iLok machine activation blown out (also Waves, but fixed that)

[Starship Krupa]

2 minutes ago, Grem said:

I don't want to pay someone else for the ability to use what I already bought.

Says the guy with enough UAD hardware to start his own space program. ?❤

I get it, I do. But, personally, I just see the iLok as another piece of hardware, like my audio interfaces or MIDI controller or whatever, that's part of making music with my computer system. The brand new price of the dongles seems high, but once you get into used iLok 2's, it gets closer to reality. I can, if I wish, use the local authorization.

And heck, my iLok 2 does after all, allow me to take those licenses anywhere I want to. As someone with too many computers who also likes to do music when he's traveling, that's a bonus.

I also understand how the idea of buying a $40 trinket in order to use plug-ins that cost $10 each (in the case of my AiR and Exponential products) seems rather ridiculous. And believe me, the "I turned off my network card and had to reset all of the iLok licenses" fiasco makes me feel much less warm and fuzzy about those locally-stored iLok licenses. That's just bad programming and worse QA, to have the thing go casters-up just because someone tried something that is not uncommon in the world of DAW's. There are plenty of other bits of hardware that can be used to identify a computer system, they don't need to use a NIC.

[Grem]

4 minutes ago, Starship Krupa said:

There are plenty of other bits of hardware that can be used to identify a computer system, they don't need to use a NIC.

Most NICs are hardwired into the mainboard. That maybe why they chose that. It might cut down on the "I changed my hardware" support calls.

And I hear ya Erik on all you valid reasons for using iLOk. If it serves you well, by all means use it.

I bought a program long time ago that used Pace. Something went wrong and there was no recourse. I couldn't use the software any more. So I swore back then I would never use another product that uses Pace.

That was before they started charging for the service!! When that happened I thought no one would buy into that!! I thought "Nobody gonna pay for a dongle to put lic on!" I thought Pace and Steinberg were crazy when all that started. 

Show's you how much I know!!!

[abacab]

52 minutes ago, Starship Krupa said:

Surprisingly good performance from InMusic, although I helped out by emailing them directly with all the information they needed. The email address I used was softwaresales@inmusicbrands.com.  Way better than expected. In the past, I tried contacting them via their websites, and it didn't work. I suspect that trying to use the support forms on the old AiR and SONiVOX sites is like trying to use them on the old Cakewalk, Inc. site. Nobody on the other end.

My experience with them exactly! I have AIR, SONiVOX, and AKAI bundle licenses in my iLok account. They responded within 24 hours at softwaresales@inmusicbrands.com.

I believe that the keyword here is "softwaresales"! ?

I'm sure the company is still trying hard to sell some stuff. Support maybe, not so much... ?

 

 

 

[abacab]

18 minutes ago, Starship Krupa said:

And believe me, the "I turned off my network card and had to reset all of the iLok licenses" fiasco makes me feel much less warm and fuzzy about those locally-stored iLok licenses. That's just bad programming and worse QA, to have the thing go casters-up just because someone tried something that is not uncommon in the world of DAW's. There are plenty of other bits of hardware that can be used to identify a computer system, they don't need to use a NIC.

I agree with that, and thanks for the heads-up that Pace does that. I only ever encountered that issue with Waves. ?

[Doug Rintoul]

3 minutes ago, Grem said:

Most NICs are hardwired into the mainboard. That maybe why they chose that. It might cut down on the "I changed my hardware" support calls.

The problem is that iLok, eLicenser, and maybe Waves do not just use the hardwired NICs. I installed a VPN on my machine and suddenly my eLicenser plugins did not work because the VPN installed a virtual NIC. I have also installed PCI network adapters in the past and that messed up iLok. From my perspective, NICs are too volitile to be used to identify a machine.

[Starship Krupa]

1 minute ago, Grem said:

I bought a program long time ago that used Pace. Something went wrong and there was no recourse. I couldn't use the software any more. So I swore back then I would never use another product that uses Pace.

I'd have done the same. I guess I got lucky, the first PACE'd plug-in I got was when Eventide were giving away free licenses for UltraChannel. Late enough in the iLok game that it has mostly worked well over the years. To their slight credit, they do seem to be trying to make it less of a hassle, with this being able to issue reset requests from iLok Manager. After waiting for iZotope to get the message, though, I just sent them a reset request on their support web form.

When it comes to having to contact manufacturers for license resets, I had to reset my main DAW's Windows 10 installation, and wound up having to make license reset requests for WA Production and Soundspot licenses, which are both tied to the system in whatever way. Probably a key on the disk. You get a certain number of authorizations and then they don't allow any more. So on the hassle meter, it was about even. I doubt that WA or Soundspot allow deauthorizations either.

I think the smoothest way to handle it (other than not using any licensing scheme at all) is done by Plugin Alliance. You can deauthorize even offline systems from their website. Easy as pie, no manual reset requests, and it holds you to 3 authorizations.

