When I buy software I do not want to be held ransom by a companies registration process. I have paid for the software, it is mine and having to register after new builds or when I wipe my hard drive and reinstall the software is not on.
What happens if I am on location and have to wipe my hard drive and reload the software but there is no Internet access or if the software company closes down?
A software vendor that I use for web design and artistic software used to use the same method as Punch but after a number of us customers stopped buying their product they started putting the code in the box with the DVD.

Let me ask you this, if the makers of the software went out of business, you buy a new computer and you load your Shark product onto it, how would you activate the software?

I have this problem now. I do not think it is isolated at all. I would like to remove ViaCad from the accounting computer on my desk and install it on the working CAD/CAM computer I have out in the shop. None of my shop computers will EVER go on the office network. I have a variety of reasons. If you understand them great, if not or disagree fine, but the simple FACT IS my computers in the shop will NEVER go on the Internet as long as I own them.

What do I do?

It is NOT an isolated problem unless you meant isolated to Punch software.

None of my other software currently in use has that problem that I have not been able to find a work around for.

As to "its licensed" does that mean the license expires? I sure hope not.

And its nice to know I can finally post on the forums after all this time.

P.S. Glad I found this thread. I didn't know until right now I wasn't allowed to have computers doing perfectly good work without exposing them to the Internet if I used Punch software.

Please note this post is heavily salted with both sarcasm and irony.

LOL. And yet this thread has been here since September and nobody addressed the problem for the original poster either. Atleast not here where people talk about the software. Or is this one of those fanatical zealots only forums?

:cool:

I did think about the possiblity of using Norton Ghost to clone a drive, and then removing all the fluff, and adjusting for the machine it goes into. Not an optimum solution, but it is one.

>>What do I do?

Hi Bob

You can call tech support and they will help you register the software over the phone (no internet required, but they will ask you some questions).

Telephone - (800) 365-4832
Mon. - Fri. (8AM - 5PM CST)

Regards,

Tim

The dongles cost ~$50 each and unfortunately had their own set of problems. Some of our VARs still use it for large installs in universities. We're also required by some of our licensed technology (ie Dassault stuff) to have the software protected by a licensing system.


Tim