Having problems uninstalling and running Photoshop CS3

LS
Posted By
Lynley_Stanley
Sep 10, 2008
Views
877
Replies
17
Status
Closed
I downloaded the trial for Adobe Photoshop CS3 and it has now expired. I tried to uninstall it but it does nothing. It will not come off my computer. If I try to open it, it tells me
The licensing subsystem has failed catastrophically. You must reinstall or call customer support. I tried redownloading and reinstalling it but it still does the same thing and customer support after waiting on hold for 10 minutes for someone to answer, just sent me here.
How do I get rid of this program???

Also now that this is there, I can’t run my CS2. It tells me my settings have changed and I need to reactivate but it won’t let me reactivate apparently I guess it’s been activated too many times (the first computer I had it on crashed and so I had to reinstall it on this computer I am using now) So now because of whatever is wrong with this CS3 I can never again use my CS2. I don’t want to repurchase it, what do I do??
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JT
John_T_Smith
Sep 10, 2008
after waiting on hold for 10 minutes for someone to answer, just sent me here

Whoever sent you here, doesn’t know his/her job very well

This is a USER TO USER forum, not Adobe support

Some ideas… and if these don’t work, you really need to call Adobe again and ask for a supervisor… sending you to ask questions of other users is really not a good thing for Adobe to do

Clean Script to Remove Adobe CS3 (read carefully)
<http://www.adobe.com/support/contact/cs3clean.html>

Windows Installer Cleanup Utility
<http://support.microsoft.com/KB/290301>

Also read here for CCleaner to remove applications
<http://windowssecrets.com/comp/080424>
LS
Lynley_Stanley
Sep 10, 2008
Thats what I thought too but she gave me the address adobe.com/support/forums and told me to click on my program and that was that.
I called again, waited on hold again forever to get someone, and they just told me to email support and someone would get back with me.
Some customer service!
T
try67
Sep 10, 2008
Adobe doesn’t offer any support for trial versions. They usually either direct people to the forums or to the CS3Clean tool, which is what you should use. Since you don’t own Photoshop CS3 you’re not entitled to any support for it (unlike CS2, which they should have helped you with).
RK
Rob_Keijzer
Sep 10, 2008
Adobe doesn’t offer any support for trial versions

It wasn’t a quest for support for a trial version, it was about "unscrewing" a computer.

Rob
LS
Lynley_Stanley
Sep 10, 2008
Exactly. Why would I want to purchase it from them if their stupid trial won’t even work right and they won’t help me. It’s taking up a huge ammount of space on my computer for no reason and I just want to get rid of it. Especially when the error message says to contact customer support.
I looked at the directions for the clean tool. The second step is to click on the Uninstall in the control panel which of course is what I’ve tried and it does absolutely nothing.
I just tried the clean up, went to run it and all it does is give me an error "CS3Clean.exe has stopped working" and just closes. Funny that my computer and everything else on it works fine except for anything having to do with this program!
F
Freeagent
Sep 10, 2008
The CS2 activation should be easily fixed by calling. They’ll just give you a new activation code (but be polite. The person you’re talking to is not to blame for this…)

As for the CS3 trial, try this:

< http://kb.adobe.com/selfservice/viewContent.do?externalId=kb 401528&sliceId=2>

I don’t know if it will work on an expired trial, but I suspect this is at the heart of the problem. Worth a shot.
LS
Lynley_Stanley
Sep 10, 2008
I can’t get that to install. It downloaded but I can’t run it.
TS
thomas_scott_roberts
Sep 12, 2008
I have the 30 day trial version of Photoshop CS3 on my iMac. Can I make changes to the basic settings of the trial version? I had opened the history window and closed the navigator window, and I had added some colors to the swatches. This morning I had to do a forced restart due to what Apple calls a kernel panic. When I reopened Photoshop, I had to go through the registrations windows again, and when the clipboard was fully back, it had reverted to the original settings.
Of course, Adobe refuses to answer a simple question on the phone if it’s about the trial version. Seems as if the internet is slowly killing the concept of being ‘customer FRIENDLY’.
All I want is an answer to the question: can I make changes to the settings of the trial version?
T
try67
Sep 12, 2008
Yes, the trial version is exactly identical to the full version in its functionality. What happened is probably that during the crash all the preferences were deleted.
LS
Lynley_Stanley
Sep 12, 2008
There was no crash, my computer hasn’t had any problems. I was able to get my CS2 running by uninstalling it completely and reinstalling it. I just still can’t get rid of CS3.
T
try67
Sep 12, 2008
Lynley Stanley, I was replying to the last post in this thread, the one by thomas scott roberts. Sorry if it wasn’t clear.

