Bullets 'n' Babes

For using Adobe CS4, I need to block all internet access from Adobe to my PC. A blog with info about CS says I need to install Zone Alarm as my firewall....

Anyway, I tried installing ZA, and it kept bringing up a conflict with Vector Monitor or something (no idea what that is), so I de-installed ZA again.

Can I use the standard Vista Firewall to block specific Adobe connections!?

Yes you can, and you can also block known adobe activation sites by adding them to the hosts file with the 127.0.0.1 loopback.

IronMonkey wrote:Yes you can, and you can also block known adobe activation sites by adding them to the hosts file with the 127.0.0.1 loopback.

Is that the thing in system 32>drivers>etc>notes!?
I just changed that log. Was a bit of a bitch to get auth.
That's a huge negative for Windows Vista: I'm the ONLY user for this PC and still I have to do all kinds of extra shit to change stuff as an 'admin'.

Goddammit! Still didn't work. When I start Adobe it says I have 21 days left for my evaluation, and asks for a serial again...

Extremely annoying security, made extra annoying by having to click 2-3 times ever damn time you want to alter something.

Adobe motherfuckers.

Go to C:\Windows\System 32\drivers\etc\ and open "hosts" with Notepad.

Add the following lines to the bottom of the file:

127.0.0.1 activate.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 practivate.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 ereg.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 activate.wip3.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wip3.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 3dns-3.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 3dns-2.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 adobe-dns.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 adobe-dns-2.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 adobe-dns-3.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 ereg.wip3.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 activate-sea.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip60.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 activate-sjc0.adobe.com

Save the file to your Desktop, then close Notepad. Drag this new "hosts" file into the same folder you opened the old one in, and when it asks to overwrite tell it you want to.

The hosts file basically translates between domain names and IP addresses. You can manually edit them. Its great for setting up local networks, as you can set names for your PCs in order to ping them using names instead of IP addresses.

For example:

192.168.0.100 server

I have added this line into my hosts file, so if I need to ping it or identify it for any other reason, I just use the name rather than the IP.

Just add that block of domains and install Adobe CS4. You won't have any problems because the 127.0.0.1 address is your own system's loopback address, so the traffic gets redirected to your PC, rather than Adobe's servers.

What Firewall do you historically use or do you rely on the router's firewall? You can probably control things the same way with this, although it would possibly be more complicated.

Personally I'd stay clear of ZoneAlarm. It's so intrusive and over the top, especially if you have a router. I ran ZoneAlarm Internet Security (Anti-Malware too) for 10 months and got so fed up with it. I ditched it (and the 2 month of license) and went elsewhere. Sure if you configure ZoneAlarm properly it's powerful but IMO it's way too complicated and like I said intrusive.

Remember Vista's firewall by default only blocks incoming traffic and on XP it only blocks incoming period. The outgoing firewall is somewhat complicated to use (it has to be done manually). I read in W7 they've suped up the firewall again, so hopefully finally incoming and outgoing are automated (other than the initial prompt of course).

Yi-Long wrote:That's a huge negative for Windows Vista: I'm the ONLY user for this PC and still I have to do all kinds of extra shit to change stuff as an 'admin'.

No it's a huge positive. It's always been bad practise to run as Admin 24/7, this makes Vista significantly more secure and why much Malware is categorised at a lower level on Vista than XP. I use TweakUAC to elevate the prompts for me but leave UAC on (very bad idea to turn it off).

It's in:

C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc

And called:

hosts

I'd make a backup of it first.

Personally I'd do as IM says and also block the relevant "activation" EXEs in whatever Firewall you choose to use. Although blocking them may prevent it from working, instead of IMs approach where it thinks it's working but actually isn't.

Yi-Long wrote:Goddammit! Still didn't work. When I start Adobe it says I have 21 days left for my evaluation, and asks for a serial again...

I can sort it for you but its probably best to take it to PM.

Thanks guys. I'll take a closer look at it later on monday or tuesday (depending on my mood), cause I'll hopefully be turning in early tonight and I'm probably away all day tomorrow.

Add the following lines to the bottom of the file:

127.0.0.1 activate.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 practivate.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 ereg.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 activate.wip3.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wip3.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 3dns-3.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 3dns-2.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 adobe-dns.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 adobe-dns-2.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 adobe-dns-3.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 ereg.wip3.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 activate-sea.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 wwis-dubc1-vip60.adobe.com
127.0.0.1 activate-sjc0.adobe.com

Yeah, I already did that when I managed to change it (it was on mininova.org), but like I said, it didn't change anything with my photoshop....

I might just go back to an older version of Photoshop, but I wanted to see if I could get the latest versions to work.

Quick update. Maybe found a new way to take care of Adobe's protection, on the piratebay. Haven't tried it yet cause like I said, I'm trying to get to bed early (and screwing around on the computer with stuff that frustrates me, will keep me irritated and awake for half the night...), but hopefully monday I will finally get everything to work.

Gawd what a hassle. I just want all this shit to work properly so I can do some stuff.
I should take up fingerpainting.

Bad Adobe for trying to "make you pay" .

Especially given how much money they're losing (i.e - considering how much it costs). I hope they don't put this shit into Photoshop Elements. That you just give it a serial and job done. You also click "Never" when it asks to Register.

bradavon wrote:Bad Adobe for trying to "make you pay" .

Especially given how much money they're losing (i.e - considering how much it costs). I hope they don't put this shit into Photoshop Elements. That you just give it a serial and job done. You also click "Never" when it asks to Register.

I know, Brad It's obviously their right to protect their product, but for hobby-ists/home-users who don't use it for making a living/profit, but just to have something to do, it's ridiculously expensive

Ah well... at least Corel Painter X seems to be working fine, so that might become the tool of choice if Adobe keeps up the annoying protection.

Well, like I said, it's not meant for you but agreed for anyone it is ridiculously expensive. Not even MS Office costs this much (unless you're dumb enough to buy it retail).

Give Photoshop Elements ago, it has lots Photoshop has but if you like CS then you're probably better off going back to CS3 or cracking CS4. Don't give up yet!

I've got both CS3 and CS4 and the new interface on CS4 products takes a bit of getting used to but it is much better once you're used to it. CS4 isn't hard to get working. You'll get there.

It's good CS4 is available in a x64 variant. Annoyingly Elements isn't, which is a pain as it's buggy under Vista x64.

As far as I'm aware, its only Photoshop CS4 thats available in 64-bit architecture. I don't know of any other products in the CS4 range that are...

Photoshop CS4 64-bit is very stable for me.

Oh right. How odd. Particularly when CS stands for Creative "Suite" and you can buy it in a Suite of products.

I think I finally managed to do it, using some stuff I found on PirateBay.
Photoshop seems to be OK now (fingers crossed), but haven't checked InDesign and Illustrator yet.

Obviously I can only know for sure when it's been working for a few weeks or even months, but hopefully I can now finally do some stuff I've been planning to do.

Can you not zap your PC's date forward?

So you use InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop then? Any work you can show us?

bradavon wrote:Can you not zap your PC's date forward?

So you use InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop then? Any work you can show us?

Yea, I could try zapping the date forward, but I'm not sure if that gives any guarentees about Adobe not contacting my pc in the future.

I'm a bit rusty, but when I have something worth showing, I will
There are a few things on my mind that I want to work out, among which is some drawings and stuff, but it has to be worth posting before I do so.

Fair enough.

Can you not just disable the service or set it to manual? I set the Elements one to Manual (the software won't run when set to disabled) and then block it's EXE in my Firewall. Not that the security in Elements is half as strong.