SOLVED: Beware New iLok (HD?) Authorised Software Installations

[simmo75]

Yes, i rolled my time machine back but that didn't work for me.
I have de-activated them all and re-activated them all and this worked! THANKFULLY!

However, and it might just be coincidence.. but i'm trying to transfer a license and it won't allow me to do it, I keep getting an error message: "One or more activation locations are not accessible".

I don't really understand what the aggressive iLok defense is about? I just want my system to work. I couldn't give a f@*k who's at fault.

[Fleer]

Simmo, the solution to your remaining problem might be straightforward. The message you're referring to normally means that you have one or more activations of the same plugin on several computers or dongles. And you should deactivate all activations on all locations. So, when you have deactivated a plugin on one computer, you'll still have to do the same at other activated locations (computers or dongles). So just hit "OK" when you get that message and do the same at all activated locations. Hope this helps.

[Compyfox]

@Compyfox

You're still on the attack I see ... maybe you're off your meds ... just the same ... ain't nothin' you've said makes me think any better of you ... your prose continues to make you look like a belligerent and arrogant jerk. Based on your lack of brevity ... and your fevered overture ... I must assume your approach to problems is equally as obtuse and your pronouncements deserving of suspicion.

And this results in a report - two posts with various insults in a row. Nice work!
Medal awarded!

SIDENOTE: I'm not on any meds, and I'm highly allergic towards such commentary - I won't sink down to "your (plural, definition: people)" level if you will pull that card, especially if you hide behind an alias to be "anonymous". I'm not joking around in this case, neither do you deserve my respect. This will always result in an instant report. You've been warned!

Yes, i rolled my time machine back but that didn't work for me.
I have de-activated them all and re-activated them all and this worked! THANKFULLY!

Good to read.

However, and it might just be coincidence.. but i'm trying to transfer a license and it won't allow me to do it, I keep getting an error message: "One or more activation locations are not accessible".

Did you try to move from HDD to USB key, or what are you currently trying exactly?

Can you maybe move your licenses back into your account (online server)? If not... then maybe ask the companies in question if they can check your account if something is "locked". At least for Elicenser, some licenses can't be moved freely (example: Cubase Artist from HDD to USB once, but not back to HDD anymore).

The only fear I have, is that syncing your iLok account with your HDD folder might mess up things. There is a possible risk you might need to take.

I don't really understand what the aggressive iLok defense is about? I just want my system to work. I couldn't give a f@*k who's at fault.

Again, calm down first, try to get things sorted out first, blame companies later. I'm merely pointing out that there are several sides to a medal. I understand your frustration, people are there to help. As good as it's possible to us. (EDIT: See, Fleer is already on it!)


So please... a bit more details what you try to do, maybe somebody has a possible solution. But if things fail, the ones that have the ultimate control over your license are the software companies in question.

[simmo75]

Thank you, much appreciated!
Indeed, I recently had a new HDD installed and iLok now thinks there is 2 drives with the same name. I can't seem to delete the old one off iLok manager though... I'll keep trying! Thanks Fleer.

[dayjob]

Thank you, much appreciated!
Indeed, I recently had a new HDD installed and iLok now thinks there is 2 drives with the same name. I can't seem to delete the old one off iLok manager though... I'll keep trying! Thanks Fleer.

well. that means the authorizations may be "trapped" on your other drive. you may have to put that drive back in or boot from it then run the authorizer and deactivate it from that drive.

recently had a laogic board failure in my laptop and had all my authorizations "trapped" on that hardware ID and the only solution was to talk to the developers and get them to "revoke" those licenses and issue new ones.

thankfully they were familiar with this scenario and sorted me out rather quickly. all was well for about a week or so.. now this.

but that's just a hunch.. you should start a support ticket w/ilok if you can find the place to do it. you have to click through their support FAQ stuff until you find one that allows you to access the support ticket

[Compyfox]

This is why I wrote:
"the ones that have the ultimate control over your license are the software companies in question"

Though it's a pain to crawl through one support script after another. Still - ZDT would only issue "temp licenses" anyway, and the only ones that issue full licenses are the software companies. So I'm highly questioning why ZDT exists in the first place.


