Now I Understand Why People Hate iLok

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tatanka wrote:Wag: you may try the following, it helps me (win 7 64 bit) even if it is still more then Annoying. Nearly evrytime after a windows update the pace driver is disabled, I dont know why, did not find any solution to stop this, but it is relatively easy to solve:

- look for your "services" in the system settings
- there should be something like "pace driver"
- this one should be running, if not just click on "start service", then it should be running

Hope that helps.

As I said, in general I think this is an imposition, but I have learned to live with it.....
I think that I have had a similar problem in the past with the PACE driver. I believe that I changed the startup type on the service to "Automatic (Delayed)" and haven't had any problems since. It is likely that the iLok/PACE service relies on something else which is taking longer than normal to start.

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Gamma-UT wrote:Unplug the iLok definitely, wait 10-20 secs for capacitors to drain then reattach. Cryptothingies like this tend to have antitamper electronics to look for power brownouts and spikes (which are useful in hacking attacks) - so they need a cold start to get them running again.

Edit: looking again at the OP, this is probably the wrong diagnosis. I thought it was the dongle not being recognised not the engine failing. Something is stopping these background services from running or they are crashing by the looks of it.
I think it still pertains to the issue of requiring a cold start where a restart wont work, though.
my other modular synth is a bugbrand

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wagtunes wrote:First of all let me start out by saying that I am not an iLok hater. I've been using iLok products for almost 5 years now. And I have tons of them.

But I get it.

The last 2 days, I go to start up my DAW and load a project that has iLok based VSTs and I get this message that the engine or whatever isn't running.

I then go to my iLok license manager and it won't load. So I have to restart my PC. That doesn't fix it. Turns out you can't just restart. You have to completely shut down.
You don't need nothing of that (and it will probably not help you, as you found out). What you just need to do is to manually start the service (for some reason it is failing to start automatically with Windows).

What you need to do:
1. Click the glass icon at the right of the start menu;
2. Type "Services";
3. Right click on the icon with a cogwheel and select "Run as Administrator";
4. Look for "Pace License Services" and click over it;
5. At the top left you will have several options with links. There should be a link titled "Start". Click it;

The service should be running now, and you should be able to start iLOK License Manager.

To try to solve the problem of the service not start with Windows as it should, you may try this:

1. Double click over the "Pace License Services";
2. At the window that pops up, you should have a "Startup Type" that reads Automatic - change it to "Automatic (Delayed Start)". This usually solves the problem for future launches.

Also, check if you have the latest version of the drivers. iLOK drivers and software usually don't behave very well in Windows, especially in Windows 10, but the latest versions seemed to have improved.
Fernando (FMR)

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i've had similar issues with PACE drivers, the PACE driver service just doesn't start up automatically for some reason. Starting it manually and setting start up to automatic in the services module solves the problem. it's a known issue with iLok and Windows 10, there are bunch of videos on youtube explaining how to fix it in detail.

Thanks to abundance of vst's these days, I generally stick with vst's that don't require a seperate "authorizer". iLok is only exception i've made since it's a common one for various develops.

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@wagtunes: Try this for a complete Windows 10 reboot: Press Windows key + r, then paste the following in the opening dialog: "shutdown /g /f /t 0".

Also, as has been mentioned, update your iLok license manager. It's even mandatory for some newer plugin updates that you do, because, some newer versions will only run with a up to date version of the iLok license manager, as it's often stated in the respective plugin's ReadMe files.

Oh, and if you have any user account stuff going on, like, you're logged into Windows with a normal user account, i'd also refrain from that, and give your user administration rights. I went through a whole lot of PITA moments for years when working with a normal user accounts, especially because some plugin (or general, software) developers seem to have never heard of multiple user accounts, or users without administrative rights...

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A few of us had issues when we moved to Windows 10, that sounded familiar but the solution was to let Pace Services do a delayed startup...........
But that has long since been fixed by pace, I think well over a year if not almost two years.

rsp
Last edited by zvenx on Thu Apr 19, 2018 12:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
sound sculptist

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chk071 wrote: I went through a whole lot of PITA moments for years when working with a normal user accounts, especially because some plugin (or general, software) developers seem to have never heard of multiple user accounts, or users without administrative rights...
lol true that Audiorealism stuff just refuses to work under an account with standard privileges.

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And the Waldorf synths simply crash the DAW when you install, and execute them with a normal user account. :D I found a fix though (which i proposed to Waldorf, and Ingonator years ago already): You just have to copy the Waldorf folder in the admin users Documents/AppData folder to your user's Documents/AppData folder. Totally easy fix, and something they could fix in the installer in a minute, but, never happened... the same thing applies to some Eventide plugins (even though they don't crash, they just lack the presets then), which copy some files into the installing user's Documents folder, and some of the Dmitry Sches plugins as well. My guess is that they either use Macs first and foremost, or that they never messed with multiple and different user accounts.

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i have had an ilok and the steinberg elicenser. in the end, there was no software i HAD to have that justified using dongles... ugh. had some rough times with both, but no longer; they've been fixed, with a machete, and am happy to be dongle-free.

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fisherKing wrote:i have had an ilok and the steinberg elicenser. in the end, there was no software i HAD to have that justified using dongles... ugh. had some rough times with both, but no longer; they've been fixed, with a machete, and am happy to be dongle-free.
:lol:
EnergyXT3 - LMMS - FL Studio | Roland SH201 - Waldorf Rocket | SoundCloud - Bandcamp

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Some of the best reverb plugins (IMO) require iLok. And, arguably, one of the best DAW's, and audio editor requires eLicenser. I never really had an issue with either, but, i really don't like 2 USB ports being blocked, or having to carry my USB hub with me. So, i still hope for a cloud solution for those plugins/DAW's. That is MUCH perferrable to a dongle, for me.

Anyway, none of that will fix wagtunes problem.

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fisherKing wrote:i have had an ilok and the steinberg elicenser. in the end, there was no software i HAD to have that justified using dongles... ugh. had some rough times with both, but no longer; they've been fixed, with a machete, and am happy to be dongle-free.
:lol:

My musical world is also,very happily,iLok free :wink:

It's very simple...

If the software requires an iLok,use an alternative....

There's plenty of other possibilities out there....

We just have to be bold enough to boycott and confident enough to step outside of our self imposed boundaries and explore other options :tu:
No auto tune...

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I do not like Ilok but I think overloud eq550 had a nice compromise of allowing any usb to hold the license instead of having to buy a specific dongle.
Don't feed the gators,y'all
https://m.soundcloud.com/tonedeadj

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digitalboytn wrote:
fisherKing wrote:i have had an ilok and the steinberg elicenser. in the end, there was no software i HAD to have that justified using dongles... ugh. had some rough times with both, but no longer; they've been fixed, with a machete, and am happy to be dongle-free.
:lol:

My musical world is also,very happily,iLok free :wink:

It's very simple...

If the software requires an iLok,use an alternative....

There's plenty of other possibilities out there....

We just have to be bold enough to boycott and confident enough to step outside of our self imposed boundaries and explore other options :tu:
Unfortunately, there is no Vocaloid alternative. It is the only vocal software that even comes close to human singing. And it requires iLok and I use it on every song I do.

So no, there are no alternatives there.

That is the reality. Sometimes iLok is your only choice or you do without the software.

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wagtunes wrote:
That is the reality. Sometimes iLok is your only choice or you do without the software.
If you follow my instructions, hopefully you'll be able to solve your problems, and you will not need to give up on anything.
Fernando (FMR)

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