Ranting at other users will accomplish nothing. I suggest you contact Adobe directly.
Bob
TMalcom,
Hi…I’m just curious…has truly nothing changed? That is, have you not applied any Windows updates, driver updates, anti-virus signature updates performed any system restore, applied a correction to your system clock, etc.? To ask about changes that are as innoucuous as a signature update may seem rather facetious, but I’m asking because I would nearly expect at least one of those categories to apply to most any user. Of those mentioned, at worst it should only be that a time correction or system restore might’ve affected activation.
If you’ve truly made no change whatsoever to your system over the past few months and yet you’ve still encountered a reactivation prompt, then I’d think there is an even more serious flaw in the activation process used with Photoshop than the flaws already present.
Of course, what we all know is that none of the aforementioned items save for a more drastic change in the system clock should affect activation….not even a system restore. With Photoshop CS now more than 6 months old since its retail release, and given a typical 18-month or so period between new version releases, my opinion is that a dot update to correct the flawed activation process is well nigh overdue. I’ve proposed at least one partial solution in the past that Adobe could very, very quickly implement which would at least benefit those Photoshop users who not only activate, but also register their software…registered users should be provided a download that disables activation and then relies upon the integrity of the user to abide by the EULA as they’ve done with prior versions. There are benefits to be had by registering your software, and this would add yet another.
Regards,
Daryl
That is, have you not applied any Windows updates, driver updates, anti-virus signature updates performed any system restore, applied a correction to your system clock, etc.?
some backup util that’s writing to the boot sector? a registry cleaner that might be messing with the reg files? it would be something that only runs on a periodic basis. write down the date today. when it happens again, you might have an idea if it’s something that’s being scheduled. (30 days?)
Daryl,
While a System Restore will force a reactivation, drivers, windows updates and system clock changes should have no effect on activation.
We (Adobe folks) all run the Retail/Upgrade CS version and perform lots of updates with no need to reactivate. [edit – should have added we don’t have any special mojo for activation, it’s the exact same process our users go through]
–Steph
Hi Stephanie,
Yes, I’m aware that none of the items mentioned should affect activation and I agree that none do to my knowledge, save for the System Restore or a significant change to the system clock. My intent was merely to suggest that when one says their system "hasn’t changed one iota", that there are some changes people may accidentally overlook because they fail to consider them significant or they merely forget the change occurred (such as scheduled updates performed in the background). If in suggesting these or other items as changes it finds a person recalling something they did in fact change, then perhaps they will have stumbled upon something new that worth Adobe learning of as causing a problem with activation.
By and large, as you say is true, I’d expect Adobe would be doing much the same as the user community when it comes to performing updates…after all, that would be key to ensuring that your products do indeed continue to perform as expected.
Cheers,
Daryl
