Free CS2 Premium Plus Suite from Adobe

b318isp

Alanstrainor wrote: »

Aye, I assumed as much, but had a hope in my heart! Ah well! Cheers for the response, much appreciated.

If you have a Canon, use the DPP software bundled with the camera - it is very good. Convert to TIFF (for top quality) or JPG for final processing in photoshop.

Brian_Zeluz

Help, I'm trying to install 'Creative Suite 2' but my computer keeps asking me to install disk 2 when I'm running the adobe installer. I have followed the instructions by installing disc 2, 3 and the extras number 1 first and then opening disk 1 but this hasn't worked.

BaconZombie

Adobe almost does something amazing by accident

Unfortunately, it appears that Adobe wasn't really intending to give out CS2 for everyone. Shortly after news of the apparently free software spread across Twitter on Monday, the download page became unavailable, producing an error instead. Subsequent blog and forum posts indicate that this wasn't an inspired decision to liberate an obsolete but still useful application after all. It was something between a mistake, an error of judgement, and a misunderstanding.

CS2 used a product activation scheme to control licensing. When you install the software, it interrogates an Internet server to ensure that the license key you entered is acceptable. In December, Adobe retired the activation servers used by CS2. This posed a problem for CS2's licensed users, because without the activation servers, they can no longer reinstall the software.

To help these people out, Adobe offered versions of CS2 that didn't need activation. Mere entry of the serial numbers that Adobe put on the download page would suffice. The company says that although it looks like it was giving the software away for free, it in fact wasn't. It was just trying to assist its customers. Adobe says in order to legally use CS2, users still require a purchased license.

http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2013/01/adobe-almost-does-something-amazing-by-accident/

Amalgam

Brian_Zeluz wrote: »

Help, I'm trying to install 'Creative Suite 2' but my computer keeps asking me to install disk 2 when I'm running the adobe installer. I have followed the instructions by installing disc 2, 3 and the extras number 1 first and then opening disk 1 but this hasn't worked.

I ran into the exact same problem. The cure:

Do the following:

01. Run/extract CreativeSuiteCS2Disc2.exe

(default extracted location: C:\Creative Suite)

02. Run/extract CreativeSuiteCS2Disc3.exe

(default extracted location: C:\Creative Suite CS2)

03. Copy and paste contents of C:\Creative Suite

to: C:\Creative Suite CS2

04. Run/extract CreativeSuiteCS2Disc1.exe

This will extract to the proper default location: C:\Creative Suite CS2
and start the installation of Creative Suite CS2.

You should not be prompted for CD2, as you will have placed the files in the correct location.

Adyx

Adyx wrote: »

Anyone got Premier Pro working on 64bit Win7 or 8? I just about get the splash screen but that's it. Compatibility options were no use.

Any luck?

I'm the same (64 bit Win7).

Adyx

Deleted User wrote: »

Any luck?

I'm the same (64 bit Win7).

No, everything else is working fine but nothing I've tried has worked on Premier Pro.

sarkozy

So, basically, they're making this available for free for some reason, but it's also illegal to use if you haven't bought it? I'm wondering if my company might be interested in having the programs on standby.

Fysh

sarkozy wrote: »

So, basically, they're making this available for free for some reason, but it's also illegal to use if you haven't bought it? I'm wondering if my company might be interested in having the programs on standby.

They have provided activation-free installers for use by anyone who holds a valid licence, since the shutdown of the activation servers would otherwise prevent licence holders reinstalling their software.

They have not changed the licence terms - so while you may have a software installer that will work, you will not have a valid licence.

In a work context, this is the sort of thing that, if found during a software audit, could get you into a rather large amount of trouble. If you think you've got a requirement for the software for work purposes, purchase licences allowing you to use it.

sarkozy

What's a software audit and when and how do they happen?

Fysh

sarkozy wrote: »

What's a software audit and when and how do they happen?

A software audit is when someone reviews the software used by your company and compares this to the licences held by the company to ensure that they are in compliance with licence requirements and the law. Organisations like the BSA exist to help software copyright owners enforce their licencing schemes.

TL,DR: You can technically download & install the software, but you won't have a licence if you do so; thus, if you choose to do this at a place of work you open your firm up to legal action from Adobe or their reps for copyright infringement. Which will almost definitely cost you more than just buying the software, if you think there's any reason you'd actually need it.