PE12: Sign In Failure (Connect to Internet or Fix Computer Clock)

INTRODUCTION

"Premiere Elements 12 Editor Will Not Open" factors were looked in the prior blog post from the hosts file level as well as from the level of the SLStore Folder and SLCache Folder. None of that was of any help in a recent case where Premiere Elements 12 Sign In resulted in failure with the message Connect to Internet or Fix Computer Clock Setting. The Internet was connected, and there was no clock problem.

ISSUE

How to get beyond the endless message of Premiere Elements 12 (Windows 8.1 64 bit) Sign In's Connect to Internet or Fix Computer Clock Setting when both were perfectly fine?

SOLUTION

The solution came from Sandeep Singh (Adobe Help) who suggested that the fix might come from updating the Adobe Application Manager, using the download

http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=4773

The download and install was done with the antivirus and firewalls turned Off. The Adobe Application Manager was uninstalled from the list of installed programs in Control Panel/Programs. The download file was named ApplicationManager8.0_all.exe, and it was installed to the computer desktop.

Clicking on that desktop icon initiated an updating process which terminated claiming need for Administrative rights in spite of the fact that the computer was being run from a User Account with Administrative Privileges. Right clicking the desktop icon and selecting Run As Administrator beforehand solved that problem.

With Run As Administrator in effect,  "Update" as it was called went to completion and included accepting Adobe Creative Cloud. The end result was an Adobe Creative Cloud icon on the computer desktop. This icon traced to Local Disk C\Program Files (x84)\Adobe\Adobe Creative Cloud\ACC\, And, the Control Panel Installed Programs included Adobe Creative Cloud 2.5.1.369.

Now when I restarted Premiere Elements 12 and got the Sign In dialog and hit Sign In, the program opened activated and ready to work.

COMMENTARY

Work in progress is figuring out the inter relationship between the Adobe Application Manager and Adobe Creative Cloud. My first impression is that Adobe Application Manager automatically updated to Adobe Creative Cloud in the above navigation.

Before Sandeep's suggested fix, we had thought about targeting the Adobe Application Manager as the cause of the Premiere Elements 12 Sign In failure described. But, we could find only the Adobe Application Manager for "CC" not Premiere Elements. That caused us to consider. But, the "CC" version as suggested by Sandeep was what worked for us in the final analysis. 

More information on the above will be posted when it becomes available. Many thanks to Sandeep SIngh (Adobe Help) for key idea to a resolution.

ADD ONS

04 27 2014.
When this Premiere Elements 12 on Windows 8.1 64 bit was updated just now to 12.1 via the opened program's Help Menu/Updates, the download dialog that appeared had a header named Adobe Application Manager, not Adobe Creative Cloud.
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ATR

PE12: Premiere Elements 12 Editor Will Not Open

INTRODUCTION

Premiere Elements 12 Windows has had its issues with Signing In and Activation. When classical troubleshooting standbys such as uninstall/ccleaner/reinstall and deleting settings file are of no avail, what next?

ISSUE

What other troubleshooting to consider when Premiere Elements 12 Windows Editor refuses to open?

SOLUTION

Two different troubleshooting approaches have been advanced recently and have met with some success to address the Premiere Elements 12 Editor will not open matter.

• deleting certain unwanted entries from the hosts file*

• renaming the SLStore and SLCache Folders (both reported to be involved in Activation)

The how to for these two possible troubleshooting schemes will be detailed in the HOW TO to follow.

HOW TO

Way 1 - Deleting Certain Unwanted Entries From The Hosts File

STEP 1 
Find the hosts file. In Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 64 bit, the hosts file is found in the path
Local Disk C
Windows
System32
drivers
etc
and in the etc Folder is the hosts  file

STEP 2
Right click the hosts file, select Open, and then Notepad. Open the hosts file's Notepad document.

STEP3
Inspect the hosts file Notepad document.
Reference: Adobe Document "Sign In, Activation, Or Connection Errors l CC, CS6, CS5.5" and its
Section 3. Check your hosts file."
http://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/policy-pricing/activation-network-issues.html
Although Premiere Elements is not mentioned in the above document, this document is often referenced to for the Premiere Elements Sign In, Activation issues.

The Windows 7 64 bit default hosts file is shown in Figure 1. Look for any entries below the line
#  ::1    localhost.
If any found, such as, 127.0.0.1 activate.adobe.com, delete them only after a backup of the hosts file is made and saved to the computer desktop for safe keeping.

Figure 1. Windows 7 Professional SP1 64 Bit. Default Hosts File.

Way 2 - Renaming The SLStore And SLCache Folders (Both Reported To Be Involved In Activation)
Reference: Adobe Threads - GautamBahl (Adobe Staff)** Suggestion
Premiere Elements 11 Editor Won't Start
http://forums.adobe.com/message/6264846#6264846
and
Photoshop Elements 12 Full Editor Not Opening
http://forums.adobe.com/message/6266962

STEP 1
Find and rename SLStore Folder from SLStore to SLStoreOLD.
In Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 64 bit, the path to the folder is

Local Disc C
Program Data
Adobe
and in the Adobe Folder is the SLStore Folder that is renamed from SLStore to SLStoreOLD.

STEP 2
Find and rename SLCache Folder from SLCache to SLCacheOLD.
In Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 64 bit, the path to the folder is

Local Disc C
Program Files (x86)
Common Files
Adobe
and in the Adobe Folder is the SLCache Folder that is renamed from SLCache to SLCacheOLD.


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*Additional Hosts File Links
What is the Hosts file?
http://www.accs-net.com/hosts/what_is_hosts.html
How can I reset the Hosts file back to the default?
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/972034
The Hosts File and what it can do for you
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/hosts-files-explained/

**We are particularly in debt to GautamBahl (Adobe Staff) for the "Premiere Elements 12 Editor Will Not Open" fix suggestion which turned out to be the answer for my "Photoshop Elements 12 Editor  Will Not Open" issue that existed from October 2013 to April 2014 without resolution. Further details are in the references given above.

ATR