I've just had to deactivate/activate after replacing the IDE boot drive with a new, larger SATA drive, i.e the PC will henceforth boot from SATA. I had transferred the entire IDE drive using Acronis True Image, then disconnected the IDE and removed it from the PC. I recovered the disk image to the new SATA drive. The SATA drive booted up immediately. No problems with SATA drivers or anything. (And this is on Windows XP nota bene!)

However, when I started Edit Pro 2015 Plus, the very first screen I saw was a warning about new hardware. Then I was guided through various popups to deactivate the program first, which would then allow me to "activate a new device". I must say, the screens are not awfully explanatory here. I was expecting to have to telephone Magix to get the prog running again.

Anyway, it finally worked and said that the product was now successfully activated. On one of the screens I do recall seeing something like: "You can only deactivate once per month..." However, nowhere is this entire process of commissioning a new drive explained in any of the documentation!

Now that I've finally got my 500GB brand-new drive working and Edit Pro 2015 Plus is now also reoperational, I don't expect to ever have to decativate/activate again.

But it's a pretty hairy, anxiety-generating process, I can tell you.

Hi,

Glad to see that you got it working. I went through the same exercise about a year ago and had to reinstall all of my Magix software. I used Acronis. You may want to do a fresh install.

The 30-day thing is old and has been changed. If you do as Carl indicated and deactivate through your account, you should have no problem. You can also activate on two computers at once.

I would like to know more about swapping disks and the activation/deactivation process.

I very often swap my boot drive. Currently I have many disks that I use. I make my copies using Acronis True Image. My disks are removable by opening a 'door' on the front of the computer. This is a most convenient solution for me. If I install software I don't like then I just take another disk with a previous backup. I like to have various disks just in case something goes wrong. I remember I had to constantly re-activate MEP 2015 but up to now I hadn't linked this to my swapping disks. I swap disks maybe 2-3 times a month, it depends. The disks are not necessarily the same size/brand.

I don't use Magix programs that often, but all the same, is this going to be a problem for MEP 2017? I hope not...

My computer hardware normally remains unchanged. Same m/b, same CPU. However, all my disks are removable. Not only is this highly convenient, but I can fit a 2.5" disk and a 3.5" disk in one 5.25" tray. A great space saver and much tidier/faster than using USB drives.

I used to use multiple drawer-type drive racks too, but have gone away from them now. But each time you stick a different rack (i.e. drive) in, Magix is going to think it's a different PC, thus requiring the deactivate/reactivate malarkey. There's no way around it that I know of, and Magix are rather cagey about the deactivation/reactivation process, as if they'd really prefer customers to buy more licences instead. That would mean that you'd need a separate licence for each drive rack! A costly solution.

I'm using Edit Pro 2015 Plus, so I cannot say what later versions, e.g. MEP 2017, may or may not require.

On the drive rack usage, I did find that occasionally the rack drawer wasn't seated properly in the rack and then I got all sorts of problems, including corrupting Windows at one stage. That's one of the reasons why they fell out of favour with me. Also drives are so cheap nowadays you could have four drives in your PC and just swap the SATA cable depending on which one you wanted to boot from. That means taking off the side cover, but no biggie. Maybe real techie geeks have an even better suggestion. I've known about mulitple boot alternatives for years, but never looked into the subject.

I used to use rack drawers too but now I just have the 'holder' if you can call it that. You just put in the raw HD. One 2.5" and one 3.5" per 5.25" slot. Then there's a 'door' which you close. This pushes the raw HD into the standard SATA connector. I agree it's not a perfect solution and you have to be sure the HD is correctly aligned, but it certainly saves the hassle of opening up the PC. If I have to activate/deactivate all the time, this is going to be a major hassle, so I hope is not the case. I also assume you can activate/deactivate an unlimited number of times? In reality I most probably swap my disk(s) at the most 20 times a year and most likely don't use more than 5 different disks. I've been using this system for over 15 years and have no intention of changing my foolproof habit.

Using disks you can swap has another great advantage with any backup Image. I first backup my boot drive to an image on an external USB 4TB drive (always alternating between 2 or more drives). Then I swap the boot disk and restore the image onto the 'new' drive in order to confirm the backup was successful. I don't trust the Acronis 'verify' parameter. After that point I continue using the 'new' disk. I prefer to be on the safe side and can't afford not having a backup I can rely on. I do realize that most people don't realize how important it is to backup their data on a regular basis, but my backups have saved me weeks of work a good number of times.

I'm secretly hoping Magix only check the CPU and m/b info for their security checks in MEP 2017 and will be very disappointed if this is not the case. I'm keeping my fingers crossed...

 

I'm secretly hoping Magix only check the CPU and m/b info for their security checks in MEP 2017 and will be very disappointed if this is not the case. I'm keeping my fingers crossed...

Hopefully, Magix reads these comments! In my case yesterday, the only hardware change was IDE boot drive to SATA boot drive. Everything else stayed the same.

