The Only Way to Keep Your Older Versions of Photoshop Alive

As the world seems to be moving away from an ownership model in favor of renting, is it time we start asking ourselves what is and isn't acceptable for photographers?

Most of the things we use daily fall into one of two categories: ownership or rental. While both models come with their advantages and disadvantages, many lean towards ownership as it tends to be more clear what can be expected from such a transaction. With rental, you never truly own what you are renting, and as such, the terms can always be changed by the company. In an example of having the worst of both worlds, computer software you own can still often need to "phone home" and be activated on a server to work. The problem with requiring a server for your program to run is that you are at the mercy of the owner of the server for things to always work. This is exactly where users of Adobe's Creative Suite 2, 3, and 4 find themselves, as Adobe has said the activation servers for those particular versions had to be retired. This means users will no longer be able to use a piece of software they originally paid for if they ever have to reinstall it.

While I appreciate many will say a program that is more than 10 years old has had its day, why should any piece of software that still works suddenly cease to function just because a company no longer wants to run a server? The cynic in me feels like Adobe has no motivation to help this group of users as they have already had their money during the original purchase. There may only be a small group of users holding on to these older versions of Photoshop, but they should still be able to use the program they bought for as long as they want. I have an old laptop with Photoshop CS4 on it, which I very occasionally use when out in the field. This version of the editor is still more than useable for my needs, and it would be a shame to lose it. For those asking why I don't just upgrade that particular computer, my hands are rather tied, as additional hardware and a newer operating system would also need to be installed for the Adobe Suite to work on it. Unfortunately, that machine has already reached its limitations in terms of upgrades. This means if this machine ever needs my version of Photoshop CS4 reinstalled on it, I wouldn't be able to.

So, What Options Are Available for Users of Older Versions of Creative Suite?

If you want to hang onto Creative Suite 2, 3, or 4, the good news is if you already have it working on your machine, you won't have any issues until you need to reinstall it. This means if you decide to wipe your computer, change your operating system, or do a clean install of the software, you will run into trouble as you will no longer be able to access the activation servers that are needed to finish the new installation.  

Plan A: Clone Your Drives

The only real option available to ensure your older version of Photoshop will always work is if you clone the drives you currently have in your machine. This procedure is fairly straightforward and the costs are not too excessive. The cloning of drives is not a bad habit to get into anyway, as it gives you another backup of your precious data. By making copies of your drives while they have functioning versions of your Adobe programs, you'll always have the ability to "rewind" back to that point in time and never need to "phone home" to Adobe. For those unfamiliar with the cloning of drives, this video is a great starting point to familiarize yourself with the process.

Plan B: Try Offline Activation

To give Adobe credit, the company has offered offline activation in the past for users who can't access the Internet on a particular machine. By logging into Adobe on a device that can connect to the Internet, you can fill in a form and generate a response code, which will help you finish the installation process. The big question is if Adobe will still give response codes to users of the older Creative Suite 2, 3, or 4 which they have now retired the activation servers for. I have asked this very question twice to Adobe but have yet to receive an answer. I would personally file this option in the long-shot category, as there's no guarantee this approach currently works and even less chance of it working in several years' time.

So, there you have it: the incredibly limited number of options available to you when it comes to keeping your older versions of Photoshop alive. While I obviously am sympathetic to companies who have to consider the costs involved to indefinitely run close to antiquated servers, no paying customer should ever be left with a piece of functioning software they can no longer use. In the case of Adobe, there must be a cost-effective solution that would allow users of older versions of Creative Suite to keep using them indefinitely. During my time researching this issue, I've not been filled with confidence that a solution is available. If there is one, it isn't being communicated or broadcast clearly and understandably on their site or when reaching out to Adobe direct.

While I do appreciate this matter may not affect many of you currently, I think it's important we are all made aware that certain products you buy can potentially stop working if a company decides to flip a switch. Many may think this instance with Adobe is not even worth talking about, but if we let companies get away with certain practices, they are much more likely to continue down similar paths in the future. It doesn't take the greatest leap of imagination to think where all this could go as more and more products are connected to the internet in some way. One example that springs to mind are the possibility of future camera manufacturers designing into their products a reliance on some kind of "activation server" for their cameras to work. Those camera makers could just as easily decide to close those servers when they deem a camera has got too old. This all may seem a little overdramatic, but planned obsolescence is alive and well and isn't going anywhere. We as consumers need to be alert to these changes and push back where necessary.

Are any of you still using Adobe Creative Suite 2, 3, or 4? How do you feel about Adobe's decision to retire activation servers? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.