Locked out of Xara DP11 once again!

**Phill** · 23 December 2015, 07:33 PM

This is the third time I have been locked out of accessing Xara DP11since I upgraded to this version in May. Reason for lockout stated is that computer hardware has been changed. This has been installed on the same laptop and desktop since upgrade and they both show on the Xara site with the correct description, i.e, with nothing changed, and yet it claims that the listed computers are activated. Well if that were true how come I cannot access Xara on one of them? It will not permit me to deactivate any of them for 30 days, and even if I could there is no guarantee that I would be able to reactivate on the same computer. I am writing this from my office where I have been trying unsuccessfully to modify an existing file for a client. I do have the other computer at my house but that is 50 miles away. My customer is p*ssed and so am I.

I reverted back to Adobe for new files after the previous inactivation hassle but still need Xara for existing files. I know this board takes a dim view of anyone daring to criticize Xara but I don't know how they stay in business as there must be a lot of people like me who feel if they have paid for a product that they should be entitled to use it. Of course I have emailed Xara and from my past experience they will take nearly a week to resolve the issue.

In the meantime I should be grateful is anyone here reading this can suggest a way around this. After posting this I will try downloading a trial version using a different name and see if that will work. I'm guessing it will respond with your trial is up?

**gwpriester