Adobe CS3 Error: Licensing For This Product Has Stopped Working
Licensing for this product has stopped working. You cannot use this product at this time. You must repair the problem by uninstalling and then reinstalling this product or contacting your IT administrator or Adobe customer support for help.
This error is not just limited to InDesign but can happen with any of your CS3 products. Adobe has a tech document on the issue but we disagree with their order of the troubleshooting steps. This error occurs because of a corruption in the licensing software. Every time you start a CS3 product (Well, not LiveCycle for some reason) your system pings Adobe’s servers. You have to give Adobe a buzz every time you want to launch your software and ask for permission (”phoning home”). This is why having an internet connection is a system requirement. We don’t really like this style of verifying software, but what can you do.
The licensing information can become corrupted in a variety of ways but if it’s never worked in the first place then you’re dealing with an install issue and the following steps probably won’t work.
Windows Fix for: Licensing for this product has stopped working
1. Go to C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\FLEXnet and locate adobe_00080000_tsf.data (it will probably be the only file in that folder)
2. Move adobe_00080000_tsf.data to a new location. It doesn’t matter where you move it to, just make sure it’s not at C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\FLEXnet. We recommend a cut and paste to C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data
3. Start InDesign.
If that doesn’t work try deleting you Adobe Cache Database files. Only do this if you have your full serial number available!
1. Go to C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Adobe PCD\cache and locate Cache.db. It should be the only file there. You should rename or delete this file.
We recommend a rename since that way you aren’t getting rid of data. For files like this Adobe programs recreate them if they are not correctly named in the correct location. If it’s deleted or renamed it’s seen as missing and is then recreated. It is recreated without your serial number though so you will have to reenter it upon launching your program.
One of those two fixes should resolve the issue, if not try our Licensing Subsystem has Failed Catastrophically document.
Happy InDesigning.
August 15th, 2007 at 2:29 am
After trying the above suggestions with no success, I stumbled on the following fix.
Under services, in the administrative tools section of Control panel, I noticed that the FLEXnet service was STOPPED…
I restarted the FLEXnet service and everything was fine…
(the FLEXnet service sends the licensing info to adobe to permit cs3 to work).
Hope this helps others in the same boat.
Jerry
August 15th, 2007 at 1:10 pm
Thanks Jerry! -
We were unaware of this simple fix. I’m sure some of the people finding this post will find that useful.
August 18th, 2007 at 6:45 am
Worked like a charm. Went to services.msc and for some reason, Flexnet was disabled. Thanks Jerry.
August 21st, 2007 at 4:52 pm
[…] Windows fix click here. addthis_url = […]
August 26th, 2007 at 7:36 pm
I had the same problem as described. I tried both of the above solutions and neither worked. What happens is you either had a product installed and removed and on uninstall some of the files werent completely removed so …on re-install , some files dont get installed correctly. If the directions above dont fix your problem, try this. I’m almost certain it will work for you . Download Win CS3 cleaning utility here:
http://www.adobe.com/support/contact/cs3clean.html
Once downloaded you may have to also install Windows installer Cleanup Utility here:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/290301
Together the programs will delete all files and folders from your computer.
In order for this to work right. You must first . Uninstall any CS3 programs manually through Add/remove programs in control panel. After manually removing there will be left over content on your computer, the two downloads above will remove those and you’re free to re-install your cs3 programs. *NOTE: YOU HAVE TO HAVE YOUR ORIGINAL SERIAL NUMBER AFTER YOU REINSTALL
December 16th, 2007 at 9:29 pm
Hi there
i am desperate, have the same problem, OS is windows Vista (unfortunately). Cannot find flexnet folder etc..
Anyone?
December 21st, 2007 at 2:32 pm
Hello folks,
Thank you for posting this information. It really helped me out and made sense of the fact that CS3 inexplicably stopped working. On Windows Vista, you can find the FLEXnet folder in the ProgramData folder on the ‘C’ drive (or on whatever drive it is that you installed Windows). For example:
C:\ProgramData\FLEXnet.
Hope this helps : )
December 29th, 2007 at 12:33 am
the only problem i’m having is that if flexnet licensing “phones home” and i get photoshop to work doesn’t that mean that adobe knows your using a bootleg version of their software. or having a keygen and activation code gets rid of all that problem? i got the master suite to work but i’m trying to figure out how to disable flexnet without having problem starting out pscs3 but no luck i have to enable flexnet everytime. just worried about this.
December 29th, 2007 at 12:36 am
by the way is it okay to update the product but not register. cause i did and it worked. but now i disabled the #ID_string, version cue. on startup
January 12th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
I have the problem that was mentioned at the top of the page. I have tried everything! I have searched for the flexnet folder I cannot find it, the only time I ever see something called flexnet is when I go to the Administrative Tools/Service/Flexnet Licensing… and when I go to
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Macrovision Shared\FLEXnet Publisher
Inside the Publisher I don’t have another Flexnet Folder. What else should I know?
