Fixed: Error 150:30 (Adobe CS4 licensing problem) – MAC

92 Replies

The following script will solve the often and randomly occuring problem with Adobe CS4 Mac “licensing for this product has stopped working… Error:150:30”

If this solves your problem (it will!) consider leaving a nice comment.
Maybe you even want to

Copy and paste this to Terminal.app, enter your user password when prompted and follow the instructions on the screen. During this process, as ~40MB Liscense recovery file provided by Adobe will be downloaded, executed and deleted afterwards. Make sure to view and agree with the license agreement for this piece of code before you run the script (chances are it will fail otherwise).

if [ "$(grep -o activate.adobe.com /etc/hosts)" = "activate.adobe.com" ];
then echo "/etc/hosts is already modified"
else
echo "127.0.0.1 activate.adobe.com" >> /etc/hosts
echo "/etc/hosts was successfully modified"
fi
sudo rm -rf "/Library/Application Support/adobe/adobe PCD/cache/cache.db"
sudo rm -rf "/Library/Preferences/FLEXnet Publisher"
say "Now, please wait for the download to finish."
curl -o LicenseRecovery111.dmg http://download.macromedia.com/pub/support/tools/LicenseRecovery111.dmg
sudo hdiutil attach LicenseRecovery111.dmg
sudo python '/Volumes/LicenseRecovery 11.6.1/LicenseRecovery/'LicenseRecover.py
sudo rm -rf ~/AdobeLicensingFilesBackup
sudo hdiutil detach "/Volumes/LicenseRecovery 11.6.1"
sudo rm LicenseRecovery111.dmg
say "Done! now start CS4 and enter your serial"
exit 0

This will perfom the steps suggested by Erik’s Brain and Jake’s Computer Blog. After completing these steps, you will need to re-enter your serial number, and CS4 will work again.

Be aware that this is not a crack! You will need a valid serial number.

If this doesn’t work for you:

  • let me know
  • check if Adobe’s Liscense Recovery tool was updated to a version other than 11.6.1 and  if so, modify this script accordingly, then let me know
  • check if you are using a Mac and if not, follow the advice given here.
  • remember that this is not a crack, you will need a valid serial number

92 thoughts on “Fixed: Error 150:30 (Adobe CS4 licensing problem) – MAC”

  2. Linus Neumann Post author

    Hey, you’re welcome.
    I just enjoyed having a closer look at your nice Website!

    I get about 100 hits per day for this post, but you are the fist one to comment. Would be nice to hear from others, if there are any problems. IF.
    (And if not: I always appreciate the gddmm common courtesy Ignacio showed here…)

    Oh, I forgot to mention in the post: As this uses sudo, you will be prompted for your user password.

    Reply ↓
  8. christoph

    thanks man i tried a lot i think idid uninstall adobe at least 6-7 times and tried additionally other stuff out of other forums….
    you rescued me, working on my portfolio for a deadline being desperately in need for cs4 to work again!!
    cheers

    Reply ↓

  9. Pingback: Looking for a solution for Adobe CS4 “License Expired” Problem

  14. Kees Boelhouwer

    Hi, I came across your website and my problem was solved very easily. Thanks a lot!

    Regards

    Kees

    Reply ↓
  15. Cekay

    I’ve waste hours with wrong solutions for this problem – Millions of Thanks for yours – it works perfect !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Reply ↓
  16. asmithky

    Still works! Mac OS X 10.7.5 and CS4 licensing problem (Error 150:30) and PowerPC/Rosetta launch preference issue solved. I found your site after many frustrating hours with Adobe and Apple forums and was able to gain access to all my CS4 applications again with your script. Many thanks.

    Reply ↓
  19. Brendan VC

    Perfect…Adobe should hire you so you can fix there complex solution posted on their site. The world needs more of you!

    Reply ↓
  20. HHWood

    Thank so much. Adobe was completely unhelpful on this. Couldn’t find anything online that worked… until now! A total lifesaver.

    Reply ↓
  21. Chris

    Thanks a bunch!!! I wasted hours trying to solve this through the adobe site and your fix worked first try. Can’t thank you enough!

    Reply ↓
  22. Jon W.

    Brilliant! Worked perfectly. I learned a ton from your script. Definitely gonna save this one as a great example of some cool cmds for future reference.

    Reply ↓
  23. Eric

    This worked perfectly! It took me less than 10 minutes and all of my expensive applications (Adobe creative suite 4) are running again.
    Thanks a lot,
    Eric

    Reply ↓
  28. alim

    I encountered the error after we had our iMac hard drives swapped out by Apple this weekend. Restored the “image” using Time Machine then launched PS CS4 but it resulted in the 150:30 licensing error. Chatted with Adobe support, but the weekend team was unable to help.

