My upgrading to 11 experience thus far...

[McLuckie]

I purchased a new MacBook Pro a few days ago. On my old laptop I had Protools 9 running which I use a lot. I also purchased an iLok 2 and the upgrade from Protools 9 to 11.

I would have liked to have been able to keep 9 on my old laptop especially whilst trying to install 11 on my new one. However you have to give up your license for 9 in order to use 11.

This baffles me. What difference does this make to Avid if I can still run Protools 9 on a 6 year old laptop or not?

Anyway, my new iLok2 within 2 hours of use has stopped working. I tried again today, and briefly for the first time ever I was able to launch Protools 11. But within 5 mins the iLok2 stopped working (no light).

So I'm now left with no access to Protools on either laptops as my license from my original iLok for Protools 9 has been taken away and my new iLok2 has packed in.

I'm currently touring the USA/Canada until the 7th June mixing FOH for a band touring with an Avid SC48. What am I supposed to do to get this working again? I can't realistically send the iLok2 back to iLok as they then ship to your house and I won't be there until mid June.

I suppose my main point here is why does Avid make upgrading software so complicated, and why did I have to surrender software which I bought previously....

Also why on Earth is there no helpline for iLok???

Wish I had just stuck with PT9

[coolbass]

Originally Posted by McLuckie

I purchased a new MacBook Pro a few days ago. On my old laptop I had Protools 9 running which I use a lot. I also purchased an iLok 2 and the upgrade from Protools 9 to 11.

I would have liked to have been able to keep 9 on my old laptop especially whilst trying to install 11 on my new one. However you have to give up your license for 9 in order to use 11.

This baffles me. What difference does this make to Avid if I can still run Protools 9 on a 6 year old laptop or not?

Anyway, my new iLok2 within 2 hours of use has stopped working. I tried again today, and briefly for the first time ever I was able to launch Protools 11. But within 5 mins the iLok2 stopped working (no light).

So I'm now left with no access to Protools on either laptops as my license from my original iLok for Protools 9 has been taken away and my new iLok2 has packed in.

I'm currently touring the USA/Canada until the 7th June mixing FOH for a band touring with an Avid SC48. What am I supposed to do to get this working again? I can't realistically send the iLok2 back to iLok as they then ship to your house and I won't be there until mid June.

I suppose my main point here is why does Avid make upgrading software so complicated, and why did I have to surrender software which I bought previously....

Also why on Earth is there no helpline for iLok???

Wish I had just stuck with PT9

I sympathize 1 zillion times.

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by McLuckie

I purchased a new MacBook Pro a few days ago. On my old laptop I had Protools 9 running which I use a lot. I also purchased an iLok 2 and the upgrade from Protools 9 to 11.

I would have liked to have been able to keep 9 on my old laptop especially whilst trying to install 11 on my new one. However you have to give up your license for 9 in order to use 11.

This baffles me. What difference does this make to Avid if I can still run Protools 9 on a 6 year old laptop or not?

Anyway, my new iLok2 within 2 hours of use has stopped working. I tried again today, and briefly for the first time ever I was able to launch Protools 11. But within 5 mins the iLok2 stopped working (no light).

So I'm now left with no access to Protools on either laptops as my license from my original iLok for Protools 9 has been taken away and my new iLok2 has packed in.

I'm currently touring the USA/Canada until the 7th June mixing FOH for a band touring with an Avid SC48. What am I supposed to do to get this working again? I can't realistically send the iLok2 back to iLok as they then ship to your house and I won't be there until mid June.

I suppose my main point here is why does Avid make upgrading software so complicated, and why did I have to surrender software which I bought previously....

Also why on Earth is there no helpline for iLok???

Wish I had just stuck with PT9

OK the iLok2 issue is a hassle. And I'm not a fan of Pace and especially their latest license revoking stupidity (it is beyond time for Avid to drop iLok all together), but contact iLok support, they may be able to help you. If its business critical you did ZDT insurance on it right? Even if shipped back to your old address you'd still get an electronic licenses temporarily reissued to get you going. Pick up a physical iLok online or at a local music store/Avid retailer wherever you are. And there is really nobody at that postal address who can forward the iLok to you?