[abacab]

2 minutes ago, Doug Rintoul said:

Waves do not just use the hardwired NICs. I installed a VPN on my machine and suddenly my eLicenser plugins did not work because the VPN installed a virtual NIC.

That was my exact issue with Waves. Unknown to me, they had used a virtual network adapter related to a network packet sniffer that I had installed years ago.

[lawajava]

Starship Krupa’s recovery saga seems to be going quite well!  But look at all the steps and dependencies. I have many more licenses than the 20 or so from this scenario.  With more licenses involved the zero downtime concept becomes a no brainer.

[Starship Krupa]

Wow, bad iZotope, even after filling out a support ticket on their site that included all of the activation numbers, my iLok ID, and the location ID of the ghosted system, no license resets yet. You know things are dire when friggin' SONiVOX beats you by a day (at least).

[Heath Row]

Well this thread made me purchase Zero DownTime, I have 113 Licenses, and reading this thread made me a little paranoid/worried.

One question for those with ZDT, did you enable Theft and Loss Coverage as well? My iLok never leaves it's comfy little slot, the machine never travels anywhere. I know it's included in the cost, but I am a little averse to turning things on unnecessarily.

[lawajava]

@heath row  yes that option is what allows you to refresh the list of your licenses with the backup system.

[Fleer]

So if I understand correctly, I should do the following when something happens to my iLok account carrying some 200 licenses: 

- just use the iLok Manager (free) to reset the machine activations;

- purchase ZDT ($30) and wait two weeks before using it to reset my dongle activations. 
 

Do I see clear?

 

Oh yeah, and ***** WUP  

 

[Heath Row]

8 minutes ago, Fleer said:

So if I understand correctly, I should do the following when something happens to my iLok account carrying some 200 licenses: 

- just use the iLok Manager (free) to reset the machine activations;

- purchase ZDT ($30) and wait two weeks before using it to reset my dongle activations. 
 

Do I see clear?

 

Oh yeah, and ***** WUP  

 

Be careful activating your dongle, especially in mixed company.?

[Fleer]

I’m (re)set ?

[abacab]

13 hours ago, Fleer said:

So if I understand correctly, I should do the following when something happens to my iLok account carrying some 200 licenses: 

- just use the iLok Manager (free) to reset the machine activations;

That bit only works if you can log on and perform the iLok activations from the currently activated machine. If the machine ID with the activations is inaccessible (crashed, lost, stolen, upgraded or anything that could have changed the internal machine ID) for any reason, you cannot do it remotely.

Your licenses will remain locked to the ghosted machine ID, until the publisher or ILok resets them.

Edited May 18, 2022 by abacab

[lawajava]

Thus Zero Downtime.

[abacab]

Ran across this old post at Reddit:

Your iLok, "Zero Downtime™" AND YOU: a primer

https://www.reddit.com/r/WeAreTheMusicMakers/comments/tw594/your_ilok_zero_downtime_and_you_a_primer/

Quote

Now grumble, get out your *****ing credit card, and go buy "zero downtime™" from those rapacious brigands because amazingly enough, Pace has figured out a way to make you want to pay them cash just to stop beating you up, like the bully in 2nd grade with your lunch money. If it makes you feel better about it, you can write up a diatribe and post it on the Internet. It's not like it'll actually change anything, but it might make take some of the sting out.

https://www.ilok.com/#!zdt-terms

https://www.ilok.com/#!license-manager

Edited May 18, 2022 by abacab

[antler]

It's probably a rarer occurrence, but what happens if your actual iLok dongle stops responding?

[abacab]

5 minutes ago, antler said:

It's probably a rarer occurrence, but what happens if your actual iLok dongle stops responding?

Well if you have zero downtime with theft and loss coverage AND a spare iLok dongle, you get temporary licenses to use while you RMA the broken dongle.

Details in the terms link in the post above yours.

Edited May 18, 2022 by abacab

[Starship Krupa]

48 hour update: I contacted iZotope last night and got email from their rep at 9:00AM my time (noon their time) saying "I have gone ahead and reset these iLok licenses."

Um, not yet, according to iLok Manager. They're still in iLimbo.

19 hours ago, Fleer said:

So if I understand correctly, I should do the following when something happens to my iLok account carrying some 200 licenses: 

- just use the iLok Manager (free) to reset the machine activations

As we have seen in my case study, that seems to result in about 60% of the companies responding.

With the rest, I've had to contact them directly, either via their support sites or (in the case of InMusic) email. Fortunately, I found that I can copy the activation codes and location ID from iLok Manager and paste it into email, so that made it much easier to do.

Everyone but iZotope got me my resets within 24 hours. My iZotope/Exponential resets still haven't come through.

Edited May 18, 2022 by Starship Krupa