computerID?

duncan-goddard wrote on 9/2/2020, 10:55 AM

so eventually I realised, all on my own & with NO help from this website, that since I'd moved to a new mac, I'd need to re-register the software. the app itself doesn't tell you why "the activation code isn't valid", it just closes when you hit 'ok'. this is not helpful.

so... what's the computer ID? mac address? its WINS name? whatever I've called the hard drive? who knows?

I dare say I'll crack this with a bit more googling, but I've got work to do, & this is wasting my time.

it should NOT be this difficult.

Comments

SP. wrote on 9/2/2020, 2:12 PM

A new Mac with Catalina? I can tell you now that Sound Forge will not run under Catalina and there will not be a patch to solve this issue.

If you are using an older version of MacOS the software should show you your computer ID when you try to activate it offline. Maybe make some screenshots so we can help you more easily.

duncan-goddard wrote on 9/2/2020, 2:23 PM

no, not catalina. there's a dozen other reasons why I'm not doing catalina- loads of 32-bit apps that will just stop working (I know, I tried it), & I resent that enormously when I've paid- in some cases- hundreds of bucks for software. no, this is simply the way magix do the licensing, which is different than either sony or sonic foundry did it. at the point of starting the app, it checks for valid licensing in the background, & if it fails you get the error message & then the app shuts. no ifs, no buts, no 'call the manufacturer', no 'you need to de-authorise this on your other mac...' which would be the GROWN-UP way to do this.
so if you really want to help, which I'm sure you do, here's what I see. I click OK & the app quits. not friendly.

SP. wrote on 9/2/2020, 2:35 PM

Here is an older topic where some user solved the same problem by downgrading to MacOS Sierra. https://www.magix.info/us/forum/soundforge-stopped-working--1244578/

You are sure that you installed the correct version? Don't mix the Suite and Non-Suite serials. That will not work.

duncan-goddard wrote on 9/2/2020, 2:53 PM

it's the right version- it's worked perfectly on the machine that this one is a clone of.
this mac's never been lower than high sierra, though, & even if it's just a workaround to get the license working, I'm not prepared to compromise a perfectly good machine for the sake of a licensing issue on one app.

do magix still sell SFP? if they do, I'd want better support for license transfers than this. I've no intention of using it on multiple machines at the same time, & there are ways of allowing users to transfer licenses, even without the dreaded ilok. but if they're not still making money out of it, they should fix the license server so that when the app checks, it gets green-lit wherever the request has come from. you can't just stop supporting a product & then stiff the people who've paid for it.
or maybe you can.... >checks EULA< 😖😖

SP. wrote on 9/3/2020, 5:45 AM

Did I understand you correctly, that you cloned the hard drive to a different computer? That could be the reason for your problems.

emmrecs wrote on 9/3/2020, 9:15 AM

@duncan-goddard

I believe @SP. is perfectly correct here. The computer ID is created from ALL the hardware on your machine, not just the hard drive, as I understand it

Jeff

shgrude wrote on 9/3/2020, 9:46 AM

@duncan-goddard

Try this. Login to the Magix Service Center:
https://www.magix.com/us/support/my-service-center/

Open My products.

Find the SoundForge for Mac
Click on Show more details
Unregister one or both of the registrations
Now try to activate your license from SoundForge on your Mac.