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Demo mode: really? why why why?


Tom Riggs

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I was preparing to update Cakewalk and just for grins I started the program before doing it.  I was immediately warned that I was in demo mode.   Ok, no worries I closed Cakewalk and started the   Bandlab Assistant and it had and error and said I needed to install from the website.  I downloaded and installed the newest bandlab assistant and after logging in and waiting a few minutes Cakewalk was no longer in demo mode.  I went ahead and installed the newest update and so far no problems.

what concerns me in this is there needs to be a cleaner way to recover from this without having to download an update.  

I believe that Bandlab has no intentions to cut me/us off from the software but it just leaves me feeling a bit unsettled. 

sorry just needed to vent a little about this.

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Many wish there was an offline option. My studio has no internet access, so I bring the Cat in occasionally, and update everything at once. I’ve not had the BandLad Assistant issue that you experienced, but it pops up on the forum now and then. All in all, CbB is my DAW of choice, jumping through a few hoops; no big deal. 

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Updating in not required but the software does need to connect to the BandLab server periodically to renew its activation. Keeping the software current is a good idea though and updating renews the activation too.

That said, I like to keep at least the version I am currently running available after updating. I wrote a tool called Cakewalk Launchpad and one of its functions is the ability to switch between versions CbB. Before updating CbB, I make a copy of the existing install (keyboard shortcut K). After the update, I can switch between versions on demand. Currently a version of CbB is ~155MB so, keeping a couple of version online does not take much space.

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You likely are running a very old version of CbB if it prompted you. Periodic online activation is a requirement to use the software (as is the case with most other products). Its a small price to pay to get a full blown DAW with no restrictions. The newest update will give you advance notice when activation is required and won't block you ever while you are in a session, in the unlikely event that the rime rolls over.  You also need to periodically update BandLab assistant which is the delivery mechanism.

Its also in most users best interests to update the software periodically since we are constantly making the software better.

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1 hour ago, Noel Borthwick said:

You likely are running a very old version of CbB if it prompted you. Periodic online activation is a requirement to use the software (as is the case with most other products). Its a small price to pay to get a full blown DAW with no restrictions. The newest update will give you advance notice when activation is required and won't block you ever while you are in a session, in the unlikely event that the rime rolls over.  You also need to periodically update BandLab assistant which is the delivery mechanism.

Its also in most users best interests to update the software periodically since we are constantly making the software better.

I think I was running 2019.7

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That is very strange if you had 2019.07 since that shouldn't have timed out. You sure it was 2019.07 and not something from earlier this year?Did you see the message AFTER you ran BandLab assistant or did you launch Cakewalk first, see the message and then launch BandLab Assistant?

The only other thing I can think of is something changed your system in a way that confused the activation. Did you happen to save a screenshot? It would have listed an error code which will tell us why it displayed that message. That code would also be in the about box. Of course now that you installed again its fixed. Please note that if it happens again.

 

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14 minutes ago, Noel Borthwick said:

That is very strange if you had 2019.07 since that shouldn't have timed out. You sure it was 2019.07 and not something from earlier this year?Did you see the message AFTER you ran BandLab assistant or did you launch Cakewalk first, see the message and then launch BandLab Assistant?

The only other thing I can think of is something changed your system in a way that confused the activation. Did you happen to save a screenshot? It would have listed an error code which will tell us why it displayed that message. That code would also be in the about box. Of course now that you installed again its fixed. Please note that if it happens again.

 

Pretty sure it was 2019.7 but it could have been one version earlier.

I ran Cakewalk first before starting the Bandlab assistant.  Then closed Cakewalk and ran the assistant.  The assistant was the one that warned me there was an error and I had to manually update it (the assistant). 

I do not have the assistant run at startup.

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I'm a bit confused.  BandLab assistant doesn't show a demo mode error.  It is a standalone web app that needs to be periodically updated independently of Cakewalk since the back end changes. So the error you are referring to above is the fact that BA's automatic update failed for some reason.

Did you get a demo mode error (toast notification) within Cakewalk itself or was this exclusively in BA?

