you don’t get the full serial # in photoshop. just a partial.
Even if your full serial # was obtained, the activation process makes serial number theft less of an issue anyway.
And if someone snags your serial number, they still won’t have the PS installer. Those that obtain the software illicitly do not need your serial #.
Jim
1) The installer is readily available.
2) My understanding when i installed is that you enter you serial number and it installs there is no additional validation required.
Can you explain what else there is.
1) are you referring to your installer? Of course the installer is illegally available on the internet. If you are saying that you have your own installation media unsecured and easily looted, then you have another issue to address.
2) a serial number is useless to anyone else if you have already used your activation allowance. The solution to your question/problem may lie there.
I think we have gone off on a tangent with this.
My question:
Is there a way to hide the serial info in PhotoShop. A user can re-use our serial number elsewhere. The serial will allow at least 2 or 3 activations before you have to contact Adobe to get the 4th allowed.
Thanks
We’re still on track. As noted in the first post, your full serial number is not displayed in Photoshop.
If your allotment of activations is already filled, a serial # thief will have to call Adobe to request a reset of the activation count so that they can use the stolen serial and activate on their own computer.
Assess the probability that someone figures out the remaining characters in your serial number, that they call Adobe to request that activation reset, and that Adobe would believe and offer the pirate the activation when they have that serial number registered to you.
Any thoughts/ideas how to protect our serial number?
Adobe has already thought this through. You really do not need to worry about it unless you have some abnormal situation.
A user can re-use our serial number elsewhere. The serial will allow at least 2 or 3 activations before you have to contact Adobe to get the 4th allowed.
These comments are not true. Review the activation info on adobe.com and in your licensing.
Malik
Compare the number within Photoshop to the number on the box or with the download.
They are different! The real serial number is longer.
Are we forgetting something about multi-seat licenses not needing activation?
I don’t know for sure, since I don’t work in that type of environment, but I DO recall something along those lines.
It doesn’t answer the original question, but it could be relevant.
John Joslin – thank you. in which case we should be ok.
Robert Levine – some interesting articles. one thing i read whioch i didnt know is you can only activate photoshop twice. You then have to deactivate before you can reactivate.
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http://indesignsecrets.com/cs3-activation-limits.php>
Are we forgetting something about multi-seat licenses not needing activation?
Those are the versions that are being so well circulated among pirates – – so this whole discussion about protecting our own activated apps is nearly pointless. If someone really wants the software, they are much more likely to use p2p to grab a version that requires no activation than to snatch a serial from malik. Why would a pirate bother with the activation troubles that the rest of us deal with?
I think we are talking about illegal copies here, rather than piracy in the generally accepted sense. There is a difference.
What difference is that? What sense of piracy have you generally accepted? 🙂
I think most people think of piracy as "p2p" download a crack and off you go. i think most REAL piracy comes from the casual user, mostly from the corporate license kind of media that doesn’t need activation.
so this whole discussion about protecting our own activated apps is nearly pointless. If someone really wants the software, they are much more likely to use p2p to grab a version that requires no activation than to snatch a serial from malik.
Not pointless at all. You could apply the same rule to just about anything. Why lock my front door if someone really wants to get in they can just break the window. Its about opportunism. I am not talking about people who use torrent and know how to download illegal copies.
Easy access to a serial number = temptation to use it. Hence my original post.
so best way to protect your # (given bob’s post) is to secure the systems w/passwords and maybe limited access accounts (there are certain registry keys and folder permissions that need to be set up for non-admin accounts. the FAQ has details on how to set these up).
Easy access to a serial number = temptation to use it. Hence my original post
But how are they getting the installation media to make use of the serial? How are they conning Adobe into allowing them to activate software you have already activated? Hence my original confusion why this is an issue.
If you register the software with Adobe and have it fully activated so that no other can activate, you could paint the serial number on a huge sign in front of your home or business. It is useless to another.
Your serial number is useless to another if there is no software to install. Those that have the installation media likely loot it from p2p (where a serial is delivered with it) or they have your original media in hand – which has the serial stamped on it.
But how are they getting the installation media to make use of the serial?
I THINK (from posts here) that the downloadable trial version has a way to enter a serial # to make it a legit full version…
which has the serial stamped on it.
I don’t have my discs handy, but i don’t think that’s right jim. it’s the paper sleeve that has the little serial # sticker on it.
dave milbut – pc’s are secured/passworded this does not stop you viewing/copying the serial number from within photoshop.
Jim J. The installation media is readily available. You can even download it for free from the adobe website for goodness sake.
The media is irrelevant its the serial i am concerned with.
I give up 🙂
I THINK (from posts here) that the downloadable trial version has a way to enter a serial # to make it a legit full version…
But it could not be activated if the activation allotment has already been filled. The activation process is what has made this a non-issue. This is why most all of us have to endure activation nonsense. Adobe has already devised a way to protect our serial numbers from theft.
Anyway to answer to my own post
John Joslin – has already confirmed the serial number shown within photoshop via Help>System Info, etc is not the actual install serial number, so i’m good
Also the link provided earlier reads that there are only 2 allowed activations so this is another form of protection
Couldnt someone have said this in post 2 🙂
Oy. Nobody reads post #10
I give up 🙂
post #10 solution reads to me:
"You’ll need to protect the machines with passwords or hire people you can trust."
This is not a solution.
1) The machines are already passworded etc. This is irrelavant to users of photoshop
2) i wont even bother with the ‘hire trust people’ bit 🙂
You can put a smiley on that if you want but the fact that you’re worried about this says a great deal about the hiring practices.
And it’s worth noting that the EULA for single licenses allows for the installation on a second machines for home use or laptops.
Bob
Malik, the point of post #10 was to point out that the full serial number can be obtained. There is still another way as well but there is no point in explaining further as activation is the way that Adobe prevents careless or deliberate distribution of serials. You are safe no matter what you do or do not do.
You can put a smiley on that if you want but the fact that you’re worried about this says a great deal about the hiring practices.
The personnel dept is in another building so i cannot answer directly, Here we work on IT prevention at all levels. Perhaps you can tell me about our companies hiring practices in more detail.
from within photoshop.
the serial # isn’t available within photoshop, as has been said. you can (according to bob) get it from deactivating and reactivating. it’s possible some user permissions might disallow this, you might want to test that out.
But it could not be activated if the activation allotment has already been filled.
waht if it hadn’t been filled? 🙂
John Joslin – has already confirmed the serial number shown within photoshop via Help>System Info, etc is not the actual install serial number, so i’m good
aHEM! post #1?!! 🙂
This is not a solution. 1) The machines are already passworded etc. This is irrelavant to users of photoshop
like i said above, it’s possible that certain user acct security settings might be found that would disallow users from activating/deactivating. you should experiment.
thanks jim. youre right. the 2 time activation allowance appears to be the peace of mind/protection we’re after
MS seems to reset their activation counters every few days.
because they realize that it’s better to get hte product into people’s hands rather than turn them to another product. even if it’s pirated. the potential for a sale later on will be with the product they learn on and know.
You don’t trust your people. That’s all I need to know.
I have no problem with reasonable security, but you’re simply wasting time and effort on something you shouldn’t even be thinking about. Are you posting in the Microsoft groups to find out how to keep folks from stealing Office keys?
Because I can tell you for a fact, it’s a whole lot easier and MS seems to reset their activation counters every few days.
Bob