[VisualDarkness]

I hope it's okay to ask about this here as it's the complete opposite of promoting piracy. Just tell me if it isn't and remember to NEVER buy Adobe products from unauthorized sellers.

Some time ago I had my really stupid moment and bought Lightroom 3 of Ebay, I can't still believe it. Just after installing I just felt that something was wrong and the faked product became evident. I uninstalled, got my money back and got a trial version instead but now to the problem. Even though I tried to search through my computer for files installed that day and deleted them the trial version becomes a pirated version with the same CD-key. I even tried to search through the registry to delete almost everything "lightroom" but I can't seem to find the registry loop the fake one must have created.

Anyone with any ideas how to get rid of it? I guess a clean install of Windows would solve it but I don't have the time nor the patience or experience to format and back-up everything. Adobe ignore me, even though I want to be a customer and sent them reports of the piracy.

Kind regards
VisualDarkness - The Involuntary Pirate

[elho_cid]

I'm about to go through the same process this evening, if I encounter any trouble and will be able to solve tham, I'll let you know how I did it.

[Rense]

Must have to do with some computer register entrance, I guess? Don't know how to remove it though....

[Pontax]

Appzapper for Mac and REVO or Your Uninstaller for Win. Maybe have a look on Softpedia. Appzapper works for me.

Good luck.

[VisualDarkness]

Thanks to all you for trying to help out. elho_cid, feel free to report your results here, it would be appreciated. It's almost scary how good pirates are at their game.

[JohnX]

A suggestion for you. I use Revo Uninstaller. It's really good at getting rid of the rubbish that applications leave behind, even when you use their own installers.

Download and install Revo.

Download and install Lightroom 3.

Use Revo to do a FULL uninstall of LR3.

Load LR3 again.

I've used this simple process a couple of times to get rid of corrupted applications that wouldn't uninstall any other way.

Good luck. Come back and tell us how it went.

[Philoslothical]

You just need to remove the registry keys relating to the program. You also need to be careful not to delete anything else, if you're not familiar with registry editing. A quick search on Google should turn up instructions, now that you have an idea what terms to use.

[VisualDarkness]

I've tried that , and heck even caused a bluescreen, but I can't seem to find the correct one and when searching google I only find solutions for old versions of pirated Lightroom. This 3.6 version seem to be a different hack.

[SOldBear]

Try booting Windows in safe mode (hitting F8) and uninstall the software in safe mode.

I don't know for sure if it solves your problem, but it's so simple you may want to give it a try.

I just ran into a weird case with AVG under Win7: the Windows Control Panel saw it, but couldn't uninstall it; Revo didn't see it at all. Finally uninstalling in safe mode solved the problem.

[amoringello]

You also need to be ware that some fake or pirated software may be causing such horrible removal problems because it could have included a virus or root-kit.
You may want to run a series of anti-malware tools on your machine and see if anything pops up.

For true piece of mind, you are better off reformatting your machine and starting over. (Nuke it from orbit... its the only way to be sure).
Anyone who works in the security penetration industry will likely agree.
Those who work in the anti-malware software industry; symantec, nod32, macafee, etc... or in computer repair shops, will tell you to simply run a scan and you'll be fine.

Just food for thought...

[elho_cid]

If the pirate that tricked you used the original installer from adobe and only provided a fake serial number than the help is easy!

hit in menu: Help -> Lightroom registration

In the dialog window that appears hit back button and you are free to enter the genuine serial number and register with adobe.

If you are not sure the installer executable provided before was allright, you may want to reinstall the lightroom first.
Tweaking the system registry is a dangerous game if you don't know exactly what you do. If you are still unsure, there is probably a hotline for Adobe customers in Sweden too....

