Photoshop Portable?

NW
Posted By
Nives_Whitt
Feb 6, 2007
Views
249
Replies
6
Status
Closed
I need to know if it’s possible to successfully install and use Photoshop on a flash drive. I don’t have a computer that I can use as my constant, and I’m always using my flash drive on other people’s computers, which of course includes all the programs on there as well.

Basically, can I install it unto my flash drive and use it on any computer that I’m connected to without problems, or must it stay on one constant computer?

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EH
Ed_Hannigan
Feb 6, 2007
I have heard of people doing this. How successful it is I don’t know. Sounds dicey. Give it a try.

No warranties or promises on this.
H
Ho
Feb 6, 2007
It works with PS6, maybe 7. I just dragged the PS6 folder from my HD to my flash drive and that was that. I’ve never tried installing directly to the flash drive.
DP
Daryl_Pritchard
Feb 6, 2007
Photoshop CS and CS2 both have activation hashes written to a hidden area of the hard drive boot sector as well as the Documents and Settings tree. If any hash is not found upon launching PS, further use of PS will not be allowed until, at minimum, a repair activation is performed.

Regards,

Daryl
NW
Nives_Whitt
Feb 9, 2007
How would I be able to perform this repair activation. It does sound like your saying it’s possible, but what is required in order for this to be the case? When it comes to advanced computer skills, I am a bit of a newb…
DP
Daryl_Pritchard
Feb 9, 2007
Nives,

Basically, the "repair activation" for PS CS is just a state detected by Photoshop CS when it is launched and the activation hashes are found to be out of sync or otherwise corrupt. In such cases, the dialog says something to the effect of how you’ll have to activate again, and I believe there was a code or status shown in that dialog of how this was a "repair activation" as opposed to a normal activation. In other words, you do nothing other than follow whatever dialogs you are presented with to reactivate, and hopefully all will go well. That said, the activation process for PS CS left a lot to be desired and you could well find it doesn’t reactivate and a call for personal support from Customer Service may be necessary.

I’ve never seen PS CS2 requiring a "repair activation", but the process should be very similar to CS if needed.

All in all though, I recommend you do not even pursue putting either PS CS or PS CS2 on a flash drive, because without the boot sector activation hash, you’ll always find reactivation required and there may even be limits as to how many times you can do that before having to get personal support.

Regards,

Daryl
H
Ho
Feb 11, 2007
I think your only shot is to pick up a pre-activation version. As I stated in my previous post, PS6 works for sure and 7 *should*.

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