I need to recover a copy of Photoshop CS3

Dear Mac Forum Community,

Help!! I had to do a factory clean install on my Mac Desktop which is coming on 7 years old and running system 10.7.5.
We didn't back up the programs. I am desperate to reinstall Photoshop CS3 and (Illustrator).

I only have the Photoshop 5.5 which needs the classic environment so Im stuck - all my programs are too old to run in this operating system. Adobe only has cloud. I paid for these programs and would like to go back to the last version I was running. These older discs won't install here so I can't even download the patches to get to CS3 for both Illustrator and Photoshop.

Don't know if Softonic or some other site is reliable to download from. I don't wont system problems.
Hope someone can guide me.
Thanks
Barbara

Welcome to our forums.

That's the hazards of not backing up and having an older machine. There are less expensive and better alternatives to CS3 but the problem is they won't run in Lion (10.7.5).

Perhaps you can roll your Mac desktop (iMac, Mac Mini ??) back to Snow Leopard (10.6.8) which will allow you to install your older programs. If you do not have a Snow Leopard DVD, you can purchase one from Apple on line for $19.99.

We also strongly advise you to stay away from Softonic or any site that may advertise those programs. Most of those sites are infested with Malware.

Avoid CNET, Softonic and anything pirate whatsoever.

I hope this is what you are looking for, http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/adobe-ftp-site-full-of-their-software/. It is an article with a link to Adobe's FTP archive. You should be able to find the dmg file for Photoshop CS3. You will need your product codes for both versions of Photoshop (5.5 & CS3) and Illustrator.

If you purchased CS3...then as member ferrarr mentioned...you should have the product keys or license numbers to re-enter after install.

btanzman said:

These older discs won't install here...

Click to expand...

If you have the original CS3 disks...why won't they install? Even if you have a Macintosh computer without an optical drive...you can purchase an external optical drive for CD/DVD use.

- Nick

not very good with technical stuff - I own the Photoshop 5

pigoo3 said:

If you purchased CS3...then as member ferrarr mentioned...you should have the product keys or license numbers to re-enter after install.



If you have the original CS3 disks...why won't they install? Even if you have a Macintosh computer without an optical drive...you can purchase an external optical drive for CD/DVD use.

- Nick

Click to expand...

Hi Nick - I've never even done a forum before I hope I did this correctly....( although I can edit images well. )
However - I have the original purchased Photoshop 5 with serial numbers and I seem to have some disc...probably gotten through an old job that shut down that says on CD Photoshop 5.5 (not an original copy) and it as a unique serial number marked with a black marker. I don't remember where I got that one. But I had bought the Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop and it's upgrades since 1994. I can't remember how I set up this computer 7 years ago when i got it.
the system does say Mac OS Lion 10.7.5 - I am bummed out. Someone was selling a used copy on ebay of Photoshop CS3 - he answered my email...I asked if I could return it if it didn't work...I didn't hear back yet...and i don't want to introduce any potential new problems..what do you think.

thank you for your time.

Dear Friends - I've never even done a forum before I hope I did this correctly....( although I can edit images well. )
However - I have the original purchased Photoshop 5 with serial numbers and I seem to have some disc...probably gotten through an old job that shut down that says on CD Photoshop 5.5 (not an original copy) and it as a unique serial number marked with a black marker. I don't remember where I got that one. But I had bought the Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop and it's upgrades since 1994. I can't remember how I set up this computer 7 years ago when i got it.
the system does say Mac OS Lion 10.7.5 - I am bummed out. Someone was selling a used copy on ebay of Photoshop CS3 - he answered my email...I asked if I could return it if it didn't work...I didn't hear back yet...and i don't want to introduce any potential new problems..what do you think.

thank you for your time.