[westmill]

its poss it could just be remaing fragments left behind which is sumwat normal. You could try some thing simple like downloading crap cleaner
from filehippo ! A couple of wrong fragments could easily corrupt another copy. Crap cleaner is free and safe and doesnt do a bad job.... take heed folks lol

[Schraubstock]

Hi

Don't know how many days past when you installed the shonky LR. However if it was not too long ago you may be able to use a Restore Point from a date prior that install. Also whenever you load a new program Win creates a Restore Point first. If in luck you maybe in business this way.

Also here is a tip that I have used for many years now and it has saved my bacon umpteen times.

Get a good HDD clone program. I use Acronis, it has never let me down. Get an identical HDD to the original which you will use as a clone. So whenever you load anything on you machine, trial ware, a new program you are not sure of or whatever, clone your master operating disc first, total clone, warts and all. When I do this a run "Cclener" first (Google for it) to clean out crap. Now you have an identical second master disc that you can swap out for the buggered up one as a result of shonky software you have fiddled with. It is a wonderful insurance policy.

When everything is back in working order make a new clone as a standby. In fact I make a clone every 4 weeks to be always at least reasonably up to date. This job is easy if you have an empty bay in your computer, you can install a HDD tray that lets you slip the HDD in and out. You need two of these bays of course.

I know this is not going to help you now, the horse has bolted but consider it for the future. But try the Restore Point if it is not too late.

Greetings

[magkelly]

Go to your start button then up to the search bar, type in regedit and hit enter. Go to HKey Local Machine, Software, Adobe. Under that you should see your registry entries for the fake LR. You might want to also check under HKey Local Machine Current User Software as there are probably Adobe registry entries under that too. Also, last thing, check in your program directory under Common Files and delete anything for LR there, ditto the LR program folder under Adobe in Program Files. Then try reinstalling your legit copy.

It's likely you just missed something in one place or the other. The keys are often stored with user settings in the registry and in the common files etc. If you miss one thing, it sticks in there. I personally don't like those remover applications very much. Quite frequently they tend to mess up other applications by taking out files they need.

FYI, I've seen all sorts of Adobe in school, legit and pirated. I used to watch them tech their machines in the lab and also I've done my share of teching here for people, removing viri and such. I've never seen a virus in the program but it's pretty well known that most of the key generators pirates post online come with nasties. That I have seen and that's where they tend to snag people, not with the program so likely if you didn't have to use one you aren't infected but scan just in case, with Malwarebytes or something decent, not just a regular anti-virus program. Your regular anti-virus program may not even catch a root kit if there is one.

If all you did was put in a fake serial code I'm surprised it even worked actually. Adobe's forced online activation bit has gotten really, really draconian the past few versions. It usually takes a lot more than a simple code to be able to activate a fake copy online these days. The program will phone home and deactivate too so whoever your Ebay seller was he was stupid for going there. It might have worked for a few months maybe but sooner or later Adobe would have realized and you'd have been deactivated...

You've got to be pretty dim to be selling pirated software on Ebay actually or CL either for that matter. Talk about asking to be busted. The Feds are all over those places. This guys sells enough copies they'll be on him like flies on a dead carcass...

[Tom Woj]

If re-instaling a legit version still isnt working, and you've deleted any reg keys you can find etc, it could be this:

Go to explorer, type C:\Windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts in the address bar. It'll ask you what to open it with, choose notepad.

If there is a line in that file such as 127.0.0.1 activate.adobe.com or similar, delete it, and save.

Install lightroom, and hopefully that'll be it.

This is for windows though, no idea about mac, and if you screw something up it's not my fault! :P

EDIT: Incase you're wondering what that file has to do with anything, it's a way that you can redirect outgoing internet traffic/addresses back to somewhere else. the IP address 127.0.0.1 is a local address which will always point to the computer you are using (loopback). It has nothing to do with the internet as such. Before any connections are made to the internet/network, windows will take a look at the hosts file to see if it needs to be re-routed. In this case, when adobe/lightroom wants to go to activate.adobe.com to activate, it will be stopped from doing so. Instead it'll just link back to your computer, and the crack will trick the copy protection into thinking it's made the right connection, and activate.