CC App Not able to recover Adobe password

[Glenncca]

Lightroom Version Number

14.0.1

Operating System

1. Windows 10

I have subscribed to LR Classic for years. As long as I can recall I have never entered a password to access LR. This morning when I opened LR I was required to sign in to Adobe. And of course I don't remember the password. No big deal except that at some point I agreed to two-step authentication and I no longer have access to the phone # that was used.

Adobe's customer support claims that the only solution is to cancel my account and start a new subscription.

I am somewhat concerned that something could go wrong during this transition. Other than making sure that all of my files are backed up is there anything else I should consider?

Thanks

Glenn Courtney

 

[clee01l]

Adobe will be the only avenue for solution, I would try to recover my password thru another Customer Support person at Adobe. If that leads you down the same path, I'd request to speak to their supervisor. Most online places offer an alternate method to recover a password Text or email.

I don't understand how starting a new subscription will get you access to your existing subscription data stored at the Adobe Cloud. Adobe will need to explain that if starting a new subscription is your only choice.

 

[Johan Elzenga]

I have subscribed to LR Classic for years. As long as I can recall I have never entered a password to access LR. This morning when I opened LR I was required to sign in to Adobe. And of course I don't remember the password. No big deal except that at some point I agreed to two-step authentication and I no longer have access to the phone # that was used.

Adobe's customer support claims that the only solution is to cancel my account and start a new subscription.

I am somewhat concerned that something could go wrong during this transition. Other than making sure that all of my files are backed up is there anything else I should consider?

Thanks

Glenn Courtney

Lightroom Classic nor its catalog are associated with a specific account, so if you really do need to take a new subscription, then all you need to do is login with the new account details.

 

[Jim Wilde]

Lightroom Classic nor its catalog are associated with a specific account, so if you really do need to take a new subscription, then all you need to do is login with the new account details.

Agreed. The only potential issue is if Cloud Syncing was being used with the current subscription. Anything previously synced from LrC TO the cloud may need to be first unsynced in LrC then resynced (though they may automatically be unsynced when LrC discovers that the new cloud account is empty). Anything synced FROM the cloud (e.g. photos previously synced from LrMobile) which had not downloaded into the LrC catalog will be lost.

 

[clee01l]

The only potential issue is if Cloud Syncing was being used with the current subscription.

This was the issue that I was trying to address. Of course LrC is a separate file and in no way connected to an Adobe account. Although you need a valid account to invoke the LrC app.

 

[Califdan]

Agreed. The only potential issue is if Cloud Syncing was being used with the current subscription. Anything previously synced from LrC TO the cloud may need to be first unsynced in LrC then resynced (though they may automatically be unsynced when LrC discovers that the new cloud account is empty). Anything synced FROM the cloud (e.g. photos previously synced from LrMobile) which had not downloaded into the LrC catalog will be lost.

I'm not sure this is as stark as @Jim Wilde implies and I've included some steps which I have not tried but should work.

True that LrC catalogs are not Adobe account specific. However, if said catalog is using cloud sync, then the Adobe account that it is syncing to is known to LrC. If you are all of a sudden logged into a different Adobe account when you open that catalog in LrC the sync process gets very confused and all sorts of mayhem can ensue. If your only recourse is a new Adobe Account, AND you had been using Cloud sync, even though LrC is asking you for your Adobe ID and PW, Lr/Cloud may be usable without re-entering your credentials. If that's the case,

1. BEFORE CREATING YOUR NEW ADOBE ACCOUNT, use Lr/Cloud (I use Lr/desktop) and export all Lr/Cloud original images to your computer system. Probably best to export originals with XMP data
2. Then, get your new Adobe account.
3. Make sure that you are logged into the NEW account in www.adobe.com, AND Adobe creative Cloud App, AND Lightroom for the web app AND lightroom Cloud Desktop. In all of thses cases you should see no images
4. Open your old LrC catalog and turn off sync if it's on. Here's where you will tell it your new account ID and PW
5. Assure in preferences that it too is pointing to your new Adobe account.
6. "Unsync" all your synced collections (you may want to mark them with a color label as you go). If you've shared any, make a note of those
7. Delete everything from the "All Synced Photographs" special collection
8. Turn on sync. Nothing should happen
9. one by one turn sync back on for your previously synced collections (don't overload the sync engine by doing them all at once)
10. If any had been shared you may need to share them again and distrubute new URL's.
11. Now, in Lr/Cloud re-import those images you copied in step 1. (BTW, If you don't need originals of these in Lr/Cloud you can instead import them into LrC and then sync them

 

[clee01l]

BEFORE CREATING YOUR NEW ADOBE ACCOUNT, use Lr/Cloud (I use Lr/desktop) and export all Lr/Cloud original images to your computer system. Probably best to export originals with XMP data

