@AgentSam

Please refer to this step by step guide to contact support.

Forum Moderator 

@PATIENT-X

Hello, Patient-X (moderator).

Thank you for your reply.

As far as "bad language" goes -- you do understand, that as a customer one might expect the program to work "as advertised" without some MAJOR work-breaking hickups at the last moment -- right before saving! Some "bad language" felt completely justified !

I am absolutely enraged by this type of behavior in applications.

Isn't it just lovely, when companies treat their customers like criminals / pirates.

Just, awesome, I say.

@AgentSam

Hi

Please bear in mind this is a public user to user forum, there are no Magix employees here.

I believe software apps needs to be validated every month with an active internet connection?

In order to help you out as a user myself, I read in other forums that reinstalling the software solved the issue.

A user here in the community may offer you a better solution regarding your issues.

Forum Moderator 

@AgentSam

Hi

See this thread here

Forum Moderator 

I read in other forums that reinstalling the software solved the issue.

I'm afraid that might be exactly what I will end up having to do -- AND losing all my current work.

This will count as a very large minus, in my opinion of SoundForge PRO. This is pure stupidity.

I paid for the product and now Magix thinks it needs to check on me every month. Yea, right. Why not. Here you go Magix, please allow a moment while I open all my firewalls for you. There you go. Happy now?

(No. That will never happen.)

I'll tell you right now, that if I lose all of my work in SoundForge PRO now, I won't take another look at it. I'll go to alternatives right after the uninstall, like I propably should have from the start.

I did not know, when installing SoundForge PRO, that I would get such a FINE DRM imposed upon me.

@PATIENT-X:

Hey, in reply to your last post:

> See this thread here

I checked that thread, and the user had the same error message, but a different use-case.

He had installed SoundForge PRO on a second PC (requiring second activation).

But in my case, I have not changed the machine, nor installed SoundForge on a second PC.

I am STILL using the SAME PC onto which SoundForge PRO was initially installed/activated. (So, that's where my case differs from his.)

I can confirm this, by looking at My Account > My Products.. which only shows 1 activation, on my main work PC.

@AgentSam

Okay I see you have seen my click on link thread, it was in case you had a second Pc, just trying to help you with a solution.

Forum Moderator 

there are no Magix employees here

This does not surprice me the least. Magixs seems to have gone OUT OF THEIR WAY, to make it extremely difficult to contact any actual live tech-support.

A sure mark of excellence, isn't it? 😁

Did you read the other thread I linked?

Yes, I also replied regarding it here.

(Unless the forum software sent my reply into bitspace.)

 just trying to help you with a solution.

I appreciate that.

My bitterness is not directed at you.. I'm simply very very disappointed in the software and the DRM they are using. What a sad state of affairs.

You've been very decent and courteus with me.

@AgentSam

If your option is to uninstall which seems to fix the issue, use the free Revo uninstaller which removes remnants in the registry and Reinstall sound forge.

Or you can click on my link to contact support and raise a ticket.

Forum Moderator 

use the free Revo uninstaller

Now you're just being mean. 😅

Surely, I won't need a separate application, just to get rid of this one. 😄

But, yea, I WILL first send a support request.

Found that "SEND A SUPPORT REQUEST"-link, at the very very end of a long trail.

This is so ridiculous, that I can't help but be amused by all of this.

How is MAGIX able to keep ANY customers, I wonder.

@AgentSam

The manufacturer requirement for software to periodically "phone home" to verify the existence of a valid licence is now very common; it is certainly NOT limited to Magix products. Some other softwares actually cease completely to work if an online check fails or is blocked by the user.

The suggestion from @PATIENT-X to use the free Revo Uninstaller was to try and ensure that everything from the previous installation was removed; often items that the default uninstaller leaves behind are the very things that prevent a successful reinstall! If you are worried about the possibility of losing any of your existing project files, why not copy them to a different location before beginning the uninstall?

