Greg,
While you can install on 2 machines, the EULA doesn’t allow simultaneous use.
However, Adobe can’t see, nor prevent simultaneous use other than forbid it, i.o.w. they should both launch.
You should only deactivate an installation of PS when you plan to migrate to a new computer, in which case this would otherwise become a third installation.
Registering is something different, and has no functionality impact on PS. Registering the software means if you lose the disks, you don’t lose PS.
Rob
Thanks for the info Rob.
I think I might be facing something else then if what you say is true. I installed CS2 Suite on computer #2, with the license key and same Name and Company Name, it accepted that, did the install, did the Activation process, which it accepted, saying the software was now active, and I was able to download and install updates too. But when I went to run the software (Photoshop), I got a message indicating my Name, Company Name and/or license didn’t match the software and it shut down. (didn’t give me any opportunity to enter anything either…)
So when I went to uninstall the software on computer #2, I came across the Activation procedure, and thought that’s what my problem was (that Adobe was keeping some sort of system info on file and since the other computer had the current activiation, it wasn’t letting me run it on the 2nd machine.
I was careful, too, in entering the same name and company name during the install to computer #2, checking it against what was in the Photoshop About….
I did an uninstall and installed it again, just in case I did something wrong, but that too got the same bad results…
Now I’m really stumped, I’ve wasted half a day so far, but thanks for the input.
Greg
Greg,
As far as I know you can type anything you want. Only the serial nr is supposed to be unique.
Further to that, Name and company name etc. is relevant to registration, not activation. It shouln’t have any impact on functionality.
I would deactivate PS on both computers, the reactivate the second pc first, check that, then reactivate computer 1 (so reversed oreder).
If now the situation is reversed (pc 1 won’t launch PS) then I would assume there is already an activation pending somewhere on the planet.
Rob
More details on the new machine, please.
Bob
Vista Ultimate 64bit, 8gb ram, 2 quad core Xeon 3ghz processors (8 cores), Nvidia Quadro 4600, 500gb software, drive 2TB Raid 5.
From The Personal Experience Department:
CS3 can be activated on two machines simultaneously or on two sides of a dual boot machine (e.g. XP and Vista-the-abomination).
However deactivation is not always recognized by Adobe although the program disappears from your machine.
I have had the pleasure of begging for a new activation number from a polite young Indian man (there are many polite Americans who would like that job) within hours of deactivating CS3 from one installation so I could reinstall it on a newer computer.
And if your operating system becomes unusable or your hard drive dies and you have to reinstall CS3 after two activations you may be SOL. Hence when computer mavens tell you to reformat your hard drive and reinstall your programs to get better performance they do not reckon with the myriad of activation restrictions that programs like Photoshop and Microsoft Office place on the end user, not to mention Windows itself.
CS2 doesn’t always get installed into the Program Files (x86) folder. That error usually indicates that it’s been installed in the Program Files folder instead.
If so, uninstall, and reinstall in the (x86) folder.
Also note, CS2 is not even supported under the 32 bit version but I know several regulars running it under Vista 64.
Photoshop CS4 will be available as a native 64 bit application.
Bob
Okay, there’s some interesting stuff there!
When the install was going on, it did show the (x86) folder as the default in the destination window…. but when I clicked on next it said that the folder destination was invalid…. I had to manually change it (removed the (x86)….
How do I get the install to accept the (x86) in the folder path? (Or maybe should I manually browse to that same folder again?
Good to hear that some are running CS2 under Vista 64…that was going to be my next worry after I got the install up. CS4 should be great!
Greg
Search for the exact error message. I think it says it’s for XP64 for the same solution holds.
Bob
This is of no real help, but I’ll just add that I’ve seen no problems at all with PS CS2 on Vista 64, but that is with PS CS2 installed to a separate programs partition "D" rather than the default path.
Daryl
