Amiga.org
Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Software Issues and Discussion => Topic started by: doctorj on February 06, 2006, 06:41:16 PM
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I have been trying to contact the authors of MakeCD since Dec. 13 (almost 2 months now).
I recently bought out a friend of mine's Amiga equipment (all of it).
Included was an original copy of MakeCD. The diskette has a HiSoft
printed label that says:
Master Disk
MakeCD Ver 3.2
DAO Edition
Amiga 680x0 (checked)
Disk 1 of 1
On the hard drive of the Amiga the installed (and registered) version
of MakeCD is V3.2c. The About menu says:
V3.2c (31.8.99)
#xxxxxxxxxx registered for <--(license number xxx'd out)
private user with disc-at-once
David xxxxxxx
xxxx W. xxx N.
Exxxxxxxxxtown
USA <---- old address (xxx'd out for privacy)
The registration number itself has been lost over time. What can I do at this point to get a replacement/re-generation of the registration number?
I am still in contact with David, and I am sure that he would provide any assistance necessary.
Thank you,
Jeffrey W. Davis
----
I sent this email to .
David from HiSoft is the only one to respond. He said there is really nothing he can do since distribution of the registration numbers was done strictly by the authors.
I have gotten no response from Angela or Patrick.
This is a very expensive piece of software, and the DAO license was not cheap. I have sent a half-dozen emails to Patrick and Angela with zero response.
I have the original disk from HiSoft. The registration number can be sent directly to the original purchaser if it is a problem sending it to me.
I have a registered copy of 3.2c on the hard drive.
I would like to update the software to the latest 3.2d beta 11 so I can successfully use a LiteOn IDE drive with it since the SCSI drive failed.
I need help.
I'm not asking for cracked codes. I want the legitimate registration number that was purchased.
I would think that the authors had disappeared, but since December, the software has been upgraded from 3.2d beta 10 to beta 11.
Who is updating it, and how do I get an email reply from this person?
-Jeff
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Patrick is reachable through the mailing list (http://makecd.core.de/Mailinglists.html).
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The registration number itself has been lost over time. What can I do at this point to get a replacement/re-generation of the registration number?
Sounds to me like you want to get a new registration number free of charge, because you have the original disk...
That reminds me of a jerk I met on IRC once; he wanted me to send him my keyfiles of the software he had used, because he lost his in a harddrive crash. He expected since he registred once, he was entitled to new keyfiles free of charge. I can only ask, when has it been the authors responsibility to replace peoples keyfiles and registration numbers because the customers doesn't store them in safe places???
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It's just customer service. Not really a big issue. Actually MANY software companies will do just that. It seems these people are still in operation, so it seems quite a reasonable request to me.
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if you have the original make cd disc the registration code is on the disc label, it is 29 carrectors long and must be entered exactly
after you enter the code and start the program you will be asked to enter your details
it will then be registered to you
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If it were only that easy. The registration number is not printed on the disk.
I contacted HiSoft, and the registration number was on a piece of paper.
I am not looking to start some sort of war, but I find it highly HIGHLY offensive that I am likened to some "jerk on ICQ" when I make the request that a registration code is resent to the original software purchaser.
This package is one of *THE MOST EXPENSIVE* on the Amiga. I find it unreasonable to expect to have to re-purchase it because a piece of paper was lost.
Did I buy rights to use the software? Or the piece of paper itself?
If you don't know... the original software came with a temporary registration code. The final registration code was provided by sending in a registration card to the author.
Without the registration code I cannot even move the software to a different partition or upgrade it. The drive that it used to work with failed. An upgrade will allow it to work with the replacement drive.
-Jeff
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doctorq,
Please read the original post again. I believe that doctorj is only trying to find an active link to the authors of the software so that he can transfer the ownership, so to speak.
Pete
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I can only ask, when has it been the authors responsibility to replace peoples keyfiles and registration numbers because the customers doesn't store them in safe places???
With attitudes like that, it is no wonder people would rather download a pirate version than support developers who think "customer service" is non existance. Developers should be jumping through hoops for customers, not placing silly obsticles in the way.
