How to Activate My Photoshop

Among Adobe Photoshop software users, piracy is rampant. An informal, ongoing poll begun in 2008 by Epic Edits, an online community of photographers, reveals that 63 percent of more than 1,400 respondents use unauthorized copies of Photoshop to edit their digital photographs. To combat piracy, Adobe began requiring "activation" of the software. Adobe Photoshop CS3 and earlier versions require activation, while Adobe Photoshop CS4 activates automatically after installation.

Instructions

1. Locate your Adobe Photoshop serial number. Installation requires a valid serial number.

2. Install Photoshop, following the on-screen instructions and entering your serial number when prompted. The installer will automatically display the Activate screen.

3. Click the "Activate Now" button at the bottom of the Activate screen. The installer displays a progress bar during the activation process. When activation is complete, it will display "Activation Successful."

Tips & Warnings

• If you did not activate Photoshop when you installed it, choose "Activate" from the Help menu to initiate activation.

• If you have trouble activating Photoshop over the Internet, you can activate by phone. The number is [phone].

• If you previously activated your Photoshop software and the activation stops working, you must call Adobe Customer Service to have the activation repaired. The number is [phone].

• The Adobe Photoshop license allows you to install and activate Photoshop on two computers.

• When you activate your Photoshop software, Adobe records your computer's IP address.

References

• Adobe Systems Inc.: Adobe Software Activation
• Epic Edits: Are You a Photoshop Pirate?

Resources

• Adobe Systems Inc.: Product Activation for CS3, Acrobat 8 or Older Versions of Adobe Software