Need to fix expired time locks!

[overloaded_ide]

Not breaking the rules, I mean the software companies need to fix them!

They release a demo with a 14 or 30 day trial. Hey that's great they don't have to, but it does increase sales to people like me that will not buy software before using it! Just too much high dollar garbage on the market. No working demo, or friend who owns it so I can see in person at his house what it does, then I no buy!

So they release version 1 demo, I try it, not impressed so I delete it and do not buy or use it.

Then they release version 2 with all the supposedly great new features and improvements! Ok, I just down loaded a 9mb file at 2.6k, and you know what of course! Ya that's right, I can't use it on my main rig because I had version 1 previously installed at one time! So they still have not got my money, though I may buy it this time if it did as they claim.

So those time locks need to be fixed! Use a different one for version 2 than you did for version 1 or something.

And I don't like the idea of permanant changes to my systems either, and anything that says you used this before, 3 months after I deleted it is a permanant change! Probably why it's getting slugish and such at times, 300 marks for time locks "this has been tried" for junk stuff I tried and tossed out!
And are they removed when I buy the software or just ignored?

This has happen quite a few times with various software, some soso and some real bad that I chose not to use or buy.
Most recently is today!
I tried TMPgenc DVD author 1 before and kinda liked it, but it did not burn DVDs and a couple other things I was iffey if I wanted to buy it or get something better. I was thinking of buying it though. Just not totally decided yet.

So tonight I downloaded version 1.5 I think it is.
Supposedly writes DVD r now and some other new things I might like.
Well because version one was installed before I cannot see if the new features work or if the program even works as well as before, or if they trashed it with improvments!

Anway, I could do a format and just install a fresh 2k and use it again and see how it works now. But, that's alot of problems so I'll just use the other system this time
Most people don't have that option though. Iif I did not they would be losing a sale for shure, but I pretty much plan to buy it if it still works the way version 1 did and all the new features work too.

The real bummer here is my main rig has the DVD burner, so I want to see if the new version burns working disks, so now I gotta pull my drive and install in system 2 becuase I ain't doing a fresh install on system 1
Also system one has all the ram, 2 only has 256MB, so I am sure that will effect the program too.

I'm sure theres an easy way to get rid of those time locks anyway that all the pirates know, but since I buy stuff I never bother to chase down the answer.

Now that I have ghost, next time I do a fresh install on a system, I'll ghost it before each install and if I don't like something I can get rid of it completely by restoring the ghost image. If I like it I'll buy it, enter the registration and ghost again, ready for the next program I try I geuss

Wouldn't it be easier and make more sales if version 2 just ignored the lock for version 1!

[gmatov]

IDE,

This might be too simple, but have you tried RegClean? If you uninstall a prog, it leaves turds in the registry. Reg Clean has done a pretty good job for me.

One paid for graphics prog I have, I tried the update for. It ran for 30 days, per agreement, then crippled my paid for prog, also.

Reg Clean did fix that.

[housepig]

there's a really good, freeware registry fixer and cleaner as part of a system-tool software pack called "JV's Power Tools", if you do a Google search you can find it.

Gives a bit more flexability than Reg Clean, works like a charm.

[overloaded_ide]

I'll look for JVs power tools, thanks. I like to keep my system clean, rather it's freeware, demo's, or stuff I bought and moved to another system afterwards.

Yes I think I tried reg clean to remove tons of garbage that acumilated over the months from deleted software and other stuff. It did a good job
I think for most stuff. But I think it missed keys for deleted programs, or at least some?
I found a zip file I wasn't sure what it was so I installed it to see. It happened to be the demo for a program I BOUGHT and was running on my other system. I had tested it on this one first, anyway the time lock showed the program was expired even though it had been months or longer and several cleans since it was installed. No problem though I just entered the key, then deleted the program again anyway in a few days.

Which is another thing, why are software makers STILL using stuff like silsdlkl12298.exe or .zip to name files? Would anyone know what that is other than the companie maybe 2 months after download?
Sure I can rename it myself, then I forget I already have it and I download the file again with no warning it already exists, just a real pain, so software makers should name the file to what they are, for the people who actually use and buy them!

I would like to mention also the point of this post is that software makers need to think ahead and about the people who actually BUY stuff.
The more you tick us off the less we will buy from you!