Hi

@ LittleTyke

. . . . Magix are rather cagey about the deactivation/reactivation process, as if they'd really prefer customers to buy more licences instead . . . .

There is nothing unusual or cagey about the activation process - the licencing of MEP/VPX/MMM etc is for a single user/active computer. You can install on multiple computers, however only use one at a time.

To switch computers there are 2 ways of deactivating / activating

1. Start up the none activated program on the new computer you wish to use - you should be prompted that the installation is not activated and do you wish to activate - doing so will deactivate the other computer activation.
    
2. Logon on the the magix.com website, login to your account and under My Products you can activate / deactivate the appropriate computer - you should already have activated each installation to do this.

Originally this could only be done once per month, however this restriction was dropped.

As an example, this enables you to have a laptop installation as well a 'home PC' installation and switch computers for example when on holiday.

If a user requires to use multiple computers at the same time, ie multiple seat working, then a licence is needed for each computer.

You are correct when saying

. . . each time you stick a different rack (i.e. drive) in, Magix is going to think it's a different PC . . .

A lot of software uses a registration, computer ID, serial number combination which is keyed to items such as motherboard ID, hard drive ID and other hardware / Windows combinations to prevent counterfeiting and cracking. Microsoft Windows has been doing this for a long while.

@ peter-scholl

. . . . most people don't realize how important it is to backup their data on a regular basis, but my backups have saved me weeks of work a good number of times . . . .

You could not have said a truer statement!

The number of times I have had users say 'I deleted the files because I have completed the work, project, topic, etc ' is beyond belief.

I use a different backup strategy to yours - the probability of a hard drive failure, loss of data, virus infection etc is very low when reasonable precautions are taken.

. . . . I'm secretly hoping Magix only check the CPU and m/b info for their security checks in MEP 2017 and will be very disappointed if this is not the case . . .

Having had issues with the Windows 10 upgrade from 8, and the Anniversary update with Movie Edit Pro and Music Maker, I think the activation process is a much more complex method for generating the computer ID key part of the activation then just checking the m/b and cpu.

You do not normally see the the computer id unless you register / activate the software manually instead of online.

HTH

John EB

You are correct when saying

. . . each time you stick a different rack (i.e. drive) in, Magix is going to think it's a different PC . . .

If this is the case, then I will not be happy at all

A lot of software uses a registration, computer ID, serial number combination which is keyed to items such as motherboard ID, hard drive ID and other hardware / Windows combinations to prevent counterfeiting and cracking. Microsoft Windows has been doing this for a long while.

There is absolutely no problem with Windows if you swap the boot HD. At least to date I've never had any problems, and I've been doing it this way for at least 15 years. This was especially true when SSDs started to emerge. Larger SSDs were very expensive, so I started with 64GB models, then they became cheaper and my SSDs were running out of space so I swapped them for 128GB drives, which soon became cheaper and full so I now have 256GB SSDs, but these are also slowly becoming full...

I have nothing against the policy of one license per PC, but Magix must do it correctly. To me, a CPU should be considered as a computer, nothing less, nothing more. If you swap your CPU then you have a different PC. I can also accept a PC as being a combination of a m/b and a CPU. In these cases deactivation and activation is fine and I'm sure no one would complain.

What I cannot accept is if Magix really does consider a boot disk as being a PC. That is just not logical. So many people swap their disk when it becomes full. And if they use a 'rack' for their boot drive, then to count the boot drive as a PC is absurd!

In another post I read that Magix wanted a user to PAY for a new activation because it had been more than a year ago since he bought the program. If it's true, then this policy is more than sick.

I will soon be testing with different boot disks, and I really hope what you say is not true and there is no problem using different disks...

There is absolutely no problem with Windows if you swap the boot HD

True, but there can be BIG problems with other software, not just MAGIX, which effectively sees itself as "licensed" to a specific combination of hardware on your computer; when you "change" that hardware (as in, fit a different system drive) the "licence" can become invalid.

In another post I read that Magix wanted a user to PAY for a new activation because it had been more than a year ago since he bought the program.

I suspect this may be a misunderstanding on your part of the "365" concept; under this system of software production, a purchaser now "buys" a licence which allows for any and all updates to be supplied by MAGIX for a period of 365 days (one year) from the original date of purchase. At the end of that period the purchaser has the option to buy a new licence (presumably for the next 365 days) in order to continue to benefit from any patches or updates/upgrades which MAGIX may offer. If the user chooses NOT to renew their licence the software will not stop working, it will simply never be updated. However, if, at some future date, a reinstall of the software is needed it will revert to the version that was originally purchased so any updates originally added during the initial license period will NOT be reinstated following any reinstall.

The above is my understanding of the current situation. I'm sure JohnEB will correct me if I'm wrong!

Jeff

Hi

.. . . There is absolutely no problem with Windows if you swap the boot HD . . .

In the case of Windows changing just the hard drive will not affect activation, however changing the motherboard can be considered a new computer and reactivation may become necessary.