@doctorj
If you have no luck, send me a pm and i will help you out.
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I remember being thoroughly pissed when I bought the DAO MakeCD from HiSoft and opened it up to find I had to send off to Germany for the code.
The commercial package that cost 50 GBP actually stops working after 3 months, by which time it has reverted back to the shareware demo. No wonder piracy is rife!
When you have opened the box there is a booklet inside and on the first page is a Hisoft Serial Number and alphanumeric Registration Code.
To get around the 'bastard 3-month time limit (that I paid 50 GBP for) I set the Workbench clock to 2097 or something and then installed the software, this really buggered with the time limit. HAH!
:-D :-D :-D
Hey, when you do get it running get VCDGear, it works a treat.
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A bit off topic- Reminds me of my brother's problem when buying a second hand car. The stereo had a digital lock, which had dissabled the system after the power had been cut while the car was awaiting auction. My brother contacted the previous fleet owner, who said he couldn't issue the code, because it was copywrited by the manufacturer. The manufacturer was of course in another country, so after a long distance call, and being put on hold on a support line, my brother was told he would have to pay for the service of getting the system unlocked at a dealer, and he would have to pay again if he ever got a flat battery. After calling a dealer, it was going to take two days of having the car booked in for service. Well, in the end, he checked online, and found how to hack the security.
I can see the reasons for implementing the security in that way, but sometimes it's easier to just hack it, even when you have bought the thing. I've also done this for a number of games I've bought, applying hacks to avert the security, just because it's annoying to enter the codes, or put the CD in the drive. It might be illegal, but I don't consider it piracy, or harmful.
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Can you imagine sitting in front of a Playstation with a code-wheel like Zool, or a bit of red card with barely visible watermarks on? I forget which game printed it's copy protection code with black ink on black paper, might have been Alien Breed 3D 2.
And I never did like these popups when a program is executed. TurboCalc, Wordworth and DPaint5 all did this, it's just irritating. It's like getting into the car and the airbag hits you in the mouth.
:-)
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Worms had the black on red printing, but it wasn't the only one. One of my friend's old dos games had deliberately wavey, grainy, and low contrast printing of its codes, and you had to experience severe eye strain just to start the game. You had to enter three codes correctly, and quite often you would make a mistake just because you couldn't read the printing which you had paid for.
I remember one friend spent a night with his girlfriend, with her reading the Worms codes, and him typing, just to avoid that annoyance.
Yeah, that's what I buy games for, 'cause they're so much fun to use.
Another great piece of security design was the old Cubase on the Mac. One had a copy protected validation floppy, which one had to use as a key to unlock the program. The floppy could only be used twice, being re-enabled when uninstalling. The obvious problem was the event of data corruption. After one good crash, and a corrupted floppy, one of my friends was given just terrible customer service, and accused of being a thief despite having registered his software. So, he just cracked his copy. Is it wrong? Back in those days, there were also hardware dongles, which quite often caused other programs to fail, including some music software that a lot of people really wanted to use together. So, people just did the naughty thing, so they could use the software they paid for.
Again, I can understand the reasons for all this, but when pirated software runs better than originals, then the attempted security measures have just failed.
One time when my PC crashed (think it was a bad power surge), half my software wouldn't work anymore. The clock had been set to some ridiculus date, and licences I had paid for stopped. Unfortunately, when I corrected the clock, the licenses wouldn't re-validate, and I had to re-install, re-configure, and defrag my hard drive.
Well, I don't have a solution, but some attempts of software companies really just work against them.
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@Oliver
Actually, Worms (at least my copy) had a code book with (shiny) black text on a (matt) black background - completely unphotocopiable I would think (never tried), but also a pain to read.
There have been some dodgy protection schemes over the years. How about LensLok?
Chris
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@doctorj
I am not looking to start some sort of war, but I find it highly HIGHLY offensive that I am likened to some "jerk on ICQ" when I make the request that a registration code is resent to the original software purchaser.
