The issue of Adobe error 148:3 can occur mostly for those users who do not have a genuine license for Adobe software on their systems. However, there are customers who have noticed this error exclusively on Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro. If you are using Adobe Creative Suite product, it can also stop working and show this licensing issue. Also, there are users who are experiencing Error 148:3 while opening Adobe Photoshop CS-4, CS-5 or CS-6. So, this error is quite popular among the Adobe product users and can stop the programs due to licensing problems. If you are one of them and want to remove this Adobe error from Photoshop, Acrobat or Creative Suite, follow this article.
Solutions To Fix Adobe Error 148:3 And Re-enable Licensing
Before you start applying the fixes to resolve Adobe error 148:3, you must know the categories of license issues. So, first, check the following info to learn which Adobe product issue needs what solution.
- You are getting this error on disabling Flexnet Licensing Service running on your system.
- The installation copy of Adobe Photoshop is not recognizing the license path.
It’s been a while since you have updated Adobe files on your PC. - You are running a corrupted Adobe product it generates error 148:3 whenever you try to open it.
Solution 1: Enable Flexnet Licensing Service On Windows
If you are facing this Adobe issue since you have disabled FLEXnet Licensing Service on your PC, make sure to enable it. Sometimes, FLEXnet might be already enabled but still showing error code 148:3 is missing from the startup programs. So, your first task is to check the list of startup programs from Windows taskbar or Task Manager and make sure that FLEXnet Licensing Service is included.
To verify the startup list contains FLEXnet, press Ctrl, Alt and Delete keys altogether to access the Task Manager. You can also open it by pressing Ctrl, Shift and Esc buttons at the same time. Then, click on ‘Startup’ tab and it will show the list of programs run while starting Windows.
Now, locate the FLEXnet Licensing Service from the list by scrolling down. Check the status of the program and right-click on it. If the status is shown as ‘Disabled’, select the option of ‘Enable’. Click on ‘OK’ to save these changes on your PC and close the Task Manager window. Finally, reboot your computer and try to open Adobe programs to check if error 148:3 is still appearing.
Solution 2: Make Flexnet Licensing Service Startup Type Automatic
This method is applicable to those, who have FLEXnet Licensing Service already enabled on their PCs. Otherwise, you can try this after applying solution 1. So, if you are using Windows 10, hit the ‘Start’ menu to go to the ‘Control Panel’. Otherwise, open the search box and type ‘control’ and select ‘Control Panel’.
Next, go to the ‘Administrative tools’ section and click ‘Services’. As you see the list of services running on your Windows, scroll down to find ‘FLEXnet Licensing Service’.Then, right-click on the FLEXnet icon and choose the option of ‘Properties’. On the FLEXnet Licensing Service Properties (Local Computer) window, check the Startup type of this program. Make sure to set the Startup type as ‘Automatic’.
Also, check the Service status for FLEXnet whether its showing ‘Started’ or ‘Stopped’. Ensure that the service is running on your PC to resolve Adobe error 148:3. Hence, hit the ‘Start’ button and click ‘OK’. Hopefully, you can now run Adobe Photoshop without any licensing error.
Solution 3: Update The License For Adobe Products
In order to apply this fix, you have to update Adobe applications to resolve error code 148:3. For this, you can open the ‘Device Manager’ and update Adobe products. So, simply hit ‘Windows’ button and R key altogether to open the Run dialog box. Then, type devmgmt.msc and wait for the Device Manager window to appear.
Your next step is to locate the icons of Adobe Creative Suite (version 3 and 4), Acrobat ( version 8 and 9), Director, Premiere Elements, Technical Communication Suite and Photoshop Elements. Make sure to update each one of these Adobe products on your Windows.
Solution 4: Fix Adobe Licenses With Repair Tool
Users can visit Adobe’s official website by clicking on link “https://www.adobe.com/support/” and download license repairing programs. Otherwise, install third-party software from a reliable website or page to resolve the license issues for Adobe products.
You can use the Adobe license repairing tool from its website. To run this program, first, download the file LicenseRecovery109.zip for Windows PC. In case you are using other OS, select the recovery file accordingly (for example, download LicenseRecovery111.dmgin using Mac).
So, extract the Adobe license recovery files from this zip file using Winzip. Double-click on the repairing tool (LicenseRecovery.exe) and select the language preference before installing it.
Next, click ‘Yes’ if the tool prompts you to confirm the installation. So, follow the step-by-step instructions to install the license recovery program. Hopefully, you can fix the error code 148:3 by running the Adobe license repairing tool.
Solution 5: Remove Corrupted Adobe Directories And Folders
This solution is for users who are experiencing Adobe error 148:3 due to a corrupt product license during the installation process. So, you must locate the Adobe directory and program files to delete them.
In order to find the location of Adobe installation files, go to the C drive on your PC. Then select the Program Files folder if you are using a 32-bit system. However, if your system is based on 64-bit, then select Program Files (x86).
Next, find the folder for ‘Common Files’ and then go to ‘Adobe’. Click on it, locate the Adobe PCD and hit ‘Delete’. Try to open Adobe applications and see if this method has resolved 148:3 error code.
