You can encounter an error when installing or launching an Adobe Creative Suite product. After entering your serial number, you see this message on the Enter Serial Number Upgrade screen: “This serial number is not for a qualifying product. Please try another.”
The Enter Serial Number Upgrade screen accepts only a valid serial number for a previous version. The upgrade verification workflow accepts most of the available upgrade paths. To check whether you purchased a valid upgrade, see Upgrade and upsell paths for single-user CS6 point products and suites.
Important: Upgrade and upsell serial numbers don't have the same qualifying products on the Enter Serial Number Upgrade screen.
If you do not qualify for the upgrade, you can determine whether you qualify for a product return. Return policies and procedures vary by region. For return instructions, see one of the following documents on the Adobe website:
You can view the products that you registered under this Adobe ID. If you registered another product under a different ID, that product doesn't appear under this Adobe ID.
Contact Adobe Support. Adobe Support can search the Customer Management System for additional Adobe IDs and registrations. After verifying your identity, support agents can provide serial number information.
The Enter Serial Number Upgrade screen accepts only the serial number of a previous version of the product that you are currently installing. The title bar displays the name of that product. The field accepts the following serial number entries:
Important: Acrobat 9, Adobe Premiere Pro CS4, and After Effects CS4 do not use the same verification methods that other Creative Suite 5 products use. Search the Adobe Knowledgebase for documentation about those products.
The Enter Serial Number Upgrade screen appears only if the installer can't locate a previous qualifying version on your computer. To continue with the installation, either enter a valid serial number for a previous version or obtain assistance from Adobe.
If you can't resolve the issue, chat with an Adobe Support agent to obtain assistance with upgrade verification. Adobe Support uses a process called unlocking to bypass the Enter Serial Number Upgrade screen.
Important: Adobe Support cannot unlock your serial number until they verify that you qualify for the upgrade. When you contact Adobe Support, be at your computer to complete the following upgrade verification workflow.
Verify that you qualify for the upgrade. See Upgrade and upsell paths for single-user CS6 point products and suites.
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