How to Reinstall Adobe Creative Suite 4

Adobe Creative Suite is a large collection of software developed for creative professionals. It provides tools for graphic design, illustration, motion graphics, web design, video editing and much more, through such popular Adobe programs as Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver and Acrobat. Should you experience problems and need to reinstall the Creative Suite, first remove all existing programs and then run through the full installation process again.

  1. Click the Windows Start button, select “Settings,” and then click “Control Panel.” Locate the “Programs and Features” icon (labeled as “Add/Remove Programs” in Windows XP) and double-click it.
  2. Step 2

    Remove each Creative Suite program by right-clicking its name and selecting “Uninstall/Change.” Follow the on-screen prompts after doing so to complete the removal process.

    Depending on your Creative Suite version, some or all of the following programs will require removal: Acrobat, After Effects, Bridge, Contribute, Device Central, Dreamweaver, Dynamic Link, Encore, Fireworks, Flash, Illustrator, InDesign, OnLocation, Photoshop, Premiere Pro, Soundbooth, Version Cue.

  3. Step 3

    Insert the first Creative Suite installation disc into your drive. Click the “Install” button after the initial setup screen appears to begin the installation process.

  4. Step 4

    Click “Accept” to confirm the product licensing agreement.

  5. Step 5

    Enter your 24-digit product serial number and click “Next.”

  6. Step 6

    Choose your desired language from the corresponding drop-down menu, and then uncheck the box next to the name of any Creative Suite program you do not want to install. Click the “Next” button after confirming your choices.

  7. Step 7

    Click “Next” after confirming the default installation folder location or selecting an alternate location.

  8. Step 8

    Click the “Install” button on the Installation Summary screen after confirming your setup choices to start the installation process. Given the size of the Creative Suite programs, the process can take several hours.

  9. Step 9

    Replace the first installation disc with the second when prompted by the installer. Repeat the process for the third and fourth discs, if your Creative Suite version requires them.

  10. Step 10

    Click the “Finish” button after installation completes to close the installer program.

  11. Step 11

    Open one of the Creative Suite programs you reinstalled. Enter your 24-digit serial number again, click “Next,” and then click the “Activate Now” button. You may also register your program at this point, or choose to do so later. Either way, your Creative Suite programs are now ready to use.