As for you, you should really try the CS3Clean tool (see post #1).
TS
thomas_scott_roberts
Sep 13, 2008
So perhaps that had nothing to do with the kernel panic. It made me feel pretty cautious, though. Yet it leaves me not knowing what did cause it!
I am interested in buying the program at the end of the trial, so working healthily, and showing what it can do for me is the biggest convincer.
LS
Lynley_Stanley
Sep 13, 2008
I did try the clean up tool. See post #5. Thanks though. And sorry, for some reason I didn’t see that post you were replying to when I replied to yours.
C
catlady
Oct 2, 2008
Yes, I have the same problem, I cannot (this is the 3rd time I’ve tried to post this message) uninstall nor continue installing. Something went wrong in the installation and now I’m stuck and have to call for a company IT person. I have a purchased copy and have the license.
FF
Fahlym_Fahyr_O_Munde
Oct 8, 2008
Having problems uninstalling and running Photoshop CS3 Lynley Stanley – 10:28am Sep 10, 2008 Pacific I downloaded the trial for Adobe Photoshop CS3 and it has now expired. I tried to uninstall it but it does nothing. It will not come off my computer. If I try to open it, it tells me the licensing subsystem has failed catastrophically. You must reinstall or call customer support. I tried redownloading and reinstalling it but it still does the same thing and customer support after waiting on hold for 10 minutes for someone to answer, just sent me here. How do I get rid of this program??? Also now that this is there, I can’t run my CS2. It tells me my settings have changed and I need to reactivate but it won’t let me reactivate apparently I guess it’s been activated too many times (the first computer I had it on crashed and so I had to reinstall it on this computer I am using now) So now because of whatever is wrong with this CS3 I can never again use my CS2. I don’t want to repurchase it, what do I do??

* ************************************************************ *********

In reference to Lynley Stanley, I too am having the exact problem. I downloaded as for my class of Animation and Visual Effects at the Academy of Art University while waiting for my software to come in the mail from Academic Superstore. I am so frustrated about this that such an issue has caused so much madness. In the process of trying to remove Adobe Photoshop CS3 from my Windows Vista I was searching for info on how to uninstall as I was in a hurry to uninstall the program because my 4th week into class started using the program as students are expected to follow along having their own for assignments. Well, now I’m behind and I don’t want to fail because of something that is causing the problem as I’d like to call intentional. In the process of trying to figure a way to uninstall fast as not to fall behind and fail in class I downloaded Perfect Uninstaller but I don’t know how it will work. Now in reference of trying to quickly uninstall just to keep up with class, that will not be possible, so now I had to take time to look online knowing I’m falling more and more behind because of this difficult matter I finally found this and hopefully I’ll be going somewhere as to have the problem correct. Alright, now I’m going to try with what has been listed. Thank you for the Info. 🙂
JT
John_T_Smith
Oct 8, 2008
Clean Script to Remove Adobe CS3 (read carefully)
<http://www.adobe.com/support/contact/cs3clean.html>

Also read here for CCleaner to remove applications
<http://windowssecrets.com/comp/080424>

And Windows Installer Cleanup Utility
<http://support.microsoft.com/KB/290301>
FF
Fahlym_Fahyr_O_Munde
Oct 9, 2008
In reference to John T. Smith – 3:24pm Oct,8,08 PST (#16 of 16)

Well, I got as far as what you had listed 1st (http://www.adobe.com/support/contact/cs3clean.html). While I was navigating through I proceeded to Instruction #2 as Instruction #1 was what I had tried multiple occasions having no response or activity. In instruction #2 while following with the given procedures the next step I took was to download Microsoft Windows Installer CleanUp Utility from (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/290301). After reading through, I directly proceeded onward to click on "Download the Windows Installer Cleanup Utility package now". I clicked on run from the Open File – Securtiy Warning pop up window asking Do you want to run this file? After clicking on run the Windows Script Host pop up window appeared with the following:

Script:
C:/Users/Owner/AppData/Local/Temp/IXP000.TMP/StartMsi.vbs Line: 17
Char: 1
Error: Permission denied
Code: 800A0046
Source: Microsoft VBScript runtime error

I’m exactly sure where to proceed next but I’m trying on anything that will work.

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