While you're hopefully not finding this out the hard way, you need a serial number if you plan on reinstalling your Adobe CS suite or a component of that suite.
Dec 15, 2018 hi I have a students version of CS5.5 Adobe Creative Suite which requires a serial number again to activate (which we didn't write down the first time). If CS5 wasn't previously installed, it would prompt for the CS5 serial number as well. Unless you bought a volume license for your organization and the vendor still has records of your purchase and serial number(s), since you didn't register with Adobe and their was no Adobe ID, there isn't much Adobe can assist you with.
Adobe requires a unique product key during installation or setup won't be able to continue. Depending on the version of Adobe CS we're talking about, you may get a 30 or 90-day trial, but that's certainly not what you paid for originally.
Fortunately, so long as your Adobe CS program or suite of programs is still installed on your working computer, you might be in luck.
Find the Serial Numbers to Adobe CS Programs
A key finder program is the quickest, and overall the easiest, way to figure out what serial number was used to install your copy of Adobe CS or one of the member programs.
We've compiled an extensive list of free key finder programs for a number of completely free tools that will do all the hard work for you, surfacing the Adobe CS serial number you need so you can reinstall your copy of Adobe CS6 Master Collection or Adobe Photoshop CS5, etc.
We highly recommend working your way from the top to the bottom in that list of recommended key finders. Unfortunately, considering the long history of Adobe CS programs, one of those key finder tools may find the serial for one CS version, while another may find a different if you've had multiple versions of CS.
Will a Key Finder Tool Find the Serial Number for Any Adobe CS Program?
As mentioned above, the answer to this question is yes and no. One of our favorite serial number finder tools is Belarc Advisor, and we rarely come across a program that it won't find the serial number or product key for.
This program has a particularly strong track-record with digging up the serial numbers used for Adobe CS programs.
Specifically, we'd expect Belarc Advisor, and better keyfinder tools in our list, to find the serial numbers for both the suites and/or the individual programs for Adobe CS6, Adobe CS5, Adobe CS4, and Adobe CS3.
That includes the serial numbers for Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Dreamweaver, Flash, Premiere Pro, After Effects, Audition, and all those other wonderful Adobe design and production tools.
Other Ways of Finding a Lost Adobe CS Serial Number
There are other ways to find a lost serial number, but be sure to give the keyfinder method a try first. Some of those programs will find the serial number for your Adobe CS products without you even having to install the tool. Those are portable programs that you can even run from places like a CD or flash drive — we mention which are made that way in our reviews.
To the question, however, yes — Adobe stores their CS serial numbers in the Windows Registry, inside a particular registry key. Unfortunately, that key contains your Adobe CS serial number in an encrypted format, meaning it's useless without some complex decrypting.
If a keyfinder tool is just out of the question, we recommend contacting Adobe directly. Your best bet is to start with their tutorial on how to find your serial number.
Adobe CS Serial Number Generators
Honestly, you might be able to generate a working free Adobe CS serial number using one of those serial number generators that are out there.
There are many different kinds that seem to work just fine for lots of Adobe products. Some will create a free product key and others will pair a key with a hacked DLL file, usually amtlib.dll, that lets you convert a trial version to a full version for free.
Unfortunately, as appealing as that may be, these programs are often full of malware, and the Adobe CS serials they create are not legalsince they weren't actually purchased. Under no circumstances should you go this route!
The only legal method you have at your disposal, assuming you don't want to or can't use one of the find-it methods we've mentioned above, is to buy a brand new copy of Adobe CS.
Learn to activate or deactivate Adobe applications.
Activation validates your software license to prevent fraud and abuse of Adobe products and services. The activation process sends information to Adobe at various times, such as at download, installation, uninstallation, serialization, launch, and during update checks for Adobe software. Adobe may also use this information to provide you with license renewal options and to help us understand how you use our products.
Note:
Activation stores information about your license in encoded form on the system hard drive of your computer. Application versions prior to Creative Cloud 2019 store this information in a shared Adobe directory. Applications version Creative Cloud 2019 or later store this information in per-user OS secure storage using credential entries whose names start with Adobe at the following locations:
- macOS: Login keychain
- Windows: Credential Manager
Deactivation disconnects an application from a valid user license. Once deactivated, you can reactivate at any time, if you choose. You do not need to uninstall an application from your computer to deactivate it. Uninstalling an application does not necessarily deactivate its license.
A single license for Adobe software lets you install an application on two computers—for example, at home and in the office. If you want to install the software on a third computer, first you must deactivate one installation of the application. Here’s how.
Note:
Deactivation removes any information about your license (see above) stored on your computer.
- Make sure your computer is connected to the internet.