The OP is unable to log in to the Adobe Account so I don't think any of this is applicable

 

[Califdan]

The OP said that LrC was asking for a UID and PW. This in itself does not mean that the CC app or www.adobe.com isn't still logged in. But even if all those items are inaccessible, assuming the OP's catalog was sucessfully synced before it started complaining about the PW, Everything from Lr/Cloud should be inthe catalog. Switching to a new Adobe Account and turning on Sync should resync those items to the new Adobe Account's Lr/Cloud. the only difference is that what had been Lr/Cloud original images (full size originals in the cloud) will now be Smart Previews in Lr/Cloud. In addition, URL's for shared collections may need to be recreated. Also, Portfolio will probably also need to be redone under the new account.

If the OP want's full originals in the cloud rather than SP's then those must be imported through one of the Lr/Cloud apps after removing them from the LrC catalog (otherwise you get duplicates)

 

[Johan Elzenga]

Maybe it’s a good idea to ask to OP if any of this is relevant because he had synced his catalog?…

 

[Glenncca]

Thanks for the responses. I was not using Cloud Syncing. I believe, based on the discussion I had with the Adobe rep, that she was aware of the syncing issues and was prepared to help me work through it. Since I have no files in the cloud this was not an issue for me.

I have access to my catalog with a trial membership so in the end I don't think there was any real issue other than the anxiety I caused myself and the time I wasted. I will shortly sign up for a new plan, under the second email I used for the trial, and hopefully everything will continue on.

Lesson learned - don't forget your password and don't turn on two-factor authentication unless there is a good reason for it (or alternatively, don't change phone #s).

Glenn Courtney

 

[Califdan]

Glad it worked out.

A password manager can also help with PW's. But, no one solution of managing PW's works for all cases. PW manager apps work well with Web site logins but not so much with applicaitons (like Adobe Creative Cloud). A manual password list someplace has been my savior on more than one occasion but runs the risk of being stolen and is only as good as your diligence in updating it whenever a new PW is created or changed. I'm still skeptical of the new "Passkey" technology as I don't really understand it and it might be device specific or relies on biometrics which I don't find to be all that reliable at least my phone regularly doesn't recognize my fingerprint or face so if that's the state of the tech, I'm not impressed.

Personally I use a massword manager (Last Pass) and as a backup an encryped spread sheet on a cloud service. But even in the sheet itself, I don't put in the actual pasword but rather I use "code". For example if the PW containes the house number from the house I lved in as a kid, rather than type in those 4 digits in the spreadsheet I'll put in "<Kid house number>.

 

[PhilBurton]

Glad it worked out.

A password manager can also help with PW's. But, no one solution of managing PW's works for all cases. PW manager apps work well with Web site logins but not so much with applicaitons (like Adobe Creative Cloud).

Dan,

We share that problem. I have created an Adobe.com entry in my password manager. Every time that I have to use my Adobe login credentials, I have to do a manual search for Adobe.com and then I copy/paste the password. I also have the same problem with Quicken desktop finance software.

A manual password list someplace

Best to keep it offline. I keep some super-confidential finance info on a USB drive. For a few banking websites, I have to memorize the userID and password, but obviously that approach does not scale. Certainly not for me with my "senior moments," as in, "where did I leave the car keys?"

has been my savior on more than one occasion but runs the risk of being stolen

Exactly. You could be the victim of a "drive by" download or a "spearfishing" email that steals files from your PC. Imagine an email from say Victoria or Johan discussing an issue on LRQ. You would probably open it up. So would I. But we both could be the victim of a carefully crafted email. With AI, this sort of attack is going become much more prevalent.

and is only as good as your diligence in updating it whenever a new PW is created or changed. I'm still skeptical of the new "Passkey" technology as I don't really understand it and it might be device specific or relies on biometrics which I don't find to be all that reliable at least my phone regularly doesn't recognize my fingerprint or face so if that's the state of the tech, I'm not impressed.

It's good to have questions. But i will say this. Passwords as a security tool are becomingobsolete. A password protected by a password manager is good, but only if it meets specifcic criteria. Since this is a photo forum, I won't get into details. PM me if you want the gory details.

Personally I use a massword manager (Last Pass)

RED FLAG ALERT. RED FLAG ALERT.

Lastpass has known secujrity issues and has been breached several times, with customer confidential data (i.e. userIDs and passwords) stolen. And their management response to these issues has been very defensive. I used to use Lastpass, until last year. After a breach I switched to Dashlane.

and as a backup an encryped spread sheet on a cloud service. But even in the sheet itself, I don't put in the actual pasword but rather I use "code". For example if the PW containes the house number from the house I lved in as a kid, rather than type in those 4 digits in the spreadsheet I'll put in "<Kid house number>.

Not a bad approach.