Learn how to fix the most common activation errors of Creative Cloud 2018 and earlier versions.
For Creative Cloud 2019 apps, see Licensing errors | Creative Cloud 2019
| Error code | Error message or issue | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| n/a | “Activation limit reached for [product]. This serial number has already been activated on 2 computers.” OR “Maximum activations exceeded” |
Learn more about the "Activation limit reached" or "Sign-in failed" error. |
| n/a | “I’m unable to sign in to Creative Cloud or launch a Creative Cloud app.” | Ensure that you’re connected to the Internet, and try again. If you receive an error message, find your error and its recommended solution in this table. |
| n/a | “I’m trying to launch a Creative Cloud app, but keep getting prompted to enter a serial number. I thought I didn’t need a serial number for Creative Cloud.” | You don’t need a serial number for the Creative Cloud app. See Troubleshoot when Creative Cloud apps ask for serial number. |
| n/a | “We are unable to activate [product]. Product activation is required to use this product.” OR “Please connect to the Internet and retry.” OR “Either your computer is offline or the clock on your computer is set incorrectly, causing a connection error. An Internet connection is required. Please connect to the Internet or adjust your clock and try again.” |
Ensure that you’re connected to the Internet and your computer's date and time are correct. If this doesn't resolve the issue, see Resolve connection errors to reset your host file. |
| n/a | "Invalid serial number" OR "The serial number you have entered is revoked" OR "The serial number you have entered is invalid" |
If you receive this error message while trying to install Creative Suite 6, the serial number you are using is not valid and has been blocked by Adobe. Adobe blocks serial numbers that are not issued by Adobe or are issued by an unauthorized seller or counterfeit software for fraudulent use. You may only realize that the serial number has been blocked when you try to install or reinstall the software. See Adobe Genuine Software for more information. |
| n/a | You are unable to activate or reinstall legacy Adobe apps such as Photoshop Elements (versions 2018 and earlier), Premiere Elements (versions 2018 and earlier), Captivate (versions 5.5 and 2017), Creative Suite 6, Acrobat 11, eLearning Suite 2.5 and Technical Communications Suite (versions 3.0 and 3.5). |
If you receive this error while activating or reinstalling older non-subscription apps, learn how you can fix issues while activating or reinstalling legacy Adobe apps. |
| 12001 12002 12004 12004 12005 |
“ERROR_INTERNET_<...>” | An Internet connection is not detected. The possible reasons can be:
Check your firewall or proxy settings, and try again. See Resolve connection errors to know more. |
| 194:01 | “Attempting to deactivate an unactivated machine” | You’re trying to deactivate the application, but have not yet activated it. See Activate and deactivate Creative Cloud apps. |
| 194:110 | “Activation failed” | You have already initiated the “Deactivate All” process within the last 72 hours. You can attempt the process again after 72 hours. |
| 194:112 | “Client clock out of sync” | Your computer clock time is incorrect. Set your computer clock to the correct date and time. |
| 208:1 208:2 208:3 |
“Error_NetworkFailure” | An Internet connection is not detected. The possible reasons can be:
Check your firewall or proxy settings, and try again. See Resolve connection errors to know more. |
| 213:5 213:10 |
n/a | You can see these errors due to a read-only SLStore folder. See Configuration error in Adobe Creative Cloud. |