* WARNING * - Do NOT install new iLok software!

[ObsoleteAcc99]

[DELETED]

[bmrzycki]

I still don't get all the hate and negativity.

You don't understand how someone can get angry at PACE after:
1. buying very expensive software
2. spending time to install drivers, go to their website, follow a bunch of steps to authorize the program.
3. Try to load the software they PAID for only to find it doesn't work.
4. Frustrated, they login to PACE, try to get support from them. For some people they're still trying to get it working after 2 weeks.

You don't understand how someone might see that as a negative experience and want to shy away from PACE in the future? really?

[Compyfox]

PACE is working on the fix - there is nothing more to add.

[ObsoleteAcc99]

[DELETED]

[kritikon]

Anyone who hasn't had PACE problems is lucky. I don't have PACE problems because I'm cautious and I won't infect my PC with it. (Although it was infected years ago, which is why I won't use it now).

PACE are and always have been twats. Nothing to add.

I do admit they've improved slightly. They at least make some effort to fix it nowadays, whilst ignoring people of course. As opposed to not bothering to fix it and still ignoring people years ago.

[Dominus]

This right here:



Except when they're not there.

24/7. Or two weeks. Whatever.

[trimph1]

This right here:



Except when they're not there.

24/7. Or two weeks. Whatever.

Lofty promises?

Meet the merely material world....

[Compyfox]

Compyfox, I think you should apply for a job there mate.. Mr Cronce would probably be delighted to have someone like you on board.

Yes, maybe I should!

Whatever offers some income. And from feedback I got from my clients, on KVR and GS, my opinions and help offerings seem to be very respected as well.

Thanks for the recommendation, Theo.

I do admit they've improved slightly. They at least make some effort to fix it nowadays, whilst ignoring people of course. As opposed to not bothering to fix it and still ignoring people years ago.

We still have to differentiate between the most current issues:

a) there is this sync issue with old and new licenses (general)
b) there is this surrender license issue (with AVID) in terms of upgrades
c) non-responsive company and support


To sum things up:
a) issue is solved to 99%, tickets are handled very fast
b) this is a totally independent issue to a), since the release of PT11 (Friday!) - they've been working on it, and by Saturday evening (GMT+1!), 80% of the users were back on track
c) the company not responding to the critism is one thing, the support is however very active (even outside their support times). This can be read and confirmed over on Gearslutz



Again, I am not toning down what happened in the past. But PACE is currently far from being runaways.

That, and also considering that there seems to be a bug with certain OS versions as well. I followed the AVID boards and the three times as long GS thread. It looks like that certain Mac OSX versions cause major troubles (see some connection there? Theo pretty much mentioned that several pages back!), also certain Windows setups. Of course, noone mentiones on which OS and hardware they are. But I think this particular issue mostly results in the time-out and "not being able to connect" results.

And I think this is also the very reason why the comment "unplug the iLok - WAIT for the sync, then replug ONE iLok again" is constantly made over and over. No hardware/software combination is the same - and you can't fix everything to 110%.

So no, this can't be blamed on PACE alone. Heck, some users even admitted that they messed up and after a replug of the iLok, everything worked fine. They were the minority however.

This right here:



Except when they're not there.

24/7. Or two weeks. Whatever.

Again, he have to differentiate.

If there is a server crash, even a 24/7 ZDT doesn't help if you can not log into/sync with your account.

[Dominus]

If there is a server crash, even a 24/7 ZDT doesn't help if you can not log into/sync with your account.

Here's the thing -

A server crash shouldn't wipe your iLok clean. That should NEVER F___ING HAPPEN.

Can't try a new demo? Okay.
Can't transfer a license? Okay.
Can't install a new plugin/update? Okay.
Can't update the iLok driver? Okay.
Remove all the licenses from the iLok? Not okay.

When Kjaerhus went under, it didn't wipe out all of your C/R software from other manufacturers.

This to me, should be a wake up call. It won't be of course. People are too stuck in their ways. I've got a back up plan in case any of my C/R software goes the way of the dodo. There's always alternatives.

Pace is NOT protecting the end user's investment. They're protecting the developer's investment. That is ALL.

[Compyfox]

Can't try a new demo? Okay.
Can't transfer a license? Okay.
Can't install a new plugin/update? Okay.
Can't update the iLok driver? Okay.
Remove all the licenses from the iLok? Not okay.

Did you ever do an update of any software, or hardware, and something didn't work out? What happened after you did that?

Mostly you encounter issues, crashes, lost data, etc.