- Open the application you want to activate or deactivate.
- Find the app or suite in the table below, and then use the Help menu command provided to activate or deactivate your app.
Note:
You can also deactivate your account from Adobe.com.
Product | Help menu command to activate | Help menu command to deactivate | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Creative Cloud app versions Creative Cloud 2019 and later | Help > Sign In | Help > Sign Out (your Adobe ID) | For instructions, see Activate and deactivate Creative Cloud apps. For issues, see Licensing errors | Creative Cloud 2019. |
Creative Cloud app versions Creative Cloud 2018 and prior | Help > Sign In | Help > Sign Out (your Adobe ID) | For instructions, see Activate and deactivate Creative Cloud apps. For issues, see Troubleshoot Creative Cloud activation errors. |
Acrobat DC | Help > Sign In | Help > Sign Out(your Adobe ID) | For instructions, see Activate and deactivate Creative Cloud apps. For issues, see Troubleshoot Creative Cloud activation errors. |
Acrobat XI, X | Help > Activate | Help > Deactivate* | Adobe Acrobat XI and X activate automatically as soon as the software detects an internet connection. To activate Acrobat manually, use the Activate command. For issues, see Activation and deactivation troubleshooting. |
Creative Suite 6 | Help > Activate | Help > Deactivate* | Activate your software within the first seven days of use. For issues, see Activation and deactivation troubleshooting. |
Creative Suite 5 | Help > Activate | Help > Deactivate* | Creative Suite 5 apps activate automatically as soon as the software detects an internet connection, or the software prompts you to activate it during installation. For issues, see Activation and deactivation troubleshooting. |
Creative Suite 2 & 3 Acrobat 7, 8, & 3D Audition 3 | N/A | N/A | Our aging activation servers for earlier versions of Acrobat and Creative Suite (CS) applications had to be retired. Without the activation servers, these applications display an activation or connection error when trying to verify a license. To install a version that doesn't require activation, see either Error: 'Activation Server Unavailable' | CS2, Acrobat 7, Audition 3 or Activation or connection error | CS3, Acrobat 8. |
FrameMaker RoboHelp TCS | Help > Sign In | Help > Sign Out | The product activates once you start it for the first time after entering the serial number. For help finding the serial number, see Find your serial number or redemption code. |
Photoshop Elements Premiere Elements | Help > Sign In | Help > Sign Out | The product activates once you start it for the first time after entering the serial number. For help finding the serial number, see Find your serial number or redemption code. |
Flash Player Acrobat Reader Shockwave Player | N/A | N/A | You don’t need to activate these products. |
* Choose one of the following options to deactivate Acrobat XI, X, Creative Suite 6, and Creative Suite 5:
|
Find your serial number or redeem your redemption code
Some products require you to enter your serial number before you can start using your product. If your product came with a redemption code, you use it to obtain your serial number.
- For information in finding the serial number, see Find your serial number.
- For information on using a redemption code, see Redemption code help.
Note:
Creative Cloud apps do not require serial numbers. If you are asked to enter a serial number when you start a Creative Cloud app, it is an error. See Troubleshoot when Creative Cloud apps ask for serial number for information to resolve the issue.
You can install and activate your individual app on up to two computers or devices, but you can use it on only one at a time. See On how many computers can I use my subscription or app?
If you want to install your product on a new computer, you need to first deactivate it on one of the computers. Once deactivated, you can then install the product on your new computer.
If the computer on which you installed the product is no longer available, contact us to update the activation information in the system. Once the information is removed, you can install the product on a new computer.
Adobe Cs5 Activation Key Tool
Running into a problem? See Troubleshoot Creative Cloud activation errors.
The following types of information may be sent to Adobe during activation:
- Unique IDs (generated by Adobe) specific to your machine and to the license you have purchased for the software. These IDs cannot be used to locate your machine or identify you personally.
- Your Adobe ID, if you have logged in to Adobe as part of the installation, update, or use of the Adobe software. The Adobe ID personally identifies you, and links to all information that you have provided to Adobe while creating or using your Adobe account. If you or your company uses an administrator or other authorized party for the foregoing, Adobe may also receive the Adobe ID of that party.
Adobe Cs5 Product Key
- Serial numbers associated with the installed product licenses
- Product name and version number; license type purchased
- Version of End-User License Agreement associated with the software
- The number of times you have launched an Adobe application since the last activation, for each application that is associated with the product license
- Operating system type and version
- Locale (language dialect and writing system) in use
- Local machine time (including time zone)
- Machine name
- MAC address
The IP address assigned to you by your Internet service provider is received by Adobe as part of the process of sending the activation data to Adobe.
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