    This fix worked great and helped reset the registration, thank you!!! 🙂

    Reply ↓
  31. Jenni

    THANKS SO MUCH! I had a project I needed to do for my new boss and after 3 days of fighting with installers and licenses, this was the final piece to the puzzle that I needed in order to get this to work.

    Reply ↓
  32. j796r87

    An oldie but a goodie. I just used this to fix CS4 Design Premium after using a Time Machine backup to a brand new Macbook Pro running Mountain Lion and it worked flawlessly! Wish I had done this a few hours ago—don’t waste time with trying to go to Adobe for help.

    Reply ↓
  33. Denise

    Installed an SSD on my MacBookPro, had to restore from a Time Machine backup due to some problems. Used this script to resolve the CS4 licensing error 150:30. Worked great! However, my Acrobat Pro 9 will not accept the serial number. Any suggestions?

    Reply ↓
  34. Fred Burks

    Awesome! I first tried to just past the entire code into the terminal, but that didn’t work. I think pasted each line separately and pressed enter and bingo! My Adobe CS4 and Dreamweaver CS4 are accessable again. Thanks so much!!!

    Reply ↓
  38. Leah

    After my older version Macbook was stolen, I had to restore all of my data/applications onto a new Macbook pro retina. The Adobe software was giving me this error message, and I was unable to re-install the software without a disk drive. This fix worked perfectly. It’s a shame that Adobe doesn’t have better support on their webpage. Thank you so much for posting this 🙂

    Reply ↓
  39. Doug

    2hrs. of scouring the internet, a half-dozen attempts at fixing via Terminal, and this one finally worked. Many thanks.
    CS4 / Macbook Pro (retina) / 10.8.4

    Reply ↓
  40. Julie Frame

    THANK YOU!!! Just replaced a bad hard drive on early 2008 Macbook Pro and used Time Machine to restore. CS4 had given me Licensing error 150:30. It took me a few tries because Adobe’s licensing dmg was confusing and I am not so familiar with using Terminal App.
    I had to run the “sudo python ” command first. This helped me:
    a. Double-click the LicenseRecovery111.dmg
    Note: Leave this window open and proceed to the next step.
    b. open Terminal App.
    c. Type “sudo python “
    Note: There is a space following “python”. Do not press Return.
    d. Drag LicenseRecoveryLauncher.app from the LicenseRecovery111.dmg window onto the Terminal Window and press Return. Note: Make sure that the Terminal window has the command and the path to the APP file. For example: “sudo python /Volumes/LicenseRecovery\ 11.6.1/LicenseRecovery/LicenseRecover.py”
    e. Enter your administrator user name and password when prompted and click OK.
    f. Follow the onscreen instructions.

    At this point I pasted the above script and IT WORKED!!!
    Also, being unfamilar with Terminal, I didn’t realize that the cursor doesn’t flash when asking for my password.

    Thanks again for this fix!

    Reply ↓
  41. Gino Andreozzi

    Thank you so much this helped me get cs4 suite back up and running after purchasing a new imac. Very easy to use terminal command!

    Reply ↓
  42. André Bender

    Thank you very very much!!! I was completly lost, because recovering my OSX reactivated the licence of my DW CS4 which I still need for some older projects. Adobe didn’t help me, you did. Amazing job! Danke vielmals! 🙂

    Reply ↓
  47. Paul

    Wow. Amazing! I have been attempting to fix this for days and none of the solutions worked except for this one! Thank you Linus!

    Cheers,

    Paul

    Reply ↓
  49. Tiphereth

    Thank you so much !

    My Photoshop CS4 work again properly ! I can finally finish my illustration and continue to work for my client !

    Thanks ! 😮

    I will share this with my friends if they have the same problem one day.

    Reply ↓
  52. Peter

    Thank you. It fixed the problem under the latest version of OSX 10.9.3. Now I just need to find my serial number!

    Reply ↓
  53. Jynn

    I have tried about 15 different trouble shooting tips & suggestions on various formus including adobe and mac, to no avail….FINALLY found something that worked. THIS. THANK YOU!!

    Reply ↓
  56. Merry

    The Adobe support/forum instructions for fixing the CS4 license error on 10.9.4 Mavericks did not work, but this did! I’m so glad I found it … thank you SO much! (And thank you for typing out exactly what to paste into Terminal!)

    Reply ↓
  61. m

    genius. Just spent and hour online with Adobe chat. No help. no clear instructions. Bitches just want you to upgrade. Thanks!!!!

    Reply ↓
  65. Jessica

    Wow. I have been struggling with this for SO long after restoring my mac from a time machine backup (my hard drive crashed and had to be replaced). I had tried everything I could find online and had almost given up when I found your solution. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! This worked PERFECTLY. Quick and easy. Thank you so much!!!

