Was it a bogus serial number or a bogus issue?

-Noel

Can you deactivate it on the iBook? If so, will it launch on the Macbook Air?

You didn't happen to sell your "older white laptop" with an active version of Photoshop on it, did you?

You didn't happen to sell your "older white laptop" with an active version of Photoshop on it, did you?

Kevin?...

Kevin?

Did you deactivate Photoshop from the machine in the closet before deleting the apps?

-Noel

You have two activations of Photoshop from Adobe when you buy a Photoshop license.

I can't explain why it would fail after weeks of using it on the machine you're calling an "airbook" (isn't the correct term "MacBook Air"?).  No one outside of Adobe can.  The licensing/activation process is a well-guarded secret, for obvious reasons.

Apparently for some reason it tried to re-activate on your MacBook Air, and finding that one activation had been used up on your old closet machine, and the second had already been used up once on the MacBook Air initially, it failed to do so.  You'd think the software would know it's on the same system.  You sure you didn't change anything?

All it's really going to take to get this resolved in the short term is for you to call Adobe, nicely convince them that you're using the product only on one computer (honest), and have them reset the activation count so you can activate it on the MacBook Air and get back to work.

As for why your system should "lose" its activation without your having changed any hardware or reinstalled software, that's a mystery, and in my long years of software engineering experience I've learned that problems that occur without explanation tend to recur, unfortunately.  Thing is, virtually every problem CAN be explained.  There is absolutely nothing magic about the operation of a computer - even an Apple computer.  Often it has something to do with the user, but it could be a software or hardware failure.  Finding the root cause of the problem is imperative, or you'll be back to the same situation again some time.

-Noel

Kevin,

And try deactivating PS on the old iBook. If possible.

While I agree Adobe support and testing is the poorest I have ever had to deal with.. Adobe  Customer Support has always been able and willing to help me with my activation problems. Activation problem are as common as head crashes. In fact all my Activation problems have been caused by head crashes. When you loose your system drive you can not deactivate you activated Photoshop installation so you have to contact Adobe to resolve this problem when you replace your system disk.  Even though you installing on the same machine with a new drive perhaps the same size you can not reactivate the machine Photoshop activation.  The machine serial may be the same however the old activation is gone from the machine but still recorded at Adobe. All I have had to do to to contact Adobe Customer Support and install Photoshop to the point of activation.  Talk to support they then allow an activation for my Photoshop serial they may or may not check to se if it is on the same machine that I stated had the head crash.  I have had this problem twice once with CS3 and once with CS5.  Adobe support had no problem helping me each time and it only took one phone call each time.

You may have a harder time for you changing machines and not reinstalling on the old machine.  If the is the case have them help you install on the old machine. Then deactivate the installation and install on your new machine.

I gave up on Adobe customer support for all things except ordering upgrades and activation problems.  For all other things I use web forums dealing with Adobe support for problems is all but impossible.  I just report problems to the Adobe feedback web site perhaps some will get fixed.  They get many problem reports some are real problems others are not. Few get acknowledged even fewer are listed as being worked on. Go have a look at http://feedback.photoshop.com/photoshop_family/problems/recent

This is an improvement in the past you reported problems and Adobe kept the to themselves which kept the users completely in the dark.

Activation support works don't jinks it. That part works well.......

You are so right.  Being IT Management for 20 years, spending 10's of thousands of dollars, and calling Adobe only 1 time in 20 years, I was dumbfounded by the horrible treatment.  We'll be weaning ourselves away from Adobe products as much as possible.

When computers were mainframes and cost in the millions, IBM had no problem sending out an army of technicians to take care of the problem. Now that most laptops are sub-1000 dollars, tech support is actually a loss that companies tolerate, although some have a paid model.

Adobe has to field calls that they get no profit from, even when the packages are from $400 to $3000. Add to the mix people calling in wanting help with pirated software or wanting some sort of hand-holding and it gets bad.

I have long seen this and I keep away unless it involves activation or some sort sales support.

Adobe products have way better user to user support and large amounts of books and videos by the best pros out there.

Not jumping ship anytime soon.

>>>>>Errors in the web site stopping one from checking on progress through their automated portal. >>>

I ran into this one the other day and discovered that it seems (in my case) to have been due to an inherent problem in Firefox with long Headers.

I used Safari instead and was then able to open the required page on the Site.

Adobe Forums will usually be able to provide help more quickly.

Certainly for me over the years.