I'm not trying to start a war either, and I have never said you were a jerk; I said you reminded me of one I met om IRC. My point of view is ,that the buyer is responsible for not loosing registration numbers and keyfiles; not the authors of the software. As I see it, you lost the reg number, so it's your fault.
And by the way, "resent to the original software purchaser"??? Didn't you say you got it by buying a friends Amiga collection???
If you don't know... the original software came with a temporary registration code. The final registration code was provided by sending in a registration card to the author.
When I registred I was sent a disk with the registration number printed on it. Just like twizzle was.
@Savan
With attitudes like that, it is no wonder people would rather download a pirate version than support developers who think "customer service" is non existance. Developers should be jumping through hoops for customers, not placing silly obsticles in the way.
Customer service non existant? As if I can write to Microsoft that I lost my registration number for WinXP, but have the original CD, and get a new one without paying? Yeah right, that wouldn't make it sooo much easier to sell pirated software. Replacing keyfiles and registration codes has nothing to do with customer service if you ask me...
Customer service is helping out when needed, not to give freebies to people because they don't store their software correctly.
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Now listen here... frog!
The man's request wasn't for the keyfile but for someone to contact such as Angela Schmidt.
I have MakeCD and the code is on the book not the disk.
Taking Microsoft's customer services as the norm is like accepting famine because McDonald's is closed on a Sunday night.
Now be nice!
:-D
EDIT: "Be excellent to each other!" - "Party on dudes!"
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What's wrong with that?. He payed for it at that time, so even, getting a keyfile from another person woulnd't make that illegal. I have a starcraft original cd, and the license code has a little worn out. I called Blizzard and they gave me another one, as i have demonstrate i have an original copy. Am i a pirate for asking if blizzard didn't gave me the code, since i have purchased the game LEGITIMATELY?.
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Other companies will also offer replacement codes (I think Mathworks do this). I can remember some really old mac software vendors would also replace faulty original disks, if brought to their place of business.
Also, a request given to the software company in this case was to re-supply the code to the original purchaser, doctorj's friend. This should not be a problem in my mind.
In the very limited amount of business that I have conducted, I know that things just come up sometimes, and businesses deal with it, by providing customer service. This is often done beyond the call of duty, or responsibility. It's what (good) companies do, maintaining good relationships, so they can function successfully in their given environment.
There have even been cases of codes mistakenly not being provided with an original purchase. People pay for the use of the software, and that is what should be provided. Companies should do what they can to facilitate this provision for their customers...even if the customers are clueless. Most companies have to deal with this a lot.
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Try to contact KDH (http://www.kdh-amiga-shop.com/), the current MakeCD reseller. (for a valid email address)
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Framiga: Broken link?
If anyone does get in touch with the author of MakeCD, ask her if her sister is still offering keyfiles for RDB-Salv!
:-)
Oh, and tell her to put (multi-layer/)DVD support in MakeCD!
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@Hyperspeed
By frog I'm guessing you are refering to me.
What part of "My point of view is" don't you understand??? As I see it, he lost his sheet with registration number, and now he wants to get a new one from the authors for free, based on having the original disk. That is what his initial post was about; getting a way to contact the authors to get the registration number, but maybe you missed that?
From my point of view he isn't entitled to a free registration number, but you are apparently of a different opinion.
I have MakeCD and the code is on the book not the disk.
And so what??? Doesn't prove a thing. I regged my copy of MakeCD directly from the authors,and my disk has the registration number printed on the disk. Have you considered that the product have been offered to customers in different ways???
Anyway, last time I checked, this is a public forum, so I'm entitled to post my personal opinions. Yours aren't the same, and I couldn't actually care less.
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:-o
I can feel the love here.... If I wasn't so busy I would spend some time to be a jack...Yeah. I'm going to be nice.
:knuddel:
I guess kiss and make up, or at least don't get blood on the floor when you are at each others throats.
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Norwegians get irritable at this time of year; the sun is low, the nights are long and there's only whale for breakfast.