Just remember one thing: once reinstalled, you will have to verify your licence by online connection to the Magix server. Then your account will show two activations. It would then be advisable to deactivate the installation that is no longer in use.

Jeff
Forum Moderator

The manufacturer requirement for software to periodically "phone home" to verify the existence of a valid licence is now very common

The "commonness" of something is not a valid argument for such behavior to exist. It is also common, and reasonable, to expect that customers not be treated as criminals or pirates. This is exactly the type of case, where the users of pirated software are NOT hindered by this sillyness, while actual paying customers ARE.

The suggestion from @Patient-X to use the free Revo Uninstaller was to try and ensure that everything from the previous installation was removed

I am aware of that. I guess my "joking reply" to the suggestion, was not indicative of the fact that I actually have a masters in computer science -- in addition to my aspirations as an audio engineer. So, sorry about that -- I just get tired of this DRM sillyness very easily.

If you are worried about the possibility of losing any of your existing project files, why not copy them to a different location before beginning the uninstall?

I'm assuming you failed to notice, from my first post, that -- I have an ACTIVE PROJECT OPEN, with work that has been done to it -- and when I started SoundForge 12 PRO, it DID NOT complain about a missing license.

Now, when I'm ready to save my work -- I find this sillyness. It's insane beyond comprehension. I WILL lose my currently active project, because the program did not inform me of this problem until I tried to save. Very smart coding, isn't it?

(And also, very stupid of me -- to assume, that SoundForge would still work, like it did the last time. OF COURSE it doesn't. Of course. Silly me.)

Just remember one thing: once reinstalled, you will have to verify your licence by online connection to the Magix server.

I am fully aware of that, nor am I trying to circumvent the license validation check.

However, there was no indication at installation, that once the software has been activated, it would still need to "call home" every month.

And now -- here we are.. With a project that will be lost. And a program that's making me crazy, because of it's DRM. If I HAD pirated this software, I propably would NOT have this problem, right? Does it make any sense in this way, to make your customers suffer, while pirates are free to circumvent whatever "call home" measures SoundForge has. It's just inconceivable. I paid -- so I must suffer. Makes sense, right?

So, nothing new in your reply really -- but thank you for the reply anyway -- there were these few points I obviously needed to clarify.

Oh, by the way -- now, with my project about to be lost, and the program refusing to save ... even if I NOW opened up all outbound access for the SoundForge PRO application, it won't attempt a license check anymore. (Tried it. Dead end.)

This app has been coded in a way to cause maximum possible harm to paying customers.

It's absolutely delightful!

@AgentSam

Does Sound Forge autosave or make backup files of projects stored in a tmp folder for example?

If and when you restart the computer, does a message come up to recover project? 

Forum Moderator

Does Sound Forge autosave or make backup files of projects stored in a tmp folder for example?

This is a valid question -- one which might allow me to "somehow" save a copy of the work, which SoundForge is now refusing to save.

However, I believe, even if we did find such a solution, it would pretty much fall under "circumventing copy protection measures" -- and as such, be unpostable on this forum.

And yes, I could even attach a gosh-darnit debugger to the process -- or use SysInternals Process Monitor to see what the program saves and where (including those temp files).

But, darnit, as a paying customer am I supposed to crack this program, before it allows me to use it as intended. Un-xxxx believable!

If and when you restart the computer, does a message come up to recover project? 

I'll let you know. But I'm pretty sure it won't be "so kind".

I assume you tried saving to another folder or different format, such as PCM which does not need registration like MP3 and AAC.

Then your account will show two activations

When SF is uninstalled and reinstalled back to the same PC, it does not count as an additional activation.. unless.. the OS was reinstalled and a new computer ID is created.
But as @emmrecs stated, the PC must be online for the serial number can be verified and the encoders re-licensed (which needs no user input) .

Regarding a Magix tech support request, see my 'cheat sheet' (instructions) from this post. ..

