Photoshop CS3 beta (#3): Serial number rejection (cont.); Possible solution for CS2/CS3 launching discrepancies; more

Serial number rejection (cont.) We continue to report on some frustrating serial number rejection issues with the Adobe Photoshop CS3 beta.

One point of contention is with regard to site licenses -- both corporate and academic. It appears that once one user under the site license has activated a the Photoshop CS2 serial number (shared between all users under the site license), subsequent users are obviated from doing so.

As described by MacFixIt reader Michael: "I work for a advertising agency in London and we have a site license that is covered with a world wide serial number. All our agencies in the world use the same key. The number has already been used and so I can not get a CS3 license. Hopefully Adobe can sort this out."

Joy Denton adds: "There are many users on our campus at University of Michigan who have attempted to obtain the Beta with this result. It's really disturbing since these users are trying to be legal. I'm sure there are ways for people to obtain this item illegally and that's what's really annoying. Just because one's license happens to be a site license, this should not work against them. You'd think Adobe would want to encourage users to test this product on all sorts of Apple hardware. What better place than a university where there is a broad assortment of hardware and environments in which to test their product?"

Meanwhile, we've received new word from an Adobe spokesperson that the product team "continues to address the issues with the serial numbers."

Possible solution for CS2/CS3 launching discrepancies We previously reported on an issue where after installing the Photoshop CS3 beta, all Photoshop documents (regardless of which version created them) open, by default, in Photoshop CS3. Some users have reported that even after switching the "Open With" option for specific files (accessible by selecting a document(s) in the Finder and pressing Command-I or selecting "Get Info" from the file menu then using the "Open With" drop-down menu) back to Photoshop CS2, the documents still open in CS3.

This problem also manifests when opening images from the Bridge.

Adobe has now posted a potential solution for this issue in its Adobe Photoshop CS3 beta FAQ that involves deleting the following directories:

• /Library/Application Support/Adobe/Launch/photoshop/10.0/
• /Library/Application Support/Adobe/Launch/bridge/2.0

When the beta expires One MacFixIt reader reports that he has found an internal expiry date for the Photoshop CS3 beta: May 4th, 2007.

MacFixIt reader Mike van Duffelen writes: "As a Graphic system Specialist, it is my job to test and break apart every new application that crosses my desk. Adobe Photoshop CS3 beta (build 12082006.1251) will expire May 4.07 at 24hrs."

Feedback? Late-breakers@macfixit.com.

Previous coverage:

• Photoshop CS3 beta (#2): causes CS2 file opening issues; problems installing, fix; serial number issues (cont.); more
• Adobe Photoshop CS3 public beta released: CS2 serial numbers being rejected

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