Waves Central Installer/Licenser Mac FIX

[lfm]

I'm really confused by this - one reason I hesitate after getting email from Waves yesterday.

When I had an update of Gold, even though in wup at the time, I had to fetch a new 9.2 license for it to get the then added Vitamin to Gold bundle - or I got this screaming nag screens about license violation.

If you get a nagging screen then the easiest solution is to just delete that particular plugin folder (like Vitamin) inside Waves\Plugins. Then everything works smoothly again and even if you are upgrading your plugins it will not be installed again.

Thanks for clarification, it helped.
It seems like a good update - not having to spend 20 minutes doing an install just because you bought one new plugin - if it does things more selectively now.

Last time I reported a bug I had to do three installs from scratch, all settings removed, one Waves did remotely - until they could reproduce, they thought something was wrong in my system.

[dave68]

Hello world!

I have a musical studio and i bought a LOT of music hardware/software and plugins, included 3/4 of Waves plugins. I teach in a school too (music/hd recording etc). About a week ago suddenly disappeared from my mac all the Waves licenses (8 core Xeon on 10.7.5 OS... I cannot -and i won't- upgrade my OS because of various sw/hd drivers will stop working). I don't know why it happened, but the licenses have gone. So i tried to recover the Waves licenses using the wlc's "Recover Licenses" but this was not possible because the wlc itself allows me only to download their latest Waves Central. So i upgraded to this one but it crashed on startup and i had to open an assistance request to Waves. They told me to upgrade my system and use their Waves Central compatible only with OS 10.8 and up (although i told them i cannot upgrade my OS) or else use a on a pc with a Win 7-10, download Waves Central, transfer my licenses on a USB key, use this key to transfer the licenses back to my mac... very annoying but if this the only way... So a friend of mine borrowed me a laptop and i've done all this stuff... but still there was no way to send back the licenses from the USB key to my mac because the wlc keeps on only to allow me to download their latest Waves Central and nothing else. I asked them what to do and they said essentially "we don't know, just keep the licenses on your USB key..."!!! After this there has been 3 or 4 emails where in short they told me how cool will be their 9.6 vs 9.3 and things like why they had to abandon older systems because it's a big work to maintain, test, fix code and support all the OS's, DAW's, platforms and products with their limited resources (!!!??), etc..


My answer:

"Thanks for the answer... I understand your point, and almost everything that you said, but one thing i cannot understand at all. "wlc has been retired"... it's ok, you can do this for everyone that uses newer system but for someone like me that has installed and licensed the plugins with the 'old' wlc, why on earth you would not let me repeat exactly the same thing as done some months ago? I have already installed v 9.3 and a backup of the installer , i just want to transfer my license from the usb key to the pc... and you don't have a solution for this? I have again to be stuck with a sort of iLok that you stopped to use time ago, thanks God?. I have hundreds of plugins from many developers but this is absolutely the first time i have such a problem for reinstall and re-license something that i've paid for. It's nothing you have to reprogram or release again. It's only the same thing you already let me do time ago, same software, same system. You have not to test this software: it was already working, so what's so impossible to do?"


Their answer was a long advertising on all the new features of v9.6 that leads to not being able to deploy licenses using older wlc. I really would like to publish their mail because it was interesting in many, many aspects, but since it is a private communication i'm not allowed doing so...


and finally my answer:

