Help! Looking for Photoshop 2020(v21.x) installer

[shaocaholica]

So I have some older Macs I still use from ~2009 and it seems Adobe dropped support for those older CPUs after 2020. Basically I need the installer for Photoshop 2020 v21.x. Thats the last version that will run on my 2009 MacBook Pro. I have the latest creative cloud installed and it does let you pick older versions of Photoshop but the oldest version available that way is v22.2 which doesn't work. Searching online people have said that Adobe support can give you even older installers and I tried that but the oldest they have via direct support is v22.0 which still doesn't work. Seems like the only way to get v21.x is from someone who backed it up when it was still available. I believe it will still work and activate fine with the latest creative cloud app.

 

[bogdanw]

You can get Photoshop CC 2019 from Adobe

https://prdl-download.adobe.com/Photoshop/55E8FC8663C847F08BFBCD8DFE336AE8/1546595985332/AdobePhotoshop20-mul.dmg

 

[shaocaholica]

Huh, thanks! If they keep the 2019 installer available why not the 2020?

 

[bogdanw]

Starting with CC 2020, Adobe has stopped providing offline installers for Photoshop. It has been reported that Adobe’s Customer Care team (via live online chat) offers temporary links to download offline installers.
https://helpx.adobe.com/download-install.html
https://prodesigntools.com/creative-cloud-2020-direct-download-links.html

It’s an unfortunate decision, as it pushes users towards alternative ways of getting old versions that might contain malware.
"Evasive cryptojacking malware targeting macOS found lurking in pirated applications"
https://www.jamf.com/blog/cryptojacking-macos-malware-discovered-by-jamf-threat-labs/

 

[shaocaholica]

Yeah I came across those adobe forum threads as well. It seems like there was a short time where you could get them but it seems that the 2020 installers are not even available via customer service anymore as of this post and even earlier. The oldest customer support would provide me after talking to 3 agents is v22.0. I'm holding out that someone out there has it backed up. I might ping the vintage Mac groups. I'll try out 2019 later today and see if it works.

 

[shaocaholica]

2019 installer didn't work. Might be because I'm running 10.15 on an unsupported Mac? But 10.15 was already out when Photoshop 2019 was released so it should be supported. I tried giving the installer elevated privileges to disk access but same error. Tried running the installer with sudo, same error.

 

[ovbacon]

I still have a few old installers on my backup system so I'll look what I have and put them online for you if I have what you need.

 

[ovbacon]

Dropbox folder with the Adobe installer.

 

[shaocaholica]

Dropbox folder with the Adobe installer.

Thanks but this installer is only 2.3mb and I think its the cloud based installer so it just tries to install the latest photoshop even if you downloaded it back in 2020. I need the offline type installer which are around 1.5-2.5GB.

 

[bogdanw]

adobe-packager https://github.com/Drovosek01/adobe-packager
It works, the needed packages are downloaded from Adobe and made into an app. Choose v4 for the URL version to get Photoshop Platform: osx10-64 – 21.0 - 21.2.12

 

[shaocaholica]

Huh that's a neat tool. Looks like Adobe stopped serving files for 'v4'. If I choose 'v4' the tool errors. If I choose 'v5' it works but gives me versions that are too new.

 

[bogdanw]

It works for me. I selected N at "Do you want to make M1 native packages"

Content of Install PHSP_21.2.12-en_US-osx10-64

 

[shaocaholica]

Oh its working now. Must have hiccuped the first time I tried v4.

 

[shaocaholica]

Ok update. I got it working but with some effort.


Good news. Was able to get the adobe-packager tool to work and make an installer package for the lastest working Photoshop build my CPU supports (v21.2.12).
Bad news. Installer fails with a 'JSON parsing' error. Slightly different error running on another newer Intel Mac but I think its the same error.

Did some googling and found this adobe-packager support thread (don't do what the thread says at the beginning!):

Error: SyntaxError: JSON Parse error: Unexpected EOF (-2700) · Issue #56 · Drovosek01/adobe-packager

Whatever I do, no matter what langauge and system locales I get: Error: SyntaxError: JSON Parse error: Unexpected EOF (-2700)

github.com

It seems that the creative cloud app is what was causing the installer to fail. The support thread (at first) mentions using an older creative cloud app but that didn't work for me. Scrolling down more in the support thread there is another tool linked called 'AntiCC'. I uninstalled Creative Cloud and installed AntiCC and after that the Photoshop installer worked and I was able to launch Photoshop and do stuff. Yay.

TLDR:
Uninstall Creative Cloud
Install AntiCC (https://www.mediafire.com/file/q01nd5grk6m7se8/AntiCC_1.7_%5BRiD%5D.dmg/file)
Use adobe-packager (https://github.com/Drovosek01/adobe-packager) to build the installer you need
Run the installer you just made

 

[mac_raw]

I'm needing some help. I followed the instruction which worked but when launching PS 21.2.12, I'm required to log into Creative Cloud. Then the message " trial ended" and "this is the last time you can open Photoshop". Is there a work around?

 

[mac_raw]

Here are some photos from the installation process. I did notice that on the startup of Adobe Photoshop application the Creative Cloud logo is present. I notice in your photo the Creative Cloud logo is not present.

 

[shaocaholica]

Did you sign into Adobe? I'm not 100% how it works but I did sign I think and I do have an account. I just needed a version of PS that was no longer available.

 

[mac_raw]

Yea, I signed in and after the 7 day trial I'm continuously presented with purchasing a subscription and I'm forced to either quit or purchase adobe.

 

[shaocaholica]

That might be your problem. My subscription is active.

 

[mac_raw]

🤷‍♂️