Hi John,

Thank you for your help. It is much appreciated. I did not know until after I posted my comment that this was a user-to-user forum. But, I do now. So, thanks again.

It is a bit of a messy story, so here are the key points:-
1. I had forgotten that I had a demo version of Web Designer 9, which had expired on the PC. ​​​​
2. I bought a boxed DVD copy of Magix Xara Web Designer 12 it arrived today and I installed it. It installed perfectly but ended at the box which is asking you to put the serial number in (which I did and it got a green tick). Then it wanted me to go off and to register and activate. I tried but it said it could not connect (despite the internet being fine).
3. I then thought, why not go and register directly on the Magix site. I did, it accepted the registration and then gave me a download file for Version 17 and instructions. This is where it got worse and worse! I remembered the Demo of version 9 and this time uninstalled that and also Version 12. BUT I FORGOT THE FILES IN THE USER APPS folders for 9 and 12!
4. I thought that was the reason the new Version 17 did not run, but just stopped a few seconds into the install. It was not, so, I tried turning AVG off for an hour (there is a setting for that!) and turning of the Firewall. No joy there.
5. After many tries, I went back to square one. With a totally clean install of Web Designer 12 from the DVD. It runs the Download startup and tries to go of to get a connection to Magix (or Xara??) and can not connect.

Notes ...
I don't use Windows Defender and have not got Malware Bytes installed. I do have CCleaner running in the background.

Summary ...
Currently ...
The DVD with working Serial No. for Version 12 - Installs fully but can not get past the Register & Activate. (It does not know that it is already Registered - directly by me. of course!).
The Version 17 upgrade (I am assuming it does not need version 12 installed first???) maybe it does, does not get past the startup phase.!!
The demo version of Version 17 does the same.

Thanks for reading to here!!

Any more ideas would be very much welcome. Otherwise, I am totally stuck.

Thank you all (particularly you, John!)
Mark
 

Update on install

I tried an install on my other PC and it went totally smoothly!

I have no idea why my main PC does not want to know. It may be that the combination of the Demo version of version 9, followed by the attempted but failed install of Version 12, followed by the attempted install of Version 17 have totally messed up things as far as Web Designer 17 goes.

I will have to try to clean up the Windows registry somehow!

Thanks for your help.

@MARK-STAFFORD

Hi

. . . . I don't use Windows Defender  . . .

It is still on your computer and the Windows Defender Firewall service is most likely still running doing some protection in the background.

If the Xara programs are still on your computer download and use Revo Uninstaller free to remove the programs and clean up both left behind files and registry - do note what is being cleaned in the registry and ensure it relates to the program being uninstalled.

If you have already started/finished the uninstalls, the CCleaner Registry clean function can clean the registry of unwanted entries, ensure you back up the Registry when prompted.

As always when using any cleaning/uninstaller program you do so at your own risk.

HTH

John EB

Hi John,

Thank you again for your help. 

I have only just seen your message here. So, I what I did was before seeing this.

In the meantime, I had a reply from the Magix support team with some suggested tweaks. Mainly to internet settings etc.

I did everything they suggested and still it was the same trying to install Web Designer Premium onto my main Windows 10 PC. I upgraded Internet Explorer (I never use it and even Microsoft try to make you switch to Microsoft Edge!). I adjusted all the settings still the same problem with or without the Firewall and AVG. 

Last night I installed it on a spare PC, with Windows 7 and it installed straight away on the same hub in the same room and installed perfectly. I am told that there is no support with Windows 7. But, I understand that I can swap that registration to another PC. So, I need to sort out a Windows 10 PC that I can install it on. 

In the meantime today, I have just installed it onto my Surface Pro Tablet running Windows 10. Again the installation went well. No problems. So, it is obviously my main Windows 10 PC that has the problem. 

For now, I will use the Surface Pro Windows Tablet on the big monitor with a keyboard and mouse. This will work for now. I will have one final go on my main Windows 10 PC taking onboard your tips (thanks again).

I did use CCleaner on the Registry before. But, I will try the other suggestions.

What was interesting was that the other PC and the Surface Pro had never had an earlier install of any Magix/Xara products of any kind. But the main PC had (the demo of 9 and the DVD version of 12 were may both have left some debris after uninstalls - I think the Version 9 just ran out of time, so I never touched it because I knew it was out of date - but never got to the point were the software told me it had stopped working! Might be a crazy reason for problems!!

Thanks again you for your help. 

All the best
Mark Stafford