Re-installing OS9 - What happens to s/w authorisations?

[flexico]

Hopefully someone out there has some experience of this, because I've long forgotten! I have a G4 Quicksilver running OS9.2.2 and a Pro Tools 24 rig with 5.1.3 and lots of plug-ins. I want to re-install the system to sort out some sleep-related issues but I don't want to have to de-install all the s/w because I have a ton of stuff and can't remember where half the floppies are, if indeed they're still readable:

DigiDesign Post Conform
DigiDesign Machine Control
Universal Audio Smartcode Pro / Dolby Digital Encoder
Universal Audio Smartcode DTS-DVD
Universal Audio Smartcode DTS-CD
Kind of Loud Real Verb 5.1
Drawmer Compressor
Drawmer Limiter
Waves 3.2 Restoration Plug-ins
Focusrite D2
Focusrite D3

The question is, if I install a fresh OS without re-formatting the drive or anything, do I end up wiping out the authorisations, do they need to be re-validated by reinserting the floppy, or are they still fine in the new OS?? I guess it wouldn't be a disaster, but I'd rather not get into a whole mission of finding all the correct floppies. The Universal Audio stuff is challenge response so I guess I'm fine with that, and Drawmer Dynamics and Waves are on the iLok I think.

Any advice would be appreciated. thanks a heap

[John_Toolbox]

Floppies scare me. I lost the authorization on a brand new one by using the wrong kind of usb floppy drive, so I've always been very cautious with them. Because it's probably impossible to get them now, I'd play it safe and remove all of your authorizations before re-installing.

[milesofwire]

Yea I would have to second that as well, Some floppy auths will handle it, some wont, way back when I had a NuBus rig I actually had reinitialized a HD with a Master List CD auth on it and it was still there afterwards! Then again I also lost an auth for Turbosynth just by simply trying to install it, it can go both ways, most usually the worst.

I know it's a bit of a pain, but I would try to find as many of those auth disks you can, If you try the wrong one it will not let you remove the auth, keep trying till you find the right one.

Also, like John said before, you MUST use a supported USB floppy or it will gobble up your auths like Halloween candy!

Hope this helps.

[flexico]

Hey guys, thanks for chiming in. This is news to me about the wrong USB Floppy Drive! I have a branded Teac one, which I'm guessing is OK(?), and I've just ordered a generic one on ebay, possibly IBM. Which ones are good? VST? Is there a list?

[John_Toolbox]

Originally Posted by flexico

Hey guys, thanks for chiming in. This is news to me about the wrong USB Floppy Drive! I have a branded Teac one, which I'm guessing is OK(?), and I've just ordered a generic one on ebay, possibly IBM. Which ones are good? VST? Is there a list?

There are only 3 that I am aware of being officially supported. The one I have is a VST, model FDUSB-M. It looks like the early G4s/G3 CRT imacs and has several different translucent colored covers to make it match the different colored imacs.

[milesofwire]

• Imation SuperDisk
• NewerTechnology uDrive
• SmartDisk USB Floppy Drive (model FDUSB-M, Color Kit Edition, formerly VST)

These are the official supported disk drives, I use the VST as well.

[flexico]

Brilliant information, thank you both. The ebay search begins...!

[flexico]

Another plea for help:

I've just picked up an Imation SuperDisk to manage my authorisations since I'm currently locked out of my copies of Postconform and MachinControl (Arghhhh... PACE!!!), but it didn't come with any drivers.

The digi FAQ states: "The following extensions are required to use the new SuperDisk USB floppy drive to authorize PACE protected software on the B&W G3:

USBSuperDiskDriver and USBSuperDiskUTDriver (2.0 or later)"

Needless to say, these driver are no longer available anywhere. Does anyone still have them? Are they even needed on a G4 QS 2002 on OS 9.2.2?

Thanks folks, (and no thanks PACE!)

[John_Toolbox]

I will need to do a little digging as I've sold off all of my mix/OS9 stuff, but I should be able to help you. Shoot me an email at JH4music [at] mac [dot] com

[Avid]

You can find links to the required software downloads here:

Digidesign-Qualified External Floppy Diskette USB Drives

I didn't find anything on the Imation website, but we do have a working link on our archives to the " USB Driver for the Imation USB SuperDisk drive" version 3.2.

In addition to the driver download for the USB drive itself, you will also need to download the PACE USB Floppy Enabler, linked just below that one.

You can find that again if you click on "Google Support Archives" at the top of the forum, and enter USBSuperDiskDriver in the search text box.