January 26th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
Привет! Спасибо автору за статью! Мне очень помогло, я долго имел эту проблему.
January 26th, 2008 at 2:43 pm
Hi! big thanks to author for this artikle! It’s very help me! I have this problem a very long time.
February 19th, 2008 at 6:58 pm
It’s quite simple to solve this problem.
Start -> Run (or Win + R)
Type “services.msc”
Locate in the list “FLEXnet Licensing Service”
Start it/Run it. Or, if it is deactivated, right-click, propriety, Choose “Automatic” on Inicialization and now you can Start it/Run it.
It’s Done! Just start your adobe program! ;D
March 22nd, 2008 at 6:47 pm
Hi,
A big thank you to Jamie (aug 26 2007) for posting his suggestion for using cs3 and windows cleaning utilities as that worked for me for this very frustrating problem thats had me pulling my hair out for hours.
Cheers
Tony
April 10th, 2008 at 4:09 am
Thanks for the suggestions. I had this happen suddenly after working all day in Flash CS3. I have CS3 installed on Windows Vista Ultimate(32) and had to go as far as renaming the cache.db.
Thanks again!
May 10th, 2008 at 7:38 pm
Tried Jerry Katz solution above and it workded. Takes less than a minute to fix! Thanks! Under services, in the administrative tools section of Control panel, I noticed that the FLEXnet service was STOPPED…
I restarted the FLEXnet service and everything was fine…
(the FLEXnet service sends the licensing info to adobe to permit cs3 to work).
May 11th, 2008 at 10:45 pm
I don’t even have the FLEXnet Service under services?! WHAT DO I DO?!?!?!?
May 14th, 2008 at 6:49 am
Hi, I am having the same problem but in Mac Leopard. I don’t have the original serial key with me. Any body has any suggestion? Thanks a lot.
May 21st, 2008 at 8:12 pm
I made the mistake of not researching the error and uninstalled as the error had prompted. Now it won’t let me reinstall. I get this error: ! Some problems occurred during installation. Please see below. (Summary below) Successfully installed: shared components & adobe acrobat 8, errors: everything else. Please help.
My PC runs on Windows Vista.
May 22nd, 2008 at 8:49 pm
Thanks to Jamie. I followed your instructions and it worked perfectly!
May 23rd, 2008 at 8:42 pm
I have the same problem as Christopher. My FLEXnet is no lunger uder my services. Is there a way to re-install Flexnet. It used to be there before I did my system recovery. Now Cs3 programs won’t work anymore
May 26th, 2008 at 6:46 pm
Thanks for this article. I just wasted a full bank holiday weekend doing all the uninstall/clean/re-install stuff that Adobe recommend with no success at all.
Found your article, moved one file in ProgramData\FLEXnet, and everything worked again. Why don’t Adobe just tell you this?
May 30th, 2008 at 3:54 am
Just wanted to THANK YOU for this!! I went straight to the Adobe site which was of NO HELP! But this article has got everything back into working order.
June 2nd, 2008 at 3:28 am
For Windows Vista users, you need to simply removed the cache file. Which would be located similar to: C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Adobe PCD
June 3rd, 2008 at 7:48 am
Thanks so much, after trying to fix this problem for the last 2 hours deleting the cache file and re-entering my serial number worked a charm! I still can’t believe that CS3 has this bug!!! What a pain!
June 3rd, 2008 at 7:04 pm
None of these wonderful solutions worked but after I went Rambo on my computer, by deleting EVERYTHING that had Adobe in the name. I used the CS3 Clean on a LEVEL 3. Level 3 is not even listed in the ReadMe text. So i reinstalled and launched Ps CS3 and I got the damn error. Found THIS site, that had most if not all the solutions in one spot, and tried everyone tell and it worked for me.
1.Normal run-Error
2.Move adobe_00080000_tsf.data-Error again
3.Delete Cache.db-Error (now im pissed)
4.Set FLEXnet Licensing to Auto + Start-Success
Thats my story with motha F**Kin’CS3
PS. Thank you everyone who helped solve MANY MANY peoples problem.
June 4th, 2008 at 9:40 pm
Thanks so much, you saved me a lot of time
June 20th, 2008 at 4:24 am
I tried both the solutions at the same time so am not sure which one solved my problem but I am truly grateful. I had tried about 6 other suggestions from other sites. Only took me about five hours to get to the right solutlion.(Ha Ha)
Kind regards and thanks so much.
Theresa
July 1st, 2008 at 3:24 am
I am having the same issues with Adobe CS3 and licensing. It seems to be intermittent. It started after I upgraded to Leopard. Can someone give me the steps to correct this in a mac with leopard?
