TechNote (Archived)

Error: " Adobe Bridge cannot be used...." when you start Adobe Bridge 1.0.x (CS2)

Issue

When you start Adobe Bridge 1.0.x, it returns the following error message and then quits: "Adobe Bridge cannot be used at this time because of licensing restrictions. You must have installed and launched at least one other Adobe application to use Adobe Bridge."

Details

You performed one or more of the following actions:

-- You transferred activation for an Adobe product. See solution 1.

-- You moved the Adobe application file out of it's application folder. See solution 2.

-- You installed the Adobe Bridge 1.0.2 update to a custom directory, or the Common File installer failed during the initial installation. See solutions 3-5

-- You recently installed Production Studio, Audition 2.0, After Effects 7.0, Encore DVD 2.0, Premiere Pro 2.0, or Premiere Elements 2.0. See solutions 3-5.

Solutions:

Do one of the following solutions:

Solution1: Reactivate the installed Adobe products.

You can activate any of the products (components) included in Adobe Creative Suite 2.0 except Bridge and Adobe Acrobat 7.0. By activating one component of Adobe Creative Suite, you activate all components in the suite.

To reactivate Adobe products:

1. Start one of the applications in the Adobe Creative Suite.

2. When the Adobe Activation screen appears, click Activate.

3. When the Thank You screen appears, click Done.

For more information on activation and the Adobe License Agreement, visit the Adobe website at www.adobe.com/activation.

Solution 2: Move the CS2 application file back to the application folder.

If you moved the CS2 application from its application folder,(for instance to the desktop), move the CS2 application file back to the application folder.

Note: If you want to start a CS2 application from a different folder, such as the desktop, you must use a shortcut (Win) or an alias (Mac) for the application file.

To make a shortcut or alias of the application file:

1. Open the CS2 application folder, and select the CS2 application file.

2. Choose File > Create Shortcut (Windows) or Choose File > Make Alias (Mac OS).

3. Move the shortcut or alias to the location you want to start the application from.

Solution 3: Remove and reinstall Adobe Bridge.

1. Remove Adobe Bridge 1.0 using Add/Remove Programs.

2. Download and install the latest version of Adobe Bridge from the Adobe download page at www.adobe.com/support/downloads/ .

Solution 4: Rerun the Common File Installer.

1. Insert the application installation media. If you are installing Adobe Creative Suite 2.0, insert the Installer 1 CD.

2. Select a language and click OK.

3. Click Accept to accept the license agreement.

4. Select Explore CD Contents.

5. Navigate to, and then double-click, the Adobe Common File Installer.msi file in the following location:

-- For Adobe Creative Suite 2.0: Adobe Creative Suite 2.0/Adobe Bridge Services folder

-- For individual Adobe CS2 applications: Adobe [application] CS2/Commonfilesinstaller folder

6. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation. If the Program Maintenance dialog box appears, click Repair.

Solution 5: Remove and reinstall Adobe Creative Suite.

To remove Adobe Creative Suite, see documents 331301 , "Manually remove Adobe Creative Suite (2.0 on Mac OS X)," or 331300, "Manually remove Adobe Creative Suite (2.0 on Windows)."

Background information

When you transfer activation for one Adobe product in Adobe Creative Suite 2.0, you transfer activation for all products included in the suite.

You can install and activate Adobe Creative Suite 2.0 on two computers at any given time. If you wish to install Adobe Creative Suite on a third computer, you must transfer activation from one of the two other computers. After you transfer activation on a particular computer, Adobe Creative Suite 2.0 products (including Adobe Bridge) will no longer start on that computer without error.

Adobe Bridge does not recognize Adobe Creative Suite 2 applications when they have been installed as point products and their application files moved from their application folders.

Adobe Bridge needs to be installed in the default installation location to work correctly. The Adobe Bridge 1.0.2 installer incorrectly gives you the option to choose a custom installation location. The error can also occur if the Common File installer failed.

Installers for Adobe Production Studio, Adobe Audition 2.0, Adobe After Effects 7.0, Adobe Encore DVD 2.0, Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0, or Adobe Premiere Elements 2.0 might remove Bridge functionality such as Bridge Center, Color Management controls, and the ability to update Adobe Creative Suite 2.0 applications through Adobe Update Manager.