:-D
doctorq: If you were in the same position would you feel happy about buying another 80-euro copy? That's 2-days pay for some!
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Can you imagine sitting in front of a Playstation with a code-wheel like Zool, or a bit of red card with barely visible watermarks on? I forget which game printed it's copy protection code with black ink on black paper, might have been Alien Breed 3D 2.
Sound like Breathless (the red one) and The Speris Legacy (the black one).
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If you were in the same position would you feel happy about buying another 80-euro copy? That's 2-days pay for some!
Yes, I would, since it's my mistake. If it's 2-days pay for some, I can't understand why these people don't store it at safe places.
If I wouldn't want to pay the registration fee once again, I would find different alternatives. I keep several backups of keyfiles and registration numbers for a reason.
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So if your car key snapped in the lock on a frosty night you wouldn't call the locksmith?
:-)
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@Hyperspeed
To follow your example, your point would be that the car manufactorer would be responsible for replacing the broken key for free.
In this case the MakeCD registration code is the broken key, and the authors of MakeCD are the car manufactorer. Again, the authors aren't responsible to recover the lost registration codes for the customers.
You are apparently to thickheaded to understand, so I won't even bother any more...
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@doctorq
To follow your example, your point would be that the car manufactorer would be responsible for replacing the broken key for free.
In this case the MakeCD registration code is the broken key, and the authors of MakeCD are the car manufactorer. Again, the authors aren't responsible to recover the lost registration codes for the customers.
You are apparently to thickheaded to understand, so I won't even bother any more...
So your contention is that if you've lost your key, you must buy a new car?
I don't follow your logic. I suppose a nominal fee for generating a new key might be in order (to use your car analogy), but replacing the whole thing?
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So your contention is that if you've lost your key, you must buy a new car?
No, my point is that I would have to PAY for a new key to my car, not get one for free from the manufactorer. The same as if yourself deleted the keyfile for IBrowse, Miami, Miami Deluxe, AmIRC and whatever, a new registration would be the outcome of it.
I don't follow your logic. I suppose a nominal fee for generating a new key might be in order (to use your car analogy), but replacing the whole thing?
Nominal fee or cost of a new registration code would be in order, but it doesn't seem like the original poster of this thread thinks he has to pay anything, and just wants a freebie.
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So . . .
You lose the key to your $30,000 car -- you pay $2 for a new key.
You lose the key to your $70 piece of software -- you pay $70?
I'm sure you're a nice guy, but there's a forest out there, dude. :-)
P.S. I lost my registration number to Ibrowse a few years back (similar situation) and was sent a new one for free. I can't imagine any company that wants repeat customers not doing the same.
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@klejserjr
Well, if you think the total expenses for making a new key is $2 then I should pay $2. If the costs for making a new code for MakeCD is $70, then I should pay $70. It's that simple.
As for the phrase "You lose the key to your $70 piece of software -- you pay $70?" keep this in mind... The software is FREE, it's the REGISTRATION that is priced at $70.
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Users don't pay for keycodes. They pay for licenses. The keycode is just a means of validating the license. It's not what your money is actually paying for.
$70 worth of work in generating a keyfile? My god man, if it takes more than just a few keystrokes, someone needs to think seriously about changing professions!
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@doctorq
Even though I'm beginning to suspect you're diliberatly messing with me now, I'll take the bait this one last time . . .
MakeCD is FREE? Cost of looking up a serial number is $70?
First -- MakeCD is NOT free -- it's commercial. Just because you're being "allowed" to test-drive it doesn't mean you OWN it.
Second -- While there certainly ARE costs associated with looking up a serial number, no company in their right mind would charge you for it (including Microsoft).
While you DO have a point in a "hard-line/no exceptions" sort of way -- it would be extremely bad business to follow that philosophy (unless you're selling soup, of course! ;-))
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Roj wrote:
Users don't pay for keycodes. They pay for licenses. The keycode is just a means of validating the license. It's not what your money is actually paying for....
