil

if her system were case senitive she could not even begin to install

Neil said:

If you were trying for free support, I doubt that you will get it directly

from Adobe for a discontinued application (about a year-and-a-half ago).

Not true, CS2 is still a supported suite, and will even be after CS4 is released (the usual period is 3 months after the release).

Q: Did you uninstall each failed installation before reinstalling? A: Yes.

Q: How did you do that?
A: Basic drag icon/s to trash.Ooooohhh…not good. That used to be the way to get rid of an application on the Mac OS, but since the advent of OS X and Adobe’s newer installation routines, files are placed in several places on the hard drive. A simple "drag the Photoshop folder to the trash" isn’t the way to do it anymore, because it doesn’t get rid of everything. And if you don’t get rid of all the associated files, upon launching the PS CS2 disk’s setup/installer routine, it may see some of those remnants still living on your hard drive and interpret the contents of your hard drive as still having the application installed, or of having a corrupt installation.

I still use PS CS2, and haven’t had a need to remove or reinstall it since my initial installation—so I may be a bit off base here—but if you pop the PS CS2 disk into your drive I think there will be a way to remove it properly with an "uninstaller" script that appears if you run the setup.

Sooo, you’ll need to try that…pop in the PS CS2 installer disk and look for an "Uninstall" routine. Run that.

Then, you should do your maintenance as Ramon suggested. I use the free Onyx <http://www.titanium.free.fr/pgs/english.html> for this, because it takes care of a lot of maintenance in sequence, and automatically. Oh, did I mention that Onyx is FREE!? 🙂

Shut down (Onyx will recommend it in an alert box), then reboot your system and try installing PS CS2 again.

Then run the repair permissions business again. Restart system.

If that doesn’t work, you’ll have to run the "Uninstall" routine again.

There’s a "CleanScript" provided by Adobe to really dig in and get rid of files. But try the process I’ve detailed first. If that doesn’t work, then come back and we’ll talk about the deep cleaning script (and a couple hidden levels of repair that the CleanScript’s instructions don’t tell you about, because they can be a little dangerous.)

try,

Not true, CS2 is still a supported suite,

By whom? I’m referring to free "Adobe" telephone support — sorry if I was not clear.

Where are you getting your information? Per Adobe <http://www.adobe.com/support/programs/customer/gss.html> In part, it says: "Getting Started Support is available for most products. Support is limited to the current version. All Getting Started Support incidents for the current version will expire 90 days after the release of the next software version."

Of course, online support, such as knowledgebase files, these forums and third-party Websites does provide free support.

Neil

I’m also reffering to phone or email support. And no, I’m not confusing CS2 with CS3…

See this page for currently supported products:
< http://www.adobe.com/support/programs/policies/supported.htm l>

Also it’s good to know that in different regions you will get a different support plan. I think that in the US they charge for everything except installation issues, while in Europe almost everything is free (at the moment).

Try,

Those are purchased support plans. And I am assuming the OP is in the States. If you are indeed getting free live tech support from Adobe in Europe, at least that partially makes up for the significantly higher software purchase prices.

Neil

Why do you assume that? In Europe this list is used for ALL support, purchased or otherwise. Trust me, I know this for a fact.

Try,

Assumed a reason for high foreign pricing of Adobe software?

But, where does it say "free" support in that document?

Neil

Ooooohhh…not good. That used to be the way to get rid of an application on the Mac OS

With CS2 there is no uninstaller. to remove the app you must drag to the trash.

In that case, then, the CleanScript might be called for.

I’m not sure the cleanscript touches CS2 stuff. I’ve had to run the CS3 cleanscript and my CS2 apps were untouched.

"I’m not sure the cleanscript touches CS2 stuff."

It will if you know what to do with it! But it requires some good precautions on the user’s part, or they could be spun into a world of hurt.

It’s kind of a last resort thing.