"Hi yyyyyy,

Let me explain too...
I understand that this 9.6 will be a cool thing, but this concerns people with newer systems, not me. I will never buy it because i won't upgrade my OS. And I won't upgrade my systems because it implies stop working both softwares (that i use often) and (expensive) hardwares that have not drivers for newer OS. So the simple upgrade to newer systems would cost me a lot more than the worth of the free upgrade that Apple's OS insists to give me. And in any case, i will not upgrade any machine that's perfectly working (except for this thing that happened with your license) just to make happy Apple with their whistle and bells. The last time I had to config the whole system from scratch it took me and my colleagues more than a month. For me using the version 9.6 is not so vital: you are not the first company i stopped to follow because they release only sw for newer systems. That's perfectly logical, a company has to move on, as it's logical i will keep to follow only the sw companies that release apps compatible with my OS. But for sure you are the only company that you treated me like this: having a way to reactivate my licenses on the mac is an obvious request, and a way to backup these licenses is absolutely vital, since your behavior. I understand that you have technical issues that you cannot resolve (...omissis...) but this is not my business... I've payed you not only for using your software but for the support that you had to assure me too on resolving EVERY problem related with your software and now this support is gone (your solutions: upgrade my system or keep it as it is now and sorry... use the USB key... p.s.: i know i can use it as a file storage). So i ask myself, why buy your software?

I work both as a music/recording/mixing teacher and as a producer (plus i have a business in sw programming, IT etc). I teach the use of your sw (together with the one of other companies) in a school and tomorrow, in full contradiction of what i've always said them, i'll start my lesson with: "You know guys, you were absolutely right in using pirated software. There's no reason to buy software when after all a company like Waves is only interested in your money much more than the reason why you gave them". I'll tell them the story and then i will ask them for a pirated copy of the software i bought legally from you, i will install in my mac only the plugins that i bought from you and i will start using this pirated software, "licensing" my mac in another way, and doing in this way what you are not able to do. You (the software house) forced me using pirated software instead of the regularly payed software because you don't know how to resolve my licensing problem (or you judge my system too old to make it work again as before). After this i will publish online the whole story, so that other peoples can ask themselves too for the reason to buy (your) software. This time i'm REALLY disappointed.

Thanks for the "support" and goodbye."


...guess what? They didn't answer me no more.


Hope you'll find interesting, and sorry for being so long-winded.

[Arrested Developer]

Trouble is, many Mac users may have problems running it as I have found, and its bloody annoying. It turns out this is because of Apple's tight control on security in order to protect its system from potential threats. As a result the app may appear as "damaged" and won't run.

...

On 10.6.8 it does not open, whatever i try.
I wanted to transfer my licenses to an usb stick, but no chance.
The old WOLI doesn't work anymore.
Hope the support will answer....

[Nightpolymath]

See the reply before you. It runs on 10.8 only.

[Arrested Developer]

See the reply before you. It runs on 10.8 only.

Thanks for your answer.
Now, that's crap.
I have no intention to update my old computer just for a license transfer.
I hope their support will provide a workaround....

[Robmobius]

Thanks Simon, this was wreaking my head. Installing all my Waves stuff now.

[softska]

Eh, I can't even update to 10.8 and I still have a license stuck in my old macbook that I use. This is screwed up.

[Arrested Developer]

Eh, I can't even update to 10.8 and I still have a license stuck in my old macbook that I use. This is screwed up.

I hope, the waves guys will offer a workaround...
Waiting for the reply of the support.

[simon.a.billington]

There is a new Waves Central app out for installing and maintaining your plugins, if anyone cares.

Trouble is, many Mac users may have problems running it as I have found, and its bloody annoying. It turns out this is because of Apple's tight control on security in order to protect its system from potential threats. As a result the app may appear as "damaged" and won't run.

I don't know whether Waves is aware of this issue but I figured a way around it. Here are the steps if anyone is interested...

Goto System Preferences -> Security & Privacy -> Firewall and unlock it

Select Firewall Options, add Waves Central to "Allow Incoming Connections"

Simon I've just tried installing Waves Central 1.0.1.2 which has just been released.
I can not open it once installed as I get a message saying "it is damaged and can't be opened" and that I should trash it.
I've tried that and reinstalling several times.

No change.

The fix you are suggesting is only relevant if you have your OS X system preference Firewall turned on, correct ?

I don't use my Firewall, it is Off.

I've reported the WC 1.0.1.2 "damaged" issue to Waves.

