PT doesn't recognize certain iLok authorizations

[at01music]

I have 2 iLoks with plug-in authorizations for my HD 2 system, one for Waves plug-ins and the other with Digidesign and Antares plug-ins that have been in use for several months. Recently when PT is loading plug-ins it throws a dialog stating that the ReverbOne and Impact plug-ins need to be re-authorized, which shouldn't be the case. When I synchronize the iLok with my online account, it shows that the authorizations for those plug-ins are still there, and they are of course permanent licenses. Other authorizations on the same iLok are accepted by PT. I've trashed preferences but this had no effect. Suggestions?

thanks,

Allan Tamm
Mellifluent Music

Dual G5 2.7Ghz / 1 GB / OSX 10.4.2
HD2 / PT TDM 6.9.2cs2
192 IO / PRE / MIDI IO

[Rail Jon Rogut]

Make sure you have the latest (end user) Pace drivers installed (www.paceap.com)

Rail

[at01music]

I just went to the Pace website and installed v5.2.1 of the Interlok Extensions for OS X. Then trashed DAE Preferences again. Reverb One and Impact are still not recognized as authorized.

thanks,
Allan

[Rail Jon Rogut]

Have you tried reinstalling the plug-ins (and Pro Tools)?

Also repair your permissions with Disk Utility.

Rail

[at01music]

I haven't reinstalled the plug-ins or PT yet... if no further suggestions come in today I'll burn some midnight oil tonight and do that.

thanks again,
Allan

[Avid]

You can download the current versions of Reverb One and Impact from here:
http://www.digidesign.com/download/69/sw.cfm#2

[Logichead]

Sometimes I get the same sort of reathorization request which I have found to be related to usb "crash-ettes." Unplugging the iLoks and re-inserting fixes it. The telltale sign is an iLok that isn't lighting up. It doesn't hurt to unplug and re-plug all of the usb peripherals from time to time.

Best...H

[Lee Blaske]

If none of the above suggestions help, also try modifications to your USB, hub situation. Dongles like iLok can be unpredictable on certain extension hardware (which actually might be breaking the USB rules of extension length). Try plugging the iLok directly into a USB port on the computer. Try different brands of USB hubs. Try plugging the iLoks into different ports.

Lee Blaske

[at01music]

I've successfully resolved this issue - I now have both plug-ins working - and the solution is very interesting. I believe people are right that the cause of this problem is related to a USB issue, and that the iLok in question (one of 2 on this machine) had some memory locations physically damaged or else some of the data was corrupted.

All plug-ins on this system worked fine until I experimented with adding a USB hub (same model that I already use on this system) and a couple more USB devices. This caused the MIDI IO in the system to be unable to get online so I removed the hub and devices and returned to the original USB configuration. Not only has the MIDI IO not been able to go Online since then by using the reset procedures (I posted separately about this in "MIDI IO doesn't go Online") I started getting the authorization dialogs for the 2 plug-ins and was unable to use them.

I went online and synchronized the iLok that has the licenses for these 2 plug-ins, and all the plug-ins were listed as being on the iLok with licenses that never expire. And all the other plug-ins whose licenses are on this iLok worked fine, just the 2 in question did not. I wondered if something could have happened on the USB bus that would corrupt data on the iLok in such a way that Pace's synchronization software wouldn't notice. Perhaps the synchronization software just checks for a license identifier but doesn't verify that associated data, like authorization codes, is correct?

So I transferred these 2 licenses to another iLok I have and then used that iLok instead, and presto, the plug-ins are back in action! Since this iLok is for an M-Powered license that I use on a different machine, I really don't want to leave the plug-ins there, so I tried to transfer them back to the original iLok. I then got an error message "An unexpected authorization error 14009 occurred". That makes me suspect the original iLok has some physical problems with memory, so I've done 2 more things: 1) move All licenses off that iLok to my M-Powered iLok 2) ordered a new iLok (nearly $50 including tax and shipping). Next, when I have time I will do an RMA process for the original iLok and see if Pace will replace it. I'll then have 1 more iLok than I actually need to use, but I'll feel a little safer having a spare on hand.

One thing I'm taking away from this is not to hot-swap USB devices, or at least to remove iLoks before tinkering with USB connections.

Thanks for all your suggestions, it reinforced my feeling that somehow USB was involved.

Allan Tamm