Software can't be reactivated after re-install. Comeback?

[MitchT]

I bought a piece of software some years ago. Recently I needed to install it on a new computer. The software runs in demo mode but can't be reactivated in its full "paid for" form as this was done online via another piece of software provided by the vendor and this process is no longer supported by them. I get that an older piece of software might not be compatible with newer operating systems and might not have tech support anymore, but surely if you've paid for it and have a machine that will run it then they can't leave you with no means of activating the full "paid-for" version when it will install perfectly well and run in demo mode? Is there any legal angle on this that could be exploited to force them to provide a means of activating it for the benefit of those of us who have paid for it and hold a valid user licence?

[syl]

Is there another process available to activate it?

What do they say when you ring them, tell them you have a licence but can’t use it to activate it?

[MitchT]

syl said:

Is there another process available to activate it?

No, there is no way to activate it.

syl said:

What do they say when you ring them, tell them you have a licence but can’t use it to activate it?

I've had numerous exchanges with them via a support ticket and their user forum has a lengthy discussion in which numerous users are expressing their displeasure with the situation. Basically they've stopped supporting the software and don't care that people who've paid for it can't reactivate it if they have to re-install it.

The original way to activate it was via a separate piece of software which you could download free of charge. This acted as a gateway to all your licences. This is now defunct. They've replaced the this with a new piece of software which essentially does the same thing and shows the product as installed and "Full Version", but when I actually launch the software a pop-up window gives me the options "Activate", "Buy" and "Demo". If I try the "activate" option it launches the old gateway software which is no longer connected to anything at the vendor's end. The "buy" option does the same. If I select "demo" the software runs in demo mode.

That's it.

[randlemarcus]

Is the middle bit of software available on an archive somewhere? If so, does it need access to the Internet to do it's tricksy thing?

[Andeh1]

Sounds like buying a video, movie or TV show on amazon or equivilent. You bought it, but don't own it.... Only the license to use it until the amazon or equiv decide to stop hosting it or offering it. No different to online only PC games, or DRM. It's all a st show tbh.

What does the T&Cs say?

Did you buy via credit card?

[MitchT]

The old middle bit of software is still installed on my computer but doesn't connect to anything at their end because they've removed the back end for it.

The new middle bit of software is also installed on my computer and displays the product as "Full version", even though it's not activated. It is not possible to activate the product within the new middle bit of software as it's a "legacy" product.

My question, rather than one of software advice, is one of do they have a legal obligation to enable me to avail myself of ongoing use of the product that I've paid for and, if so, how do I begin the process of having this enforced?

[MitchT]

Andeh1 said:

Did you buy via credit card?

No, I might even have paid for it with cash. I bought it from a music gear shop. It came on a CD but had to be activated via the aforementioned piece of "middle" software which you had to download, install and use to register and activate the product.

[jules_s]

Autodesk did this a while back - they shifted over to subscription products only and iirc any purchased software was obsolete from that day on

[anonymous-user]

Depends what’s in the EULA (End User License Agreement) which you almost certainly were forced to click OK to when installing the software.

You may well find that you purchased a license to run the software while it was still supported and now that it isn’t supported any more you don’t have the rights to reinstall it, or similar.

You need to go back to that agreement and see what it says, they can vary a lot.

[Neddy Sea Goon]

jules_s said:

Autodesk did this a while back - they shifted over to subscription products only and iirc any purchased software was obsolete from that day on

I've got this too. Running LT, quite happily then one day, I need to register again.

Autodesk won't register it as they won't support it on a Windows 10 machine, even though it was previously registered and working ok

Don't need support, don't want updates, just want to be able to use the software I bought and paid for.

Sadly, they won't help.

[Taita]

What software is it and roughly how old? eg it could just be a registry key change somewhere if it is quite old and 'licencing dev' wasn't that advanced back then.

[bunchofkeys]

Is the old computer still working, with the software?
If so, you may be able to turn that physical computer into a virtual one, and run that on the new physical computer.

[BertBert]

Sadly I suspect your license (sic) agreement will probably let you down, but you never know. Happy to read it if you want a second opinion - I used to write them.

What's the magnitude of the cost of the software, ie your potential loss?

Bert

[Some Gump]

Depending on the software, could you use a crack to load it?

Obvs piracy is wrong, but i'd view it like i view the hooky emulator things i've downloaded to play old 80s and 90s games on xbox. I'm onoy playing dodgy versions of titles that i legitimately bought and paid for when they came out, and its not like they sell double dragon or goldenaxe anymore!

[drdino]

Is it the OS that's the problem? If you installed it in a Virtual Machine (say Windows XP) would it activate?

[MorganP104]

drdino said:

Is it the OS that's the problem? If you installed it in a Virtual Machine (say Windows XP) would it activate?

According to the OP, the licencing middleware still loads, but doesn't connect to anything at the back end (which it requires for licence validation), as the developer has shut that particular door.

It's highly likely the software company has dismantled and decommissioned the old back end hardware, so there's probably no going back. There's a tiny outside chance they could "flip a switch" and turn it back on, but I reckon it's gone for good.

[ThunderSpook]

I think in this circumstance the piracy is companies that don’t allow you to use what you’ve paid for.

When will the entire industry wake up to the fact that if you want people to be legal, make it easy for them to be legal?

[EU_Foreigner]

I have the same problem with Micro Focus, bought the license which is a perpetual license according to the documentation.

However, when moving to another PC, you need to have a maintenance agreement in place - which I had stopped after 20 years as I hardly ever use the software anymore.

They would not budge and re-activate on new hardware despite me having the license.

[gazza285]

Same happened to me with a sequencing program I had, my old PC failed, installed the program onto a different machine, then couldn’t activate it anymore. The only option was to purchase an alternative version aimed at the professional market, with a suitably professional price.

[Miserablegit]

Let me guess - it’s a version of cubase??
Unable to help I’m afraid but best of luck - do they offer a reduced price upgrade to the latest version ?