I totally aggree, and furthermore, licensing/registration agreements are generally also stated in this fashion. Having paid for the right to full use of, and upadating of, the software, then that is what must be provided by the software company. The key code is an artifact of the software company. The means of providing the software is designed by the software company, and they maintain a level of responsibility for that means.
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It was you that brought up the $70, not me, so don't bully me around with the figures you stated. IIRC the cost for registrating was more in the line of 50 DM, which is around 35 USD.
OK, maybe bad choice of words; MakeCD is not free, but public available so you have the chance to test it to see if it is a useful product to you. If you want to have the benefit of using ALL the features you have to pay the registration fee.
Anyway, forget it, I can't be bothered to waste more time on this crap.
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I never asked for anything free. I never asked for stolen codes. In fact the only thing I am asking for is a way to contact the authors so I can talk about possible replacement options for the registration code.
My friend has searched for the code. He was in the process of moving and things do just get lost in the shuffle. I did confirm with David from HiSoft that for a purchase of that time the registration would be on paper and not printed on the disk or in a file.
Due to the registration process, the authors should have all of his information on file and be able to clearly establish that yes, in fact he is a registered and paid user of the software.
I am doing the legwork to get the registration code replaced. Yes, I do have a motive, since I purchased all of his equipment, that software package comes with it.
In fact, I am strictly doing the legwork. If necessary, they can deal directly with David on replacing the code. I will provide him with the direction on how.
But I do like the car example. If your car key breaks, you do not buy a new car. You go to the dealer and buy a replacement key. I'm just having trouble contacting the dealer.
I have nothing to hide. I am not a thief nor a criminal. And I would appreciate it if you would lighten up on the attacks and blind speculation. I have been a member of the Amiga community since 1986. I hate to see that companies have actually quit producing for Amiga due to it's "nasty" users. But I am sure getting that feeling myself when I just ask for help contacting authors and feel like I'm thrown to the wolves.
If it is absolutely necessary, I *may* re-buy the software. But I am not going to start out with that option. I will seriously have to think about that too. The cost of a new key is 66.53EUR or $79.54US. That's a stiff penalty for loosing a scrap of paper. Not to mention that more than $150 was paid for the original DAO version.
-Jeff
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@docQ:
Nominal fee or cost of a new registration code would be in order, but it doesn't seem like the original poster of this thread thinks he has to pay anything, and just wants a freebie.
I'm sorry, but after reading Jeff's original post, I can read nowhere he askes for a FREE replacement.
He says:
The registration number itself has been lost over time. What can I do at this point to get a replacement/re-generation of the registration number?
The problem lies in the fact he gets no reply at all, not one saying he's got to buy a new licence, or a re-generation-fee or anything, just simply nothing. That, in itself is bad practice.
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@all
Just my two cents worth: Nothing wrong with requesting a replacement key.
No one should be expected to pay for it either. I did the same thing with Miami
before Holger went into exile. He was very helpful. As far as pirated or cracked
software, I am sure most of us has used at least one pirated/cracked program
in our lifetime (not encouraging the practice) including those who believe you
should pay $10 for each digit of a replacement keycode. So before we start
criticizing others for wanting to run a LEGALLY purchased piece of software, lets
make sure our systems and software librarys are "clean" before we preach.
C Snyder
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In Amigaland you try and do the right thing and get shot down, steal the software and get shot down - YOU CANNOT WIN.
Just download a warez version of Makecd and be happy :-).
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@doctorj
I already gave you a link to the mailing list, try it please.
A quote from a recent post by the author there (January 30):
> I an a registered user of Make-CD and wonder where I find my "reg code"
It should be on the postcard that you got back when registering or - if
you bought MakeCD more recently - it was already included in the package
that you got.
If you cannot find either, please send me the details about your copy
including the preliminary key and serial number to me privately and
I'll send you a replacement.
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I got that Golem. I subscribed to the mailing lists last night. I will send out a post this evening.
Thanks,
Jeff
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I was able to contact Patrick Ohly through the MakeCD mailing lists.
The issue has been resolved and the key replaced.
Thank you Golem for your suggestion.
-Jeff