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1 minute ago, Noel Borthwick said:

I'm a bit confused.  BandLab assistant doesn't show a demo mode error.  It is a standalone web app that needs to be periodically updated independently of Cakewalk since the back end changes. So the error you are referring to above is the fact that BA's automatic update failed for some reason.

Did you get a demo mode error (toast notification) within Cakewalk itself or was this exclusively in BA?

Cakewalk displayed the demo mode.  The Assistant said there was an error instead of the normal screen after it connects and said I needed to update manually.

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Of all the ways to deal with software, this strikes me as one of the least intrusive. No dongle, no freakouts if your hard drive changes, no having to keep track of how many computers you've authorized. If all I need to do is let BandLab know from time to time that I still exist, that's okay with me.

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11 hours ago, Craig Anderton said:

Of all the ways to deal with software, this strikes me as one of the least intrusive. No dongle, no freakouts if your hard drive changes, no having to keep track of how many computers you've authorized. If all I need to do is let BandLab know from time to time that I still exist, that's okay with me.

I agree on most points but not as un-intrusive as a serial/key entered once and registered permently.  I'm just sayin'...

All in all it makes me think that at some point Bandlab may begin to charge for activation.  I'm not completely opposed to that after all I paid for yearly updates for more than 15 years. 

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3 hours ago, Tom Riggs said:

I agree on most points but not as un-intrusive as a serial/key entered once and registered permently.  I'm just sayin'...

I loved serial/key registration but unfortunately, its a thing of the past.

Software authorization has (and still is) moving in another direction than it was in the mid 2000's compared to now. More and more software is moving to online authorizing. Could be worse. Registered any Adobe products lately ?

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5 hours ago, Tom Riggs said:

I agree on most points but not as un-intrusive as a serial/key entered once and registered permently.  I'm just sayin'...

All in all it makes me think that at some point Bandlab may begin to charge for activation.  I'm not completely opposed to that after all I paid for yearly updates for more than 15 years. 

There are no plans for BandLab to charge for the core application. Meng has said on many occasions that BandLab believes in removing barriers to music creation.
We may charge for add on's at some point.

 

4 hours ago, HarryC said:

Cakewalk  falls also in demo mode if computer date is wrong. If date < as last use the demo mode appears.

Cheers

That is expected and the error code will reflect that.

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On 10/15/2019 at 3:09 PM, scook said:

Currently a version of CbB is ~155MB so, keeping a couple of version online does not take much space.

"My" copy of 2019.9 is 600MB...

On 10/15/2019 at 3:32 PM, Noel Borthwick said:

 Periodic online activation is a requirement to use the software (as is the case with most other products).

User friendly  products with fixed activation time I have used can display expiration time... I know, running Assistant periodically is possible, but...

I had 2019.3.  So

  • assistant need to be updated.
  • assistant can not update itself ("something went wrong")
  • downloaded and installed assistant manually

50MB. Well... tee, cigarette... downloaded.

In case of update:

  • "Update available", update button pressed
  • playing piano... having dinner... (takes more then 1 hour for me in case my daughter is watching Netflix)
  • "Update available" (no errors, nothing, like I have never pressed update button before and I have not seen slowly progressing download) 🙀
  • update button pressed... (waiting another 30 minutes - no one was using Internet at all this time)
  • "Update available" (no errors, nothing, like I have never pressed update button before and I have not seen slowly progressing download) 🙀🙀🙀
  • ok... I am smart... I have found downloaded file and run it manually, installed without problem 😉
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13 hours ago, Tom Riggs said:

I agree on most points but not as un-intrusive as a serial/key entered once and registered permently.  I'm just sayin'...

I totally get what you're saying,  but recently I had to re-build my system drive. The programs with "serial-key-entered-once-and-registered" by and large went okay because I'm pretty good about keeping a record of serial numbers, but some were tied to a different email account that no longer exists. I couldn't access my account because I couldn't get a password reset for an email that doesn't exist, so I had to ask support to help out. As much as I'm not an iLok fan, these days if I have the option to do iLok, I've found that makes it really easy when it's time to re-install software.

I do like the way Native Access works. I see more companies moving in that direction for paid software.

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