I didn't get the "damaged" message with the original version of WC.
The only problem I had and am still having is the slow loading of new instances of the 9.6 AU plugins in Logic 10.2, including about 4 or 5 secs of the dreaded spinning beach ball of death.

cheers

cheers

EDIT UPDATE: Ok just by going to System Preferences > Security & Privacy > General and allowing Apps from Anywhere fixed the damaged file issue, while still having the firewall off.

Yeah sorry it took me a while to get back, its been so hectic around here.

That's an interesting turn of events, by the way.

While i was aware of setting the privileges to "Anywhere" fixed the issue, I wasn't prepared to leave my computer that vulnerable, so I figured out the solution with the Firewall, where I was able to retain my original permission setting.

If you have the Firewall off, and I have thought about doing that myself, the solution, of course, won't work. All I think you could do is exactly what you have done, set permissions to "Anywhere", at least for now.

I believe Waves is currently working with Apple looking for a solution.

[simon.a.billington]

Its a sad but certain truth that eventually, everything gets out dated.

It happens with operating systems, where they no longer run on older machines, it happens in DAWs, NLEs, other types of programs, it happens in hardware... Everything, even cars.

There's alway that point when you go to a mechanic to get an older car fixed when they turn around to you and say "Sorry, can't help you, they no longer make the parts for your car."

No one is immune.

I'm imagining this recent Waves update may upset a few. OS X 10.8 is already a few versions old. OS X 10.6.8 may just be too old. I also understand the plugins won't run in 32-bit Logic, so it's not just the OS that is getting hit.

Hopefully, I'm wrong about this, but some folks may need a new strategy. At the moment it either looks like update your software, or freeze everything at the previous revision, v9.r29, I think it is.

Hopefully Waves will make this available.

[Mace404]

v30 is the previous version.
And you can only keep that if you already assigned your licenses and do not move them between devices.
You cannot use the old license manager to assign licenses. You get a notification you need to update to Waves Center.

The only way to use your licenses on multiple systems with v30 and below is when you already have them on an USB flash drive.
I have not, so I am forced in either updating or only use them on the system the licenses are assigned to right now. Luckily its my main DAW and not my laptop.

[simon.a.billington]

Yeah hopefully Waves will have an easier fix for legacy users that will allow them to freeze at v9r30 and still be able to transfer licenses with relative ease.

This update doesn't require WUP though.

[softska]

Its a sad but certain truth that eventually, everything gets out dated.

It happens with operating systems, where they no longer run on older machines, it happens in DAWs, NLEs, other types of programs, it happens in hardware... Everything, even cars.

There's alway that point when you go to a mechanic to get an older car fixed when they turn around to you and say "Sorry, can't help you, they no longer make the parts for your car."

No one is immune.

I'm imagining this recent Waves update may upset a few. OS X 10.8 is already a few versions old. OS X 10.6.8 may just be too old. I also understand the plugins won't run in 32-bit Logic, so it's not just the OS that is getting hit.

Hopefully, I'm wrong about this, but some folks may need a new strategy. At the moment it either looks like update your software, or freeze everything at the previous revision, v9.r29, I think it is.

Hopefully Waves will make this available.

Can't speak for others, but I'm not looking for support. I want my licenses back. They're preventing me to move my licenses off to a new machine. There's license recovery but I don't get why we need to burn that for this instead of actual emergency (nevermind they aren't lifting a finger to help without WUP anyway)

[Arrested Developer]

Its a sad but certain truth that eventually, everything gets out dated.

...

It's not about getting outdated.
It's just an incredible step to change an authorisation/license routine without warning the users.
That's simply unacceptable.

There are lot of companies that don't support 10.6.8 any longer.
But each of them provides ways to keep on working.

It's simply a no-no-no-no-no-go.
Period

[Arrested Developer]

Eh, I can't even update to 10.8 and I still have a license stuck in my old macbook that I use. This is screwed up.

Finally, i used the following procedure:

- time machin backup of the whole system.
- download & installation of el capitan
- license transfer
- restoring the old os.
- beeing sure that i will never never never again buy a waves product

if you do this, you have to calculate several hours of time, of course.