. . . . In another post I read that Magix wanted a user to PAY for a new activation because it had been more than a year ago . . . .

If this is the topic I think it is, this is referring to the new licensing system of some Magix products ie the 365 Guarantee where it is subscription based, however if stop paying the subscription the program will no longer update or get new features after the end of the last subscribed year.

The program is still usable, however if you then decide to restart the subscription, eg after a year without updates, then you effectively have buy a new licence because the current version will be different from the none updated version.

This is slowly becoming the de facto method of releasing / licensing software.

. . . . So many people swap their disk when it becomes full . . .

The practice of frequently swapping OS discs is unusual and in my experience rarely done. Disk imaging and centralised 'auto installation' being the most common methods.

However a much more common practice was data disk swapping, particularly in large companies, project departments eg design studios, video production and software development work, etc. This does not occur so much now NAS storage devices, local storage servers and 'cloud storage' are available at a more economical prices per terabyte.

. . . . What I cannot accept is if Magix really does consider a boot disk as being a PC. That is just not logical . . . .

This is a very common licensing practice with many large and small software companies. A variation of this, particularly in education, is the 'per seat' system where you can install on as many PC's as you wish, however only the purchased number of 'seats' can be used at any one time - in this scenario there is generally a centralised 'licencing computer' controlling the software or the software is 'network aware' of its 'operating environment' and how many installations are running.

John EB

My situation is that I still use Windows XP. I do have a PC running Windows 7, but there is so much about Windows 7 that p..... me off (and don't get me started on 8 and 10) that I tend to only use it for online banking and a few other jobs for which XP is deemed too old. (Even Firefox will, or has already, discontinue(d) updates for XP; Chrome did it yonks ago.) Although retired, I still like writing software for my own enjoyment and to give me exactly the tools I want, rather than live with the quirks of bought-in software. So I'm sticking with XP for as long as it works.

However, the latest version of Edit Pro won't work on XP. I believe it was the 2015 edition that was the last one that supported XP officially. So when I decided that Video Easy 5 HD was too much like a toy, and instead decided to get Edit Pro (I had already tried the trial version), off I went to Amazon only to discover that the current version ain't any good for XP! But I managed to track down two or three Amazon Marketplace sellers who were offering 2015 (brand-new, unopened, sealed). I bought one of them a week ago for under £30. It installed and activated fine.

But I am loathe to even "ask" the online updater in EDP whether there are any updates pending, just in case Magix throws a wobbly and deactivates my EDP on the basis that updates can only be provided for the current version. Leave well alone, is my current watchword, i.e. if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

It's not like I wanna compete with Hollywood or anything. Just as long as I can cut out a few frames, manipulate the sound and save the edited video, that's enough for me.

At the moment I'm still getting to grips with EDP 2015 Plus, but it is so much more satisfying than using the very primitive Video Easy HD. Maybe one day I'll get a (much) faster PC that I can install Windows 10 on (I wouldn't want a new PC with preinstalled 10; I'd want a DVD I can hold in my hand, just like I have for Windows 7) and then go back to Magix for its latest version. 2019, perhaps? Dunno whether I'd qualify for any discount as a 2015 user, though.

After all this discussion about activating and deactivating, I remember seeing this particular gem:

"Windows activation is a funny thing, because it only really seems to punish legitimate users."

Now, that is talking about Windows activation, but I get somewhat of the same feeling from Magix software, as if they don't trust us very much.

It's not a good feeling.

Hi

. . . . I still use Windows XP. . . . .

Do you mean the Windows XP 32 bit edition? See this article for how to find this.

. . . . EDP 2015 Plus. . . .

By EDP do you mean Movie Edit Pro - if so then this is abbreviated as MEP?

. . . . I wouldn't want a new PC with preinstalled 10; I'd want a DVD . . . .

Don't let this put you off getting a computer with Windows 10 pre-installed - you can get better deals on pre-built systems and on first start up you can create a recovery disc - see this article for more details and methods, re-installation from recovery disc is faster than using a Windows installation disc.

John EB

Yes, Windows 32-bit. The Windows 7 version is also 32-bit.

Yep, MEP 2015 Plus is what I was supposed to have written! Sorry.

Sorry, but I've been through that recovery disk malarkey several times. I still prefer to own a hard-copy of the DVD or CD). Costs a bit more, but I then have Total Control (strokes white cat...).

Hi

Thanks for the information.

Your editing requirements are straight forward, however you may come across some of the performance limitations of using the 32 bit version of the program if you are editing Full HD (1920 * 1080) video.

I do hope the cat does not have expensive tastes in diamond jewellry !

John EB

Well, yes, there are indeed promises of loads of tantalising extra features with the 64-bit version, but let's not run before we can walk. Maybe this will be the impetus for me to start looking for a new computer.

Hi

@ LittleTyke

. . . .but let's not run before we can walk . . .

A very sound philosophy.

Happy editing

John EB