I have not bought a DISNEY software progam or Seira game and some other companies for many many years! I don't STEAL them either! I just said the H3LL with you, I don't need the copy protection hassles AFTER I BUY stuff and went away!
Is that good business sence, CHASING AWAY PAYING CUSTOMERS?????

I BOUGHT Lesiure Suit Larry 1 and 2, but never bothered with the rest because it was such a hassle with protection on the first two!

And the print program from DISNEY for ages 5 and up? Enter the third word from paragragh 3 of page 6 line 5 chapter 2? And every time of course it was different!
OH come on, even I could not get into that program half the time, so how is my 5 yr old daughter supose to? That was 7 years ago and high dollar software! Never bought another DISNEY after that! Though I did go on a BBS (before internet) and download a hack so that the kid could use that program I bought her!

There are probably lots of developers running though this forum, so that's why I posted this one. Hopefully a few From DISNEY will read this one
Hey BOB, are you out out there?
And Disney Snow White dvd would not even play on the computer till I installed a patche! Owned a DVD and the kid could not even watch it because all we had was a computer DVD player at the time!

And now they want throw away DVDs

BOYCOT DISNEY

I still buy the kid some Disney movies, but yes I do with out many I would actually like to buy. I don't try to steal them in any way! But they ain't food so I can live without them just fine!

[overloaded_ide]

I could only find JV 16 power tools, 30 day free trial and $30 to buy.

Was great, I downloaded it, installed it! First time I tried to run it, it said my system clock was wrong and to fix it. OK I probably forgot when I reset the Bios the other day, so I fix the clock from 2002 to 2003, now the program tells me it is expired

I really didn't care what year my system thought it was, not like I fill in dates in forms automatically or anything

Oh well, now I have at least 2 programs I cannot see for the first time now! That's $130 at least I am saving. $100 for pegasys TMPGEnc Plus and DVD author 1.5 and $30 I won't be paying for this JV tools I geuss

I think I like these time locks after all, they are saving me ALOT of money I might have actually spent for software now

Ha ha, jokes on them.......
I'll go play with that new stick of 512mb ram I got today instead of buying software!

[housepig]

sorry about that... I'm using version 1.1, which was free for non commercial, personal use.

apparently in the last .3 releases, he's started charging.

so it is no longer freeware... my bad...

unless you can find the 1.1 version floating around somewhere.

[overloaded_ide]

That's fine, wasn't sure if I got the right one, came from Macecraft software or something like that.

I like free real well, but I don't mind buying what I like too. People got to make a living

Once I know I like software and stuff, that is is good, works well, and does what I need and it is supposed to do, I'll buy it.
I also donate to charities like St. Judes.

But I am cheap too, and like sale prices and actual free stuff

[rhegedus]

Couldn't the same reg tools be used to continue using a program after the 'trial' is up? Uninstall trial, reg clean, re-install trial.............. 8)

[overloaded_ide]

Duh, I don't know said the blond as she bobbed her head

If the software is good enough to go to all that trouble, then it's good enough to buy, so pay for it so they continue to improve it

My concern is 1 it effects the perfromance of my system after trying a ton of junk software not worth having, before I finnally find one to actually buy.

And two, like Pegasys TMPGEnc DVD Author, I kinda liked version one and thinking about buying it, but still trying other software first. Then version 1.5 comes out. To be fare I really need to compare the newest version to anything else I am considering. I can not do that if 1.5 has me locked out becuase I already tried the lower quality version 1.

I have more than one system, but only one has a DVD burner and now 1 gig of ram as of today. Since thats te one I plan to use the software on, then it's the one I should test on
But it had me locked out!

I am nearly positive I will be buying DVD Author now as I have tried it.
14 minutes and a few seconds to convert MP2 to dvd with some chapters and cuts. 4.3 gigs worth. And the DVD -rw I burned with the program worked great the one time I played it so far. I just created the same disk again from scratch on -r and will see how that works now.

Only things I saw wrong was the progress bar in the burning program. Shows 98% done in about 5 minutes, but it say burning sector 1250000 or 4000000 or something like that. In other words about 1/4 of the disk has been burned at 98% done
No biggy, and I'm sure they'll fix that, and after a few more tests I'll probably be send them the $100 for TMPGEnc Plus and DVD author as a package deal, even though I never used plus yet, but everyone seems to like it so I might as well buy it too