July 1st, 2008 at 7:31 pm
Hi, i don’t have the file “adobe_00080000_tsf.data” in the FLEXnet folder, actually i don’t have any file in there.. all i can get is the file “cache.db” file in the cache folder, i manually started the FLEXnet licensing service but the product has not been run even for the first time but the installation has completed successfully with no errors.. I tried to do all of the steps in the Adobe Knowledge Base page and this page is not helping me because i don’t have any file in the FLEXnet folder.. What can i do???????????? Thanks In advanced.
July 1st, 2008 at 7:53 pm
I get it!!! all you have to do is find the file “C:\Program Files\Common Files\Macrovision Shared\FLEXnet Publisher\FNPLicensingService.exe” and replace it with the version older then 1.4 or 1.5 (must be 1.3.X.X), Someone have this version to upload for me??? tnx.
July 6th, 2008 at 6:43 am
I did all the required instructions and still my photoshop isn’t working.
July 6th, 2008 at 6:48 am
I also don’t have flexnet under services.msc
July 6th, 2008 at 5:01 pm
wtf was this, spent hours on this. adobe site sucked, renaming cache worked perfectly thanks!!!
July 7th, 2008 at 11:18 pm
I tried the first two steps, didn’t work. Then saw the first comment about the flexnet service and sure enough it was disabled. Restarted it and then Photoshop asked me for a product code again, but rather than re-enter it I thought “thank goodness I moved the first files mentioned rather than deleting them”. After putting the originals back in place the problem was solved!
thanks to jerry for that very simple solution!
July 11th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
This worked for me, thanks. Adobe’s help page was no good at all.
July 14th, 2008 at 7:36 am
Thank Jamie, Your solution is the best one
July 14th, 2008 at 7:49 am
For those who cannot find FLEXnet under services of administrative tools, Jamie’s method ( Number 5 - above ) will work best for you. It worked for me after days of research.
July 14th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
renaming the cache.db did the job for me!
July 15th, 2008 at 3:51 am
Deleting the cache working instantly for me. All my CS3 program weren’t working prior to that, but all are opening since.
FLEXnet was set to manual, so I’ve changed to automatic too.
July 22nd, 2008 at 5:16 pm
For those of you who are on Mac OSX. I was able to fix the problem by simply running Disk Utility and fixing permissions. All the other options, including deleting the Flexnet files and PCD files did not work for me. After, the permissions were fixed and I launched a CS3 app it just asked me to verify the serial number and I was off to the races. Hope this helps.
David Richter
Richter Studios
www.richterstudios.com
July 27th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
Thanks guys. The second solution renaming the database worked perfect for me
August 3rd, 2008 at 5:46 pm
I Have Possibly Tried Every Available Help.
I’m Really Starting To Get Annoyed!!!!!!
I Usually Use Firework But When It Started Coming Up With The Licensing Error I Switched To Photoshop And Now That’s Doing It!!!
Adobe Are The Worst People For Help.
I’m Uninstalling Photoshop Now, Then Re-Installing It.
Any Ideas On What To Do Next?
August 5th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
Thanks! Renaming cache.db and re-entering registration number worked for me.
August 11th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
I tried solving this problem for more than an hour, tried ALL the tips, but none of it worked (Including those from the Adobe website) - I was so desperate I was about to uninstall.
What I did wrong is I MOVED instead deleted/renamed “cache.db”. Adobe suggested renaming the folder, but did NOT work for me. Note that you will need your s/n, so make sure it’s handy.
August 13th, 2008 at 4:48 am
I had this issue just now but the resolution was rather different. I was just doing some upgrades to my pc (some new quieter fans, nothing major) and afterwards i get this error. I looked through all the posts, tried everything, nothing worked. then I notice one of my drive letters isn’t there. So long story short, i accidentally removed an SATA cable while installing the fan and the drive I unplugged happened to be my swap drive as well as the drive used by various cs3 programs for temp storage. I suspect the temporary lack of swap file may have led to this. so for those of you in this situation, check that too
August 17th, 2008 at 12:25 am
i don’t have a file adobe_00080000_tsf.data. i restarted flexnet. i deleted cache. it still doesn’t work. i’m gonna go kill myself now.
September 2nd, 2008 at 1:41 pm
I had the same issue but had it with Device Central. None of the instructions above or at the Adobe site worked for me. I downloaded a patch however which solved the problem for me:
http://www.adobe.com/support/devicecentral/downloads.html
September 3rd, 2008 at 10:10 pm
Haha… Thanks a lot.. Fixed the problem.. This is a bloody relief for me. Even i could find the solution on the adobe’s site.But this worked.
Thanks agian.