Hi Bob,
But don't I have to install the 5.5 first?? - My computer would let me install 5.5 it says it need to be back in Classic Mode. I did this so long ago I don't remeber how it was done??
Can I use the serial numbers from 5.5 just so it allows the dmg download (would that be the full release of PS 3.3? I called Adobe but they wont help. I know I goofed about backup - I now have an external drive doing the Time Machine.

btanzman, there may be two options for you. First, the original purchased PS 5 with serials should install. The with the blackmarker on it is a pirate copy and should not be installed. Adobe will detect the illicit copy and not let it run. Once the originals are installed, you can update to the latest updates of PS5. Additionally, Adobe should have a record of your original activation of PS5, so if you contact them about it, they should be able to assist you in getting that legal copy installed, if you have problems. Adobe's registration process requires a deactivation and reactivation process, so you may have to call them anyway if you reinstall the PS5 and it was previously activated and now would be activated again. I went through this with them a couple of years ago and they were pretty good about it all.

EDIT: You posted while I was typing, so i'll respond to the comment you made about Adobe not helping. Ask for help in reinstalling the legal copy you have, not the pirated copy. That is probably what they reacted to. But if you have a legal copy, with serial, and can convince them you are the purchaser of that legal copy, they should help reinstalling it.

I only have the product code for PS 5.5
- I don't really understand the site...??? is there any danger of Malware on these downloads?
Thanks "ferrarr" dont mean to be so lame here. but im only an end user..not very technical

Hi MacInWin,
I did call Adobe and they told me they no longer can support me on this problem. I think they only want to sell the cloud products. It pissed me off because I paid for these discs and upgrades until what I can tell is mu PS 5.5 and the Illustrator 10. PS is what I need more.
Do you speak on the phone....? I don't know the proper protocall for these forums....?When I tried to install the Original 5 disc it said it needs the classic environment!!???
- confused?
Do you see this as I type??

I only got some guy in India saying there is no more support other than new services

No, I don't see it as you type, but I (and everyone who has commented in this thread) get an email when someone comments after I've posted something.

At this point I don't know what else to tell you. When I called Adobe, I was careful to call during work hours in California and got a "local" guy who helped me with a restoration of my system. This was right after they went to the subscription mode, so maybe things have changed now.

Good luck with it. Make good backups and avoid this next time.

My discs are photoshop 5 with the serial numbers but when I go to install it said that it need the classic environment and won't install on my system running Lion 10.7.5 - I guess the classic is the older OS??
I honestly can't remember how it eventually was running CS3 - free patches?? friends discs??? But the original discs were mine...I have Illustrator 10 also. Same problem. Even my Microsoft office 98 won't install.
Any thoughts - miserable without any programs : (

I will for the future but it's all cloud...
I will try to call them again during Cal times and see what happens. If you know anyone reliable who has old discs and think they'd work with this OS - i would be willing to buy them.
thanks for your help

I wasn't sure if it worked like instant messaging....

btanzman said:

I honestly can't remember how it eventually was running CS3 - free patches?? friends discs??? But the original discs were mine...

Click to expand...

The Adobe Creative Suite of programs started with CS1...then CS2...then CS3...etc. If you were running CS3...then you either:

- Purchased CS3 itelf straightup.
- Purchased CS1 or CS2...and purchased an upgrade to CS3.
- Or you never actually purchased any Adobe CS product and got it from someone or somewhere else.

* If you purchased an Adobe CS3...then you have the disks and the associated serial number(s)...and reinstalling would not be an issue.
* If you never purchased an Adobe CS product...and got it from a freind or an employer. Then you need to purchase an Adobe Creative Suite product.

Here's actually an Adobe web page that has the .dmg installers available for download (convenient if the original install disks cannort be found). If CS3 was purchased...then the original serial numbers are also needed.

https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-suite/kb/cs3-product-downloads.html

Finally. Adobe CS3 is an older product. And when release it was compatible with OS 10.4 and 10.5. It is probably also compatible with 10.6 (with Rosetta installed). Rosetta is an app that allows older programs to run on Intel Macintosh computers.

https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-suite/kb/system-requirements-design-standard.html

HTH,

- Nick

p.s. I've read the whole thread over again. And it's not clear to me exactly what OS version this computer was running when it was last able to run CS3 sucessfully. Please clarify.

I believe, when you download the Photoshop CS 3 dmg file from the ftp server, you will be able to click on it to install. It will ask for your CS 3 code, and confirm it is an update code, then it will ask for the older version code that it was upgraded from (your 5.5 code).