All unlikely to help but worth trying: Try the iLok in all your USB ports, if a USB 3 port try it on a USB2 hub. Try reinstalling the iLok software. Try it on an entirely different computer if you can.

And where did you buy the now dead iLok from? It is unlikely, but worth asking if they can help. Especially if its a sales rep/team that knows you.

So what can you do different to minimize inflicting pain on yourself?

Subscribe to iLok's ZDT and TLC if you have not already.

Carry a spare empty iLok 2 with you so you can more easily use ZDT/TLC (but ZDT is only 14 day coverage).

Have a full spare/redundant/backup Pro Tools license (an excuse to buy an Eleven Rack etc.).

Did you take advantage of the Pro Tools 11 trial to make sure everything was working before you upgraded? And be able to fully use Pro Tools 9 as well for that month, then just buy a license upgrade? And I kind of suspect if you had serious problems during that month that Avid folks might have tried to cut you an extension.

And you could not install Pro Tools 10 on the old laptop? (Including during a trial) and use that with the 10/11 combo license you now have. And or course you do that sensibly by dual-booting your computer so it can run both Pro Tools 9 and 10.

Avid as any other software vendor wants you to give up an old license so you can't use it or sell it somebody else. They also will just want to purge out old software and it's support liability. All makes perfect sense. If having Pro Tools 9 around was suspected of being business critical I would have purchased a full license (likely by buying another Eleven Rack) and kept the Pro Tools 9 license and have the separate 10/11 license. Upgrading seems a bad move to save a few hundred dollars. And with the combo licenses Avid is of course trying to train/encourage everybody to upgrade at each major release.

[McLuckie]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

OK the iLok2 issue is a hassle. And I'm not a fan of Pace and especially their latest license revoking stupidity (it is beyond time for Avid to drop iLok all together), but contact iLok support, they may be able to help you. If its business critical you did ZDT insurance on it right? Even if shipped back to your old address you'd still get an electronic licenses temporarily reissued to get you going. Pick up a physical iLok online or at a local music store/Avid retailer wherever you are. And there is really nobody at that postal address who can forward the iLok to you?

All unlikely to help but worth trying: Try the iLok in all your USB ports, if a USB 3 port try it on a USB2 hub. Try reinstalling the iLok software. Try it on an entirely different computer if you can.

And where did you buy the now dead iLok from? It is unlikely, but worth asking if they can help. Especially if its a sales rep/team that knows you.

So what can you do different to minimize inflicting pain on yourself?

Subscribe to iLok's ZDT and TLC if you have not already.

Carry a spare empty iLok 2 with you so you can more easily use ZDT/TLC (but ZDT is only 14 day coverage).

Have a full spare/redundant/backup Pro Tools license (an excuse to buy an Eleven Rack etc.).

Did you take advantage of the Pro Tools 11 trial to make sure everything was working before you upgraded? And be able to fully use Pro Tools 9 as well for that month, then just buy a license upgrade? And I kind of suspect if you had serious problems during that month that Avid folks might have tried to cut you an extension.

And you could not install Pro Tools 10 on the old laptop? (Including during a trial) and use that with the 10/11 combo license you now have. And or course you do that sensibly by dual-booting your computer so it can run both Pro Tools 9 and 10.

Avid as any other software vendor wants you to give up an old license so you can't use it or sell it somebody else. They also will just want to purge out old software and it's support liability. All makes perfect sense. If having Pro Tools 9 around suspected of being business critical I would have purchased a full license (likely by buying another Eleven Rack) and kept the Pro Tools 9 license and have the separate 10/11 license. Upgrading seems a bad move to save a few hundred dollars. And with the combo licenses Avid is of course trying to train/encoruage everybody to upgrade at each major release.

I'm moving from Town to town daily on tour, so having an ilok posted to me isn't really an option. The store I purchased the iLok from seemed to think I would be able to keep 9 on my original iLok so I just went for the straight upgrade. Does anyone know if it's too late to back track and buy the full Protools 11 license instead of the upgrade from 9 to 11 so I have Protools 9 back?