I'm glad you people finally get this sorted.
Maybe a non HDD authorization might be the route to go after all next time (doesn't mean that you're 100% save, but "safer" than as of this moment)

[simmo75]

This is exactly what has happened...
Unfortunately, Apple has my old HDD and Logic Board.
So I guess I approach the software manufacturer and iLok.

Thanks for all your help guys, it totally explains why i'm seeing 2 identical local Apple Drives.

[rifftrax]

It's true guys. If you were foolish enough to not image your disk before every software update or didn't have any incremental NAS backup running nightly then I guess you were asking for trouble. These kinds of problems are no-one's fault but the users. I for one will take full responsibility for not being as paranoid as I am obligated to be in the modern world as a Really Dumb Consumer (RDC).

Remember kids, if you install something and it breaks everything else. Well. Tough luck and thanks for your puchase. Sincerely, The Corporate Market.

[Compyfox]

So just to get this straight, rifftracks...

A 30minute HDD backup with an affordable tool like "Macrium Reflect" for Windows or Apple's built in "Time Machine" is a stupid and useless endeavor. Especially if you're running a studio that has a daily income of 200-500quids where longer time outs (due to system failure) is absolutely not an option.

So you rather take the risk of loosing all your tools and/or projects every day, since hardware is reliable, software updates don't ever cause issues, and OS updates are error free. Stuff like this will never happen - " 'tis but a scratch!".

(spot the sarcasm!)



All right - whatever floats your boat. Keep your blinders on then and enjoy he gamble if that tickles your fancy.

But despite my sarcasm and venting on this general topic "copy protection is always at fault", I actually feel for simmo75 and dayjob. Loosing your equipment due to random hardware failure, or an unexpected software glitch (while the company in question blames it on another company) is always a bad thing. It's frustrating, it sets you back for days, sometimes even years.

If we look at it from one angle only - "I didn't do anything wrong - things just exploded in my face" (which can happen!!!).


I've been there, several times in recent years. In the last 10 years, I had 3 HDDs fail on me without real reason (2 head crashes on fairly new backup drives, 1 corrupted MBR after a blue screen -> OS reload, which then rewrote the whole HDD and I couldn't prevent that) - two of these HDDs had projects of mine on them that dated back to 1994, and samples that I'll never get back again (though sometimes a purge can be liberating). Since then, backup is a routine every other week latest. And every time there is an update "announced" or I need to do really intense beta testing - always a quick backup image, a daily fingerprint. This also turned into a distrust towards certain CP schemes - namely C/R and HDD authorizations.

I rather lose 2 hours to roll back a rig while drinking a hot cup of tea and read a couple of pages from a white paper, than lose several days due to bigger issues or my own fault not to take same safety measures.


YMMV of course.

[SCprogfan]

For me, this problem just popped up late Saturday night. A couple of days ago, I came home to the "Windows has installed updates" message, but experienced no issues at all. On Saturday I installed the Sonivox bundle of TimeWarp 2600, Twist, and Wobble. That is when the problem started, so something has happened over the past week or so that makes all of these things unable to get along with each other. I did try the deactivate/reactivate method, but it did not provide a 100% fix. I don't have the USB dongle, but have nothing against trying it. I guess there is nothing else to do but patiently wait for an official response/fix from someone.

[lnikj]

1. For anybody who hasn't had the time to read the whole thread I would just like to correct a few misunderstandings that may have crept in:

- The problem is not specific to Windows 10. It happens on OS X too.
- The first reported occurrence of this problem predates the release of Adaptiverb and was reported on the Airmusictech forums on 10/08/16.
- There has been a single report on GS of the problem occurring with a dongle; otherwise all reported problems are with soft iLok.

2. To attempt to placate a certain member I have removed the capitalisation of the thread title.

3. Thanks to Arachnaut for posting a solution and I'm glad it has worked for some. It is, I think, the same solution that was posted on the Airmusictech forum. I had tried it before and it had not worked for me. I have just tried a limited rerun of it and can report the following.

Procedure:

i. Deactivation of all licences.
ii. Reinstallation of latest licence manager from iLok.
iii. Reboot
iv. Open Live, add plugins to tracks and when the activation window comes up, drag the licence onto the box in the iLok licence manager.

