4 Replies Latest reply on Mar 30, 2011 9:51 PM by angelinamarie3

    External Hard Drive Install- Mistake??

    angelinamarie3
    angelinamarie3 Mar 30, 2011 3:17 PM

      I hope this makes sense... I may have made a big mistake installing my Photoshop Elements 8 on my external hard drive. When I received my license activation code, I was at work and wanted to install the software to use at home on my laptop, but my laptop has no hard drive space left for a larger program like this- so I decided to install it on my external drive which has massive space available.

       

      I understand this is not a "portable" program and intended to only use it on my home computer, and also understand that you are allowed 1 install on up to 2 computers with one activation each (from what I have read in other discussions). So when I initially installed the program to the external drive using my computer at work, I understand that it wrote files on the registery for my C drive on my work computer. I opened the program after install and activated it with no problems. When I got home, I wanted to actually try the software out and use it, only to find out it would not open the program on my laptop and told me I needed to restart to fix the problem "Error 6" or contact Adobe if it still would not open after restart. Well... I got nowhere with Adobe support. So I finally re-installed the program using a different file name, installing it once again on my external hard drive due to lack of drive space on my laptop. It was once again activated and it opened and works just fine since I have been using it this past week.

       

      Now the question I have, is have a made a mistake by installing it on my external drive? And by installing it twice, one with a different file name?? Why I worry, is because I want to open the program at work now to do a quick edit (I haven't tried to open it again on my work computer after the first install and activation, I have only been using it at home on my laptop), and I fear that if I open it again using the first install application file I did on my work computer, when I go home and go to open and use the program again using the second install application file on my laptop, I might receive a similar error and not be able to use it at home any longer and then only from my work computer.

       

      So if I have the program installed twice under different file names on my external hard drive, and both my laptop and work computer have files written to the registery to run the program, would if cause problems and cancel out one or the other so it will lead it to no longer work on my laptop by opening it again at work? I have utilized my two installs and activations and do not want to screw it up worse than I already have and not be able to run the program at home, which is my main place of use!

       

      Thanks in advance for any help or info! 

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        • 1. Re: External Hard Drive Install- Mistake??
          Curt Y Level 7
          Curt Y Mar 30, 2011 5:46 PM (in response to angelinamarie3)

          You can install it as many times as you want.  You can only have 2 activated copies at any one time, and you can run PS from only one computer at a time.

           

          Yes it does confuse issuses to have an extrernal drive program and have some files on the C drive.

           

          If you do not intend to run windows at work, I would take in the external dirve, start PS and then deactivate it.  Also, before you get laid off or they transfer you to another computer be sure to deactivate.  You can then install  on another computer.

           

          It is a little strange, and hope it works.

          • 2. Re: External Hard Drive Install- Mistake??
            angelinamarie3 Level 1
            angelinamarie3 Mar 30, 2011 6:02 PM (in response to Curt Y)

            I understand I can install it as many times as I want, but my question is, if there are two different installs on my external drive, one linking to the install done on my work computer and the other linking to the install done on my laptop- if i go to use the program at work using the file linked to that install, will it mess up the second install i did linked to my laptop prohibiting me from using the program on my laptop anymore and running into errors?

             

            I don't know if the registery files are linked in any way between the drive and both computers and don't want to risk having one not work any longer because if I can't get the application to run then I won't have any way of deactivating the license... if that makes any sense? I would prefer to run it on both computers if that is possible without running into the error I did ("Error 6") after the first install and trying to open the program on my laptop. Thats initially why it is installed twice on the external drive with different file names. I'd like to be able to run it at work every now and then in case i need a quit edit or something.

             

            I doesn't so much bother me it is installed twice on  the drive- I can handle that, just don't want to risk creating an error disabling me from using it on the main source at home on the laptop.

            • 3. Re: External Hard Drive Install- Mistake??
              Noel Carboni Level 8
              Noel Carboni Mar 30, 2011 9:37 PM (in response to angelinamarie3)

              Generally speaking, what you've done is kind of atypical.  The software really does want to be installed permanently on each computer.

               

              When you say "it is installed twice on the [external] drive"...  Do you mean it's in two different folders, chosen by you during installation?

               

              If you've kept the two installs completely separated in different folders, and the drive always shows as the same letter each time you plug it in, it's possible it will just work.

               

              You really just need to try it and see.

               

              -Noel

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              • 4. Re: External Hard Drive Install- Mistake??
                angelinamarie3 Level 1
                angelinamarie3 Mar 30, 2011 9:51 PM (in response to Noel Carboni)

                thank you! while i do understand the software wants to be installed on each computer (i COULD have done this at work but i did not read up

                first and realize i had two installs & activations) so i initially installed on the external because i knew my main place of use would be home on my laptop that has NO hard drive space left, exactly why it went on the external, so i could use it at home. i just did not realize it would write files to the C drive of each computer and would have to recognize those from the individual install before i did this, otherwise i would have researched more and installed it at home first, THEN attempted my work computer (which is not priority if it works or not since the company did not pay for it).

                 

                and yes, when i say it is installed twice on the external drive, it is in two seperate folders, one named slightly different.

                 

                so what you said makes perfect sense. i just did not want to open up the program at work again for a quick edit when i don't use it there as my main source, only to get home and try and open the OTHER installation file for the program on my laptop and find an "error" and have it not work, having already used my two activations.

                 

                so i guess now i just want to confirm- if i have two SEPERATE install files both containing seperate applications in those, but both on my external drive; one for my work computer and one for my laptop: if i use it at work again, it will still work with my laptop at home by using the install file linked that that computer, and vice versa without it complicating anything further and running into errors? (oh i hope that makes sense!)