@AgentSam

Hi

"An error occurred while creating the media file. There is no license to use this software".
The error message can pop up if you are disconnected or your ethernet cable is unplugged. You must be connected before launching software,in this case Sound Forge Pro as it is required for software to periodically "phone home" to verify the existence of a valid licence, if this process was interrupted this could introduce the above error.

Forum Moderator

@rraud Hi rraud, and welcome to the "thread of doom and despair".

I assume you tried saving to another folder or different format, such as PCM which does not need registration like MP3 and AAC.

Yea, you assumed correctly.

I tried a few other formats besides PCM/WAV, such as OGG Flac. It had no effect on the issue.

Always the same result: "An error occurred while creating the media file. There is no license to use this software".

When SF is uninstalled and reinstalled back to the same PC, it does not count as an additional activation.. unless.. th@re OS was reinstalled and a new computer ID is created.

Yea, I've read the documentation on that. Can't remember exactly where I encountered the info, though -- but I think it was in the online "My Service Center", when I looked at my current product activations.

Oh, and, no -- the OS has not been reinstalled. Sound Forge PRO used to work just fine; which is the reason I fell into this trap in the first place. It did not inform me of any issues, until I had recoded a live sesson and at the end tried to save it.

I cannot repeat enough times how insane that is.

But as @emmrecs stated, the PC must be online for the serial number can be verified and the encoders re-licensed (which needs no user input) .

Yea. I know, and I'm not opposed to the program doing it's initial activation, as that's fairly "normal" by todays standards.

However -- can you think of ANY REASON, why a program should have to check for my license EVERY darn month, even when I have a lifetime/unlimited/unexpiring license to the software!

All I can say is, that it's INSANE. How do they justify that.

I'll will allow Magix, without complaint, to keep track of my "number of product activations" all they want. I'll give them that. But -- to keep "calling home every month", even while I have a lifetime/unexpiring license, is... just ... uncalled for!
 

Regarding a Magix tech support request, see my 'cheat sheet' (instructions) from this post. ..

I managed to send the "support ticket" yesterday. Got the initial auto-reply too:

"Thank you very much for your inquiry. Your support ticket has been created. Your ticket will be processed within the next few days."

They haven't answered with any more details yet, though. I'll keep waiting "a few days", because I'm extremely curious as to what sort of nonsense they will reply with.

Oh, and yes -- I am infinitely amused by the super convoluted support ticket submission process. (It confirms what I said earlier; Magix has gone totally OUT OF THEIR WAY to hide that support option.)

"An error occurred while creating the media file. There is no license to use this software".

The error message can pop up if you are disconnected or your ethernet cable is unplugged.

Or, if I have a firewall enabled, or if I have a filtering proxy, or for a multitude of other reasons, many of which even beyond my control (such as ASP downtime or a local cabling issue where a construction site has damaged the ground wires) -- where the program is not able to reach the server.

Yes, yes and yes. I know.

However, I would expect that Sound Forge PRO would IMMEDIATELY inform me of such a license validation problem, upon program startup.

Not only AFTER A LIVE RECORDING SESSION, when at the end of everything, it will gleefully popup that message and completely refuse to save anything!

IT IS INSANITY - BY DESIGN.

You must be connected before launching software, in this case Sound Forge Pro, as it is required for software to periodically "phone home" to verify the existence of a valid licence, if this process was interrupted this could introduce the above error.

Also, as it is very, very common, for connection issues to occur -- it should also be very very easy to redo the license validation check from within the program when connection has been restored.

This is not the case. Sound Forge PRO does NOT offer any way to remedy the situation -- except possibly by a complete and total reinstall.

Again -- INSANITY by design. This software should not even be sold or recommended to anyone for doing professional audio editing. This licensing system is a complete joke. Anyone who encounters this after a live recording session, will not even consider using this software anymore; or at least, should not. This is simply unacceptable.

SIDENOTE: Edited a few of my previous replies to make use of the "block-quote"-feature, since this forum software does not recognize ">" markup for block-quotes. (Message content in the edited replies remains unchanged.)