Adobe Support??!

Unfortunately I can't get to my workstation right now to give it a go...maybe later tonight or tomorrow...

This is where I can see a person turning to pirated software without any moral or ethical conflicts or dilemmas. You legitimately own the software, but the software company is making it impossible for you to legitimately use it.

Obviously, if you don't own the software legally/legitimately, then not....

Well, like I said, Adobe posted what is possibly the "right way" to go about this, I just can't get to my workstation to try it out. But if that doesn't work I'll definitely be all over support to get 'er done.

You might want to just buy PSE 9 for her for $60 and save the time and anguish (and you might end up paying $50 anyways).
http://www.amazon.com …TF8&qid=1306922​274&sr=1-1

Well, if your daughter is a student, you could get CS5 for less than the upgrade price from CS3........

tonylong wrote in post #12513344
You know, I may see something helpful, the part where it says:

If you installed on more than two computers, start your software on one computer and choose Help > Deactivate

I hadn't considered the possibility that I could get to the Deactivate function on my working computer and that it may give me the ability to deactivate the installation on my non-working computer.

I guess if that will do the job, then maybe I'll just relax and pour myself a nice stiff drink!

I don't want to be the rain cloud on a sunny day, but I don't think that will work. All that will do is limit your abilities with CS3 on your work station. And when you activate a copy on your daughters computer you will be in the same situation you are now with your computer. Unable to activate it again!

I think what they mean is that if "You" had it installed on two computers and both computers are still functioning, and now want to install it on another. They are just saying to turn on one of the two machines that have an active copy installed on and deactivate it. That way you will free up an activation, which I believe is limited 11 times.

If you uninstalled it on one computer and forgot to deactivate it first, you can re-install and then deactivate it. However, since your Vista Computer died you are unable to deactivate it from that machine.

If I am not mistaken when you activate a copy it is activated to the computers serial number or something that allows Adobe to identify what computers you have activated or deactivated it on.

As far as online chat support, I think the online chat issue you're running into is that CS3 has limited or no more support. I use CS5 and when I start browsing around the Support or Contact, I don't even have to ask for a live chat. A pop up window appears asking if I need help with anything and if I would like to live chat now.

I would consider Elie's recommendation.

Well, where things are at now is I am waiting for another callback from Adobe to deactivate the Vista laptop installation and we have Elements 5 installed and running on her XP laptop with Lightroom 1.4.

So, she seems to be happy for now -- she's an unfussy jpeg shooter so doesn't need the latest and greatest. This was all a fun exercise in getting her something that "works" and seems to be working.

S.Horton wrote in post #12512644
Thing is, I was an enterprise customer, and spent many thousands with them on multiple products and it did not matter. I hope things have improved. It was sad to see a formerly outstanding vendor self destruct support.

I had a similar issue. I ordered a couple VL copies of Illustrator and instead of English they sent me French. It took me 5 weeks and about a dozen phone calls & faxes to get THEIR mistake straightened out.

tonylong wrote in post #12516399
Well, where things are at now is I am waiting for another callback from Adobe to deactivate the Vista laptop installation and we have Elements 5 installed and running on her XP laptop with Lightroom 1.4.

So, she seems to be happy for now -- she's an unfussy jpeg shooter so doesn't need the latest and greatest. This was all a fun exercise in getting her something that "works" and seems to be working.

So, you de-activated on your desktop and was able to install and activate on your daughter's laptop? And there's still your non-funcitioning laptop with an activated copy? Is that how you got things working?

Blurr Cube wrote in post #12519152
So, you de-activated on your desktop and was able to install and activate on your daughter's laptop? And there's still your non-funcitioning laptop with an activated copy? Is that how you got things working?

No, my workstation is my main editing machine, with Lightroom 3 and CS3 running full bore. The advice I got is that you can't deactivate a dead machine from a living machine so I didn't try. So she has LR 1.4 and Elements 5 working together well now and she's happy.

One of these days if I get another "serious" laptop I'll have to push Adobe to do the deactivation so I can install CS3 but I'm not gonna fuss with it for now.

jasonlitka wrote in post #12516653
I had a similar issue. I ordered a couple VL copies of Illustrator and instead of English they sent me French. It took me 5 weeks and about a dozen phone calls & faxes to get THEIR mistake straightened out.

They shipped me an epic suite costing $1,900 instead of an upgrade. I was charged for it, too. Took me a month and a half to get that fixed. They also sold me a subscription to a disabled service and never did figure out that they did that.

In the end, I ordered another product from a reseller. They shipped me premium by mistake. I kept it. Small payback for wasting a stunning amount of time.

S.Horton wrote in post #12519470
They shipped me an epic suite costing $1,900 instead of an upgrade. I was charged for it, too. Took me a month and a half to get that fixed. They also sold me a subscription to a disabled service and never did figure out that they did that.

In the end, I ordered another product from a reseller. They shipped me premium by mistake. I kept it. Small payback for wasting a stunning amount of time.

Geeze, Sam, you've got some sordid stories to tell! And these don't even have anything to do with the TF!