UPDATE: Adobe has released a non-activation registration file to address Warning 1 below. Read more »
[Editor’s note: Cartographers still migrating to Illustrator from Freehand MX should be wary of upgrading to the new Mac OS as it breaks your Freehand install due to the licensing restrictions the app uses on startup. There is a workaround, but only if you have a volume (company) license code. Thanks Curt!]
Republished from Adobe User-to-User Forum.
I had been unable to replicate the success of others which was quite frustrating but I finally got everything working and wanted to post my solution. I think it either comes down to lack of complete details in the posted instructions, here is how I was able to get it working properly:
- Step 1: Delete your local installation of Freehand. This *includes* the /Library/Application Support/Macromedia directory (well, place it on the desktop)
- Step 2: Reinstall Freehand. VERY IMPORTANT—DO NOT RUN FREEHAND AFTER INSTALL OR PROCEDURE WILL FAIL
- Step 3: Recreate the Macromedia directory
- Step 4: Place your “FreeHand MXa Registration” file back into the newly created Macromedia directory
- Step 5: Run Freehand
For whatever reason, this was the only way I was capable of repairing my licensed copy of Freehand. Simply updating the “FreeHand MXa Registration” file or installing a new copy ofFreehand *without* first removing the Macromedia directory did nothing to help my situation.
A couple of things you should be aware of:
- Warning 1: You may need a serial number which starts with WPD700…
[Editor: WPD700 serial numbers are volume (corporate) licenses, your personal license will likely not work.]
UPDATE: Adobe has released a non-activation registration file to address this. Read more »
- Warning 2: If you had other registration information for Flash, Fireworks etc, you can safely move those back into the Macromedia directory.
Reprinted