Nicholas DeSciose

Get with it, get Photoshop CS6 or even better subscribe to Photoshop CC. You obviously have the time to learn the changes. And the power and control you will have will absolutely amaze you It’s really fun

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

Wow, that is a bit old. I've used Ps CS3, CS4, CS5 at school and still use CS6 at home. If you can find a used copy of CS6 as a DVD-ROM it will run fine with Windows 7, 8.1, and 10. The basic interface for Adobe Ps CS3 thru CS6 is similar so you'd be able to learn it with little trouble with some WEB searches and YouTube videos. I use my Ps CS6 Extended daily. At least the Extended version came on a DVD-ROM, not sure about the regular or lower version, might be a CD-ROM. You might call Adobe, I've heard of them giving old versions free on occasion. Do you have a way to prove you owned a licensed copy? Do you have your old computer still? Good luck.

Fotoartist Loc: Detroit, Michigan

I've taught Photoshop for many many years. I remember CS2. It was not a good version in my opinion. CS3 was much better, one of my favorites. CS4 was not a big improvement over CS3. CS5 was very good, however. And CS6 was super, the king of non-subscription versions. Just some thoughts to keep in mind if you ever have the opportunity to secure an older version.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Always good advice. I keep software codes and licensing information, and installer copies, in a locked fireproof file cabinet with other most-important goodies.

These days, you may buy software online. You HAVE to have your Adobe ID and password and all licensing information to activate, deactivate, and download their software. I keep that secure, also.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

If you want an inexpensive alternative to Photoshop, spend $25 on Affinity Photo from Serif. It is a very powerful photo editor that is very easy to learn and to use. It has won acclaim from dozens and dozens of review sites. An earlier version was Apple's Application of the Year in 2015. Now there are Mac, Windows, and iPad compatible versions.

https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/photo/?mc=AFFPPC01

Scroll ALL THE WAY to the bottom for the free trial copies (Mac/Windows/iPad compatible versions)

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Beyond MacOS 10.14.6, 32-bit programs do not work. That said, a Mac running MacOS 10.15 can run the latest version of Parallels Desktop PC emulation software, AND run earlier versions of Windows OR MacOS simultaneously, so 32-bit software will work. https://www.parallels.com/products/desktop/

It does take a lot of hardware to run smoothly, but given the resources, the experience is insanely great.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

If you registered the software with Adobe (and would have had to create an account there to do so), you can log on, find your license key there and should be able to download and reinstall the program. I think most legacy Adobe software remains available that way (not sure about CS2... that's a lot older than anything I have registered and am using now).

If you don't find it, there's a free program called Belarc Adviser.... if I recall correctly... it may be "Advisor"... that will search your computer and report license keys to you (which you should then copy to a txt file to keep safely somewhere in your documents).

But you will still need a copy of the original program to reinstall.

Your"new laptop" may have a newer operating systems that's not compatible with and able to run an older version of PS like CS2. I forget which version, but some years ago I bought a new camera... Then found I needed a whole new version of PS to work with it. And then, when I went to update the software, I found I needed a new operating system, faster processor and more memory to run it! So I ended up building a new computer with new OS and the new software! THAT turned out to be one of my more expensive "camera upgrades"!

If you can't use PS CS2 (2005), you might want to consider Photoshop Elements 2020. It's probably able to do most... maybe all that an old version of PS can do. (If wanted, there's also "Elements Plus" available, that extends it's capabilities.) Elements it low costs, easier to learn and use, and able to do most image editing that photographers need. Pros might need some of the commercial application features of PS... Advanced amateurs might want it for other reasons. But I bet an awful lot of photographers actually would find Elements does all they need done. While a lot is different between Elements and Photoshop, there are some Adobe "themes" that run through them, so Elements may have a somewhat familiar "feel".

RMM Loc: Suburban New York

A new computer almost certainly won't run CS2. I agree with burkphoto, Affinity Photo is currently selling at 50 percent off. It's similar to Photoshop, with similar capabilities. There are differences in how it works, but there are lots of video tutorials. I still use Photoshop CS5 most of the time, but that's because I've been using Photoshop for decades and am so used to it. I have been moving slowly towards Affinity Photo because I know that one of these days, CS5 is going to stop working on whatever I'm running on, and Adobe is just too costly.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

"I think most legacy Adobe software remains available that way..."

Not so much after last year. The was a lawsuit over old codecs, licensing fees, etc. Adobe was forced to stop providing installation files for old stuff.

jleber

I have Photoshop CS2 but I find a current version of GIMP does a much better job at almost everything. GIMP is free.

Gallimaufry Loc: Denver, CO

Lenny, I had a similar problem about a year ago regarding Photoshop elements (PSE). The difference is that PSE is still definetely available.

That aside, I found Adobe's number (probably through their website either under support or a contact us link). They were able to give me a new license key. Now I don't know if they have a link to the cs2 software, but it's worth a try.

I don't like the subscription service model either, but that is what Adobe is doing now. But you can try.

If adobe is of no help you might try seeing if you can buy a copy of cs2 on ebay or amazon. Yes, there are risks of getting crap or garbage, but if you're dead set against new software, that may be your only option. Oh, yes, one other thing: if you are on facebook (or know someone who is), you might go into facebook and see if there is a cs2 facebook group. Maybe someone there (if there is a there there) has a copy he/she can get to you. At least for PSE you can use the same software on two machines, so if someone on facebook is using it only one, she/he may be willing to help.

Dennis833 Loc: Australia

I agree with RMM. I use XnView to view and select my images. I have XnView set up so that I can open images in PS CS5.5 by pressing the number 1 key and number 2 will open images in Affinity Photo.

drrobins Loc: San Francisco East Bay (Walnut Creek)

Just a note about still having the software and the license key:
I have my Photoshop CS3 disk and the original license key. A couple years back when reinstalling, that original license key would not work because Adobe’s verification server no longer worked. Adobe sent me a new license key that did not need the online server verification.
Well, a few weeks ago I thought I needed to reinstall again due to weird editing issues. To my surprise, the new license code would not work. Turns out that recently Abobe has finally made CS3 “extinct“ and is not allowing reinstalls, period.
Fortunately I was able to resurrect it from my TimeMachine backup, after fixing an obscure accessory file problem buried in the Library.
I am most upset that software that I legally own cannot be reinstalled just because Adobe chooses to obsolete it (and push you into the subscription CC plan).

smf85 Loc: Freeport, IL

I have a copies of CS1 & CS2 complete with license keys. Won’t work without license server though.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

It’s all about intellectual property rights. Adobe licensed certain sub-systems from third parties. They no longer have the rights to authorize YOU to use those subroutines. So they quit allowing new and re- installations. They don’t like being sued.

The Software’s EULA (end user license agreement — that thing no one reads, that you have to agree to before you can install software — explains the third party licensing. It also says a lot of other things you really should know about your software!