    Reply ↓
  69. Stefanie

    Still didn’t work 🙁
    I get the message: The serial number you entered is not valid. Click OK to retry entering the serial number.
    What i did: i copied the serial number from the official mail from Adobe! Getting hopeless here…

    Reply ↓
  70. billinrio

    Worked like magic! None of the many other so-called “solutions” available through web searches had done it for me. Many thanks.

    Reply ↓
  74. Huzefa M Sultan

    WoW !! It’s just fixed for me too. i follow the steps carefully and it worked for me. Actually this is for my office mac we have all the version of adobe application so after we run this above method we had to enter the serial number again for the Adobe CS4, Adobe CS5, Adobe CS5.5 and Adobe CS6. All again i entered.
    So my suggession is if any want to apple the above solution. please keep all the orignal serial number with you and then run the tool.
    All the best !!
    Once again thanks guys…

    Regards,
    Huzefa M Sultan

    Reply ↓
  76. Nicole

    This fixed my problem. Thank you so much! I spent WEEKS searching for the solution to this…weeks!!! 5 minutes on your site gave me a working form of my favorite version of photoshop that I wouldn’t trade for anything. I was so upset when I found that it wouldn’t work on my new macbook which had Mavericks installed. I even made a trip to the Mac store and asked them to help me, only to be given the answer that it couldn’t be installed be it was incompatible. Never say never and never give up! PSE 6 on Mavericks lives afterall.

    Reply ↓
  78. Joseph Burch

    Thanks so Much! After updating my OS and some apps CS4 stopped working. Spent days trying to reboot and tried every other solution for this under the sun, nothing worked.
    This just made my day!
    Thanks Again!

    Reply ↓
  84. spookie

    This worked! Nothing else worked at all and I tried at least 6 different ways with Terminal from different sites, including Adobe. Now if I could only find my serial number, it’s been too many years.

    Reply ↓
  87. Olivier

    Bonjour, je vous remercie de m’avoir aidé à résoudre ce problème. Votre solution marche en un tour de main! Merci!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    MAC OS X 10.10.5 CS4

    Reply ↓
  90. David Minehart

    Upgraded to new Mac Mini after old one died. Rescued most but not all data. Had been running El Capitan, now on Sierra. Photoshop CS4 gave this error. Tried the script, didn’t work for me. Asked for a password after first sudo. I gave my admin password, didn’t work. Here’s the dialog:

    Davids-Mac-mini:~ dminehart$ if [ “$(grep -o activate.adobe.com /etc/hosts)” = “activate.adobe.com” ];
    > then echo “/etc/hosts is already modified”
    > else
    > echo “127.0.0.1 activate.adobe.com” >> /etc/hosts
    > echo “/etc/hosts was successfully modified”
    > fi
    -bash: /etc/hosts: Permission denied
    /etc/hosts was successfully modified
    Davids-Mac-mini:~ dminehart$ sudo rm -rf “/Library/Application Support/adobe/adobe PCD/cache/cache.db”
    Password:
    Sorry, try again.
    Password:
    Sorry, try again.
    Password:
    Davids-Mac-mini:~ dminehart$

    Reply ↓
  91. Randy Vellacott

    Migrated to another MacBook Pro 17″ when my original (2007 model) died for the 3rd time. Now running 10.10.5. Tried your code … got the “Adobe Product – License Agreement” window (an improvement over ERROR” 150:30) … but when “Accepting” the window disappears and Photoshop disappears from the Force Quit Applications window. No license input. Checked LicenseRecovery 11.6.1 was still extant and downloaded it manually to check.

    Terminal dialogue below:

    Continues without stopping past first Password entry and gives “Sorry, try again.” On second Password prompt entering the password takes it back to Terminal prompt. Does not say “Done! now start CS4 and enter your serial”

    Last login: Tue Apr 16 00:43:51 on ttys000
    Randys-MacBook-Pro:~ randyvellacott$ if [ “$(grep -o activate.adobe.com /etc/hosts)” = “activate.adobe.com” ];
    > then echo “/etc/hosts is already modified”
    > else
    > echo “127.0.0.1 activate.adobe.com” >> /etc/hosts
    > echo “/etc/hosts was successfully modified”
    > fi
    -bash: /etc/hosts: Permission denied
    /etc/hosts was successfully modified
    Randys-MacBook-Pro:~ randyvellacott$ sudo rm -rf “/Library/Application Support/adobe/adobe PCD/cache/cache.db”
    Password:
    Sorry, try again.
    Password:
    Randys-MacBook-Pro:~ randyvellacott$

    Reply ↓

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