I come from IT roots, and I had these kinds of issues over and over in everyday work. I even ran into one particular problem myself, where I installed a new HDD into my rig. It got recognized fine at first, then I moved all my data over there since I was confident that everything was fine. What happened was a glitch in the system. On relaunch it wiped both my HDDs, and I couldn't prevent that. 10 years of songwriting and audio engineering gone. Backed up of that was merely 20%.

Granted, this was my own damn fault - but... a simple glitch can result in drastic data loss.

Then again, in this particular example (iLok), the licenses were disabled/removed temporarily. 90% of the users that encountered this, have their licenses back since only the server didn't connect properly. A database glitch.

When Kjaerhus went under, it didn't wipe out all of your C/R software from other manufacturers.

Actually, it did. The C/R server was also linked with another company. That server went down, these licenses didn't work anymore either. Though I don't remember anymore which company that was. I didn't use these tools, but the situation was just as bad - actually worse compared to PACE's faux pas (I still can't use my Kjaerhus tools, I had to buy new ones, Kjaerhus was never seen again).

This to me, should be a wake up call. It won't be of course. People are too stuck in their ways. I've got a back up plan in case any of my C/R software goes the way of the dodo. There's always alternatives.

Pace is NOT protecting the end user's investment. They're protecting the developer's investment. That is ALL.

Isn't this what PACE is all bout?
Creating a CP system for developers to save their intelectual property?

Could be mistaken though.

[robotmonkey]

Isn't this what PACE is all bout?
Creating a CP system for developers to save their intelectual property?

Could be mistaken though.

I think you fail to see the real problem here. Even though PACE has a track record of being a s*it company everyone can understand that IT problems could happen to even the best ones. What really is completely unacceptable is that CP locks people out of their legal and paid software. This is 100% unacceptable. If this goes on for weeks, it is just outrageous and not only PACE deserves all the contempt but also the developers using such CP, IMHO. CP should absolutely never stop any legal user using their software. EOS.

If you are a semi-pro or pro studio or even an active hobbyist dealing with that kind of c**p can both turn out to be very expensive and cause a lot of grief for various reasons.

[Compyfox]

*sigh* I give up.

[Dominus]

Can't try a new demo? Okay.
Can't transfer a license? Okay.
Can't install a new plugin/update? Okay.
Can't update the iLok driver? Okay.
Remove all the licenses from the iLok? Not okay.

Then again, in this particular example (iLok), the licenses were disabled/removed temporarily. 90% of the users that encountered this, have their licenses back since only the server didn't connect properly. A database glitch.

One that some users were affected by for two weeks. That's a long time in the computer business. When your computer crashes, you can get yourself back up and running within two days. (Maybe four if it's the weekend and you need to overnight hardware.)

When Kjaerhus went under, it didn't wipe out all of your C/R software from other manufacturers.

Actually, it did. The C/R server was also linked with another company. That server went down, these licenses didn't work anymore either. Though I don't remember anymore which company that was. I didn't use these tools, but the situation was just as bad - actually worse compared to PACE's faux pas (I still can't use my Kjaerhus tools, I had to buy new ones, Kjaerhus was never seen again).

Okay, so two companies? Pace "protects" software from about EIGHTY companies. When people lost their licenses, they lost them from ALL the companies on the iLok. Some people lost a few licenses. Some people lost access to everything in their studio. Thousands of dollars worth. I'd guess that the average Pro Tools user has software from at least 4 companies on their iLok. I'm down to two, and if I could transfer them for free, I'd sell them off. Of course Pace charges you $50 to do stuff like that on something their website does automatically. More bullsh_t.

Faux pas? That was a fuckup of extreme magnitude.

This to me, should be a wake up call. It won't be of course. People are too stuck in their ways. I've got a back up plan in case any of my C/R software goes the way of the dodo. There's always alternatives.

Pace is NOT protecting the end user's investment. They're protecting the developer's investment. That is ALL.

Isn't this what PACE is all bout?
Creating a CP system for developers to save their intelectual property?

Could be mistaken though.

You are right on this point, but developers try to claim that they're protecting the buyer's software. They're full of sh_t and they'll never get my money. I regret my previous iLok'd software purchases, but thankfully nothing is mission critical there. Lots of money was lost by studios all over the world, and these studios have no recourse.

The main point is that people NEVER should have lost licenses on their iLok during this whole debacle. When copy protection prevents you from using your software like this, that's when it's going too far.

[macmurphy]

*sigh* I give up.

- edited for me being a dick.

[masterhiggins]

Well, Steinberg's eLicenser's looking pretty good right about now.

-Sam