[eizzumdm]

Product activation is evil, circles are round, etc.

Anyway I recently upgraded 3 machines from Jaguar to Panther, using Archive and Install. So far the only wrinkle has been all of the programs in the MX 2004 suite. They would bounce on the dock a few times, then crap out.

(BTW, this had nothing to do with any Adobe CS betas as the one poster keeps mentioning; all software on these three machines were legitimately licensed copies.) Two had CD copies, and one just had the downloadable 30 day demo of Dreamweaver.

Ironically, the solution to this problem came from a software piracy forum (MSJ).

I probably deleted more than I needed to, but this fix worked on three computers, and I did not have time to try one folder at a time.

First delete all copies of the MX apps, then delete all folders named Macromedia and Macrovision from the Application Support and Preference folders of both the /Library directory and /Users/username/Library/. Reboot. Then reinstall from the CDs (or downloadable installer). Upon launch of any of the MX 2004 apps, you will finally again have the opportunity to reserialize the products. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Just deleting the Macrovision folders (the product activation BS) does not work. You will be asked to enter your admin password ad infinitum upon launch.

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OOOPS. Meant to post this in the "Products that don't Work in Panther" Thread. Oh well, it's late.

[Mooga2]

I agree... I have registered copies of their MX applications, but will not be supporting the latest round of Macromedia revisions simply for this reason.

Those who pirate their software will pirate it somehow or someway, anyway. I believe their activation procedures are just complicating installation and system maintenance for the people who ARE supporting their company.

Just my two pennies.
- Moo!

[voodoo]

Originally posted by Mooga2:
I agree... I have registered copies of their MX applications, but will not be supporting the latest round of Macromedia revisions simply for this reason.

Those who pirate their software will pirate it somehow or someway, anyway. I believe their activation procedures are just complicating installation and system maintenance for the people who ARE supporting their company.

Just my two pennies.
- Moo!

so true

[rhogue islander]

Well said, Mooga.

[Mac Guru]

Only had one issue with the Macrovision folders and it was a lot easier to solve than you put it. I just removed all the Macrovision folders, logged out, and booted up MX 2004 again, retyped my admin pass and hit the activate button again and I was going.

10 min TOPS.

Mac Guru

[schk]

In Macromedia's whitepaper for their activation, they state that they write data to the track 0 portion of the HD. In effect, that should prevent you from having to re-activate the product in a situation like the one mentioned here since it shouldn't matter if the HD contents change as the license data is store in a non accessible portion of the drive. Maybe it's only in the Windows version?

But yeah, activation causes more grief with legitimate users. There's already a keygen for the PC version for volume licenses which completely bypasses activation. Activiation is just more of an incentive for pirates to find easy ways to get around it. Adobe is using activation on Photoshop CS PC version, so I'll probably only get the Mac version.

The last thing Macromedia should be worrying about is piracy of the Mac version, it's so slow and the interface pales in comparsion to the PC version.

[Mooga2]

Originally posted by Mac Guru:
Only had one issue with the Macrovision folders and it was a lot easier to solve than you put it. I just removed all the Macrovision folders, logged out, and booted up MX 2004 again, retyped my admin pass and hit the activate button again and I was going.

10 min TOPS.

Mac Guru

This would be a fine system if Macromedia were the only developer doing this, but as schk has mentioned, it is becoming a trend. If all major application developers chose this method of validation, a simple "ten minutes" per suite would easily add up to hours.

I also have purely selfish reasons for thinking software activation is wrong - I would be at my uncle's house rehabilitating his old computer and software every weekend. As if current applications are hard enough to repair over the phone, adding this to the equation would be kryptonite!

[Mac Guru]

Originally posted by Mooga2:
This would be a fine system if Macromedia were the only developer doing this, but as schk has mentioned, it is becoming a trend. If all major application developers chose this method of validation, a simple "ten minutes" per suite would easily add up to hours.

You're assuming that EVERY developer who added this system would have trouble with the files/folders corrupting...

Personally I'm all for the big guys adding product activation, it allows for more accurate product tracking and a LOT better anti-piracy protection... there will always be ways around it but it keeps the majority of people honest.

Mac Guru

[+ spiral +]

I had the exact same problem. Upgraded and now it won't launch. Then i tried installing it on my laptop and it said i already have it active on one machine and i need to call Macromedia!!

Yuck. Do i have to call everytime i want to use it at home or if i'm at a client's site?

What are these Macrovision folders you speak of? I tried throwing away all the "Fireworks MX" files i could find and reinstall, but nothing helps.

Normally i think companies have a right to have copyprotected products, but not when it affects their legitimate users like this.

Any more advice is appreciated. Thanks.

[- - e r i k - -]

Originally posted by Mac Guru:
Personally I'm all for the big guys adding product activation, it allows for more accurate product tracking and a LOT better anti-piracy protection... there will always be ways around it but it keeps the majority of people honest.

And it will also clog the support lines, because as it has been proven time and time again, there's no foolproof way of doing product activation. And to top it off, no hack-proof way either, so it will not deter any pirates only annoy honest customers.

[+ spiral +]

Well Steinberg has the dongle for Cubase SX and i don't mind it. If i can have something physical to move to every machine that i have Cubase on, that is fine.

I called Macromedia and you have to deactivate the software if you want to use it on another machine. Pretty annoying. In my case i can't launch my other version so i can't deactivate it to install in somewhere else. Luckily the support person is giving me another activation so i should be good.

He also sent me the technote about not being able to launch when upgrading the OS (affects archive and install) which was covered above but still a good reference:
http://www.macromedia.com/support/se...ve_install.htm

[schk]

There's an excellent write-up on another users problem with Macromedia's activation today:

http://whatdoiknow.org/archives/001289.shtml

Of course, John Dowdell from Macromedia posts in the comments as always defending everything regarding activation (if you read any other blogs he practically comments on every single post regarding Macromedia Activation and is usually rude/condescending in his responses.