Thanks

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by McLuckie

I'm moving from Town to town daily on tour, so having an ilok posted to me isn't really an option. The store I purchased the iLok from seemed to think I would be able to keep 9 on my original iLok so I just went for the straight upgrade. Does anyone know if it's too late to back track and buy the full Protools 11 license instead of the upgrade from 9 to 11 so I have Protools 9 back?

Thanks

Ah I have trouble believing you won't know what hotel you'll be at in a week. If that's true you have more problems than a broken iLok. Have somebody mail it ahead for you for the hotel to hold-arrange with them first. Even better Fedex or UPS etc. can also help you out with shipment to one of their facilities and hold for you (that has full tracking and better security).

You are probalby screwed getting a full license now unless where you purchased it from really wants to help you in return for their sales rep being such a useless waste of space. And they might end up having to eat the whole upgrade cost for you. Call them and ask. Feel free to name them here, I would had a sales rep been so clueless. If it's *really* critical just get online now and buy a full new license at Avid's online store or at Sweetwater.com (you still need to pick up another iLok at a retailer or online) and deal with the mess of the broken iLok later.

And your purchase pain is another lesson to buy from somebody like Sweetwater or anybody else who has even a slight clue what they are selling. The need to license surrender should be perfectly clear to any sales rep, or by you looking at Avid's web site/online store. If in doubt next time ask on DUC.

[McLuckie]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

Ah I have trouble believing you won't know what hotel you'll be at in a week. If that's true you have more problems than a broken iLok. Have somebody mail it ahead for you for the hotel to hold-arrange with them first. Even better Fedex or UPS etc. can also help you out with shipment to one of their facilities and hold for you (that has full tracking and better security).

You are probalby screwed getting a full license now unless where you purchased it from really wants to help you in return for their sales rep being such a useless waste of space. And they might end up having to eat the whole upgrade cost for you. Call them and ask. Feel free to name them here, I would had a sales rep been so clueless. If it's *really* critical just get online now and buy a full new license at Avid's online store or at Sweetwater.com (you still need to pick up another iLok at a retailer or online) and deal with the mess of the broken iLok later.

And your purchase pain is another lesson to buy from somebody like Sweetwater or anybody else who has even a slight clue what they are selling. The need to license surrender should be perfectly clear to any sales rep, or by you looking at Avid's web site/online store. If in doubt next time ask on DUC.

There's no need for the sarcastic comment Daryl. I'm on a tour bus, and not really interested in having the hassle of trying to get someone at home in the UK to Fedex the replacement iLok to a venue. It might not get there in time etc.

I was looking for helpful comments here....

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by McLuckie

There's no need for the sarcastic comment Daryl. I'm on a tour bus, and not really interested in having the hassle of trying to get someone at home in the UK to Fedex the replacement iLok to a venue. It might not get there in time etc.

I was looking for helpful comments here....

You got a pile of helpful comments, but yes, I can see how it is everybody else's fault for the hole you dug yourself in and how easy it is to find excuses so you can't actually do anything yourself to get out of it.

Do I have to state the bleeding obvious. Contact Fedex and work with them on how to do this, if their guaranteed delivery somehow misses you they will bloody well work out how to get the delivery to you. They are in the job of delivering stuff.

I'm guessing you did not have ZDT... who's fault is that?

[Craig F]

losing the 9 license, you did the upgrade right?
that's the same as taking you old car to the dealer and trading it in for a new one
if you wanted to keep it you should have bought the retail copy, same as if you wanted to keep your old car you don't trade it in at the dealer

[Kris75]

Have you tried a Sync/Repair on the ilok? Sometimes that will do the trick!

[mesaone]

Not that it's guaranteed to fix your particular problem, but (as Darryl mentioned) USB3 ports have definitely shown to cause problems with iLok on some computers. I'm not sure what else contributes to the problem, but you should hit up Radio Shack or some other shop and buy a USB 2.0 hub ASAP. This could be a $7 fix for you. Plus the added protection of placing the iLok in a less vulnerable position. Good luck!