Unable to install InDesign CS4

Question

I'm the It person that has to install software for my users and here's today's headscratcher.  My user has InDesign CS2 installed and working on his XP computer.  I try to install InDesign CS4 upgrade and the installer says it can't find the previous version in the standard location.  It's there, I checked.  Anyway, I offer it the serial number that I got off Adobe's own licensing website.  The installer says nope not a valid serial number.  Remember this came from Adobe's own website, but whatever.  I install the demo version, try to license it and it still can't find the working CS2 installation and won't take the CS2 serial number.
So tell me how am I suppose to get CS4 Upgrade to install in this scenerio?

Answer 1

First -- don't even ask.
All the answers are YES.  I have adequate hardware.  Brand new MacBookPro.  Lots of RAM, hard drive space. fast Intel Core Duo.
Have spent the equivalent of, I think, 143 weeks talking to Adobe (a) tech support and (b) customer support folks who all say and do the same thing:
1) Send canned, prepacked responses that ignore your original message
2) Act surprised to learn that the InDesign installer STILL HANGS UP WHILE "CHECKING SYSTEM PROFILE...."
3) Recommend all kinds of bizarre, ridiculous solutions --- implying it's probably the customer's fauilt.
4) Don't speak good English
5) Never  check back to see if the problem is solved or the customer has decided to throw himself (and his adobe software) off a cliff
Personal judgments are totally unfair, of course.   But in the spirit of unfairness, what Adobe provides is  Adobe's unspeakable indefensible handling of this situation in specific -- and customer service in general.
Its customer base is riddled with customers who've paid for and received a NONWORKING product.  A defective product. Period.  If this were a prescription drug or a car, the govt would have ordered recalls by now.
Adobe's labrynthine, convoluted recommended "fixes"  (delete and reinstall all your Adobe products....reinstall your system software .... go stand in the rain and burn incense .... whatever) is like Ford Motor telling the customer:  "Yes, we admit the defect.  But, hey, at least we feel bad about it. Why don't you try selling your car and buying a new one."
Am a syndicated newspaper columnist.  Have already got the draft of a very funny 700-word commentary to distribute about this.  Adobe will hate it. But I'm sure we'll both get over it.
Eeegads.
Dear Adobe:
For the record, only  SOME of the people with the Install/Setup issue (installer freezes at about 90% while checking system profiler) have inadequate hardware. Most have adequate hardware.  We've all  read the bulletins and bulletin boards. So has Adobe.  We know it; Adobe knows it.  Adobe knows it because ALL OF US HAVE SPENT HOURS ON THE PHONE WITH ADOBE ONLY TO CONFIRM THAT (A) OUR HARDWARE IS MORE THAN ADEQUATE AND (B) THEY HAVEN'T A CLUE WHAT WE SHOULD DO.
This is one the largest software makers in the world.  They have enough programmers and engineers on their janitorial staff to fix this...make the nightmare go away.  How?  Produce a NEW installer that is not affected by whatever it is that is affecting the current one!  (I'm a genius, right?)  Or a two-part installer that first scans and fixes the obstacle, THEN installs InDesign. (I'm also flexible)
Adobe's failure to do this -- more than eight months after being made  aware of the problem -- is not one of this company's finer moments.
David Chartrand  My new email is:  [email protected]
journalist
Kansas City
On Sep 21, 2009, at 8:17 AM, Bob Levine wrote:
The simple fix is to read the system requirements before buying software. While some users have gotten CS4 to run, the G4 does not meet the system requirements for InDesign CS4.
You should also take note that Adobe has already announced that future versions will be Intel only.
It's time to consider new hardware.
Bob
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--end--
David Chartrand
913-768-4700 (office)
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