Unable to sign in to earlier versions of Creative Cloud

Last updated on May 28, 2025

Troubleshoot common activation errors when signing in to Creative Cloud 2018 or earlier app versions.

Note

If you are using the current version of Creative Cloud, learn how to fix some common licensing errors for your Creative Cloud apps.

Error code	Error message or issue	Solution
n/a	"Activation limit reached for [product]. This serial number has already been activated on 2 computers." "Maximum activations exceeded."	Learn how to troubleshoot the "Activation limit reached" or "Sign-in failed" error.
n/a	You are unable to sign in to Creative Cloud or launch a Creative Cloud app.	Ensure that you’re connected to the Internet, and try again.
n/a	You are trying to launch a Creative Cloud app, but getting a prompt to enter a serial number.	You don’t need a serial number for the Creative Cloud app. Learn what to do when Creative Cloud apps ask for a serial number.
n/a	"We are unable to activate [product]. Product activation is required to use this product." "Please connect to the Internet and retry." "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 that your computer's date and time are correct. If this doesn't resolve the issue, reset the hosts file on your device.
n/a	"Invalid serial number" "The serial number you have entered is revoked." "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 isn't valid and has been blocked by Adobe. Adobe blocks serial numbers that are not issued by Adobe, issued by an unauthorized seller, or that are 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. For more information, refer to Adobe Genuine Software .
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).	Learn what to do if you receive this error while activating or reinstalling older non-subscription apps.
12001 12002 12004 12004 12005	"ERROR_INTERNET_<...>"	An Internet connection isn't detected. The possible reasons can be: Connection timeouts due to firewall settings. Failure to resolve a hostname due to proxy settings. Fixing network and connectivity issues can easily resolve errors 12001-12005.
194:01	"Attempting to deactivate an unactivated machine"	You’re trying to deactivate the app, but haven't yet activated it. Activate your app to fix error 194:01.
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 isn't detected. The possible reasons can be: Connection timeouts due to firewall settings. Failure to resolve a hostname due to proxy settings. Fixing network and connectivity issues can easily resolve errors 208:1, 208:2, and 208:3.
213:5 213:10	n/a	These errors are caused by a read-only SLStore folder. You can easily fix this error by setting permissions for the SLStore.

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