Results:

- Air Loom, Air Xpandi and Soundtoys Crystallizer activated OK.

- Soundtoys Little Alter Boy would not activate with "Relation query was attempted when disallowed."

- Eventide Ultrachannel would not activate with "This software cannot be run because the activation experience thinks the authorization was found, but the wrapper could not verify it."

- UVI Falcon, Relayer, Thorus and UVIWorkstation activated OK

As reported in my original post the problem, IMHO, is when a fresh installation occurs. So my next step was to install Eventide Blackhole, which has never been installed on this box; this was done, Live was restarted, its activation window came up, and it was authorised in the same manner.

- Air Loom, Air Xpandi, Sound Toys Crystallizer, UVI Falcon, Relayer, Thorus now will not start, reporting "Relation query was attempted when disallowed." Blackhole still works.

- Interestingly, UVI Workstation will start. I attempt to activate the libraries within it. Digital Synsations is activated in the iLok licence manager. All OK. Mello is activated. UVI Workstation is restarted. Mello is OK, but Digital Synsations now reports that it is not activated.


I don't want anybody who has got things working again to potentially mess up their installation but I would be interested to know if everything is still OK when you next install and authorise a new iLok authorised plugin.

[dayjob]

my licenses simply vanished. they aren't in the "available" cue and aren't on my computer. i can't move them anywhere because i don't have access to them. this is an issue for iLok to solve. i've spoken w/zynaptiq who say that's the route for this problem. iLok are the only ones who can fix it.

though the iLok licenser says the licenses are in my "all licenses" cue they are "unavailable".. and the other end of the software that the devs see says something different when they view the licenses.

it's pretty annoying. hopefully the support tickets i've created get some attention at iLok and the ball gets rolling.

[rifftrax]

So just to get this straight, rifftracks...

A 30minute HDD backup with an affordable tool like "Macrium Reflect" for Windows or Apple's built in "Time Machine" is a stupid and useless endeavor. Especially if you're running a studio that has a daily income of 200-500quids where longer time outs (due to system failure) is absolutely not an option.

So you rather take the risk of loosing all your tools and/or projects every day, since hardware is reliable, software updates don't ever cause issues, and OS updates are error free. Stuff like this will never happen - " 'tis but a scratch!".

(spot the sarcasm!)

You would be blown away at the IT aptitude of the some of senior sound designers I've worked with (I don't mean this in a good way, sometimes I'm surprised they can open programs). But, nowadays you kinda have to be an expert at everything so again... it's definitely totally the consumers fault for not pulling their own weight in this world. They're consumers so obviously that's just their burden.

To reiterate, shame on everyone here and it's everyone's own fault.

[wasi]

This is the latest in a long string of issues with iLok. On average I have some problem every four to six weeks.

It's not that it can't be fixed by rolling back, manually starting the 'PACE' service every time, un/reinstalling the license manager or whatever, it's that of the dozen or so DRM schemes I have on my pc, iLok is consistently the only one that glitches out every other month. The only one.

So I don't really care what the "explanation" is. If you're the only player in the market that consistently fails at meeting the requirements of your game, you're the issue. Not Windows updates, not early adopting, not the user, not whatever other supreme challenge PACE/iLok feels it has to meet that it feels others don't.

I didn't lose any licenses myself, it seems they were just magically de-authorized. So probably I can re-authorize, write a dozen emails or so to get back any lost authorizations if it should count towards that (I gather it shouldn't but that's nothing you bank on with iLok) and enjoy my plugins until PACE yanks the rug out again, which will happen roughly mid September, all things remaining the same. That got old fast so I'm using this latest glitch to think about the whole thing.

If a car broke down every six weeks or so and required some minor hotwiring to get it to run again that would be unacceptable. So while many things may be prudent and recommended the more reliant you are on your computer, it is most definitely not the duty of the consumer to compensate for the inadequacies of a particular DRM scheme.

[sugo]

Moin,
sorry to say, but maybe it helps to know
Yesterday i bought the passive-active-pack from softube. The activation on my hd went right and there is nothing wrong till now. All my licences are still activated and working.
My system: Win10 Pro ver.1511, samsung ssd evo, I-Lok License Manager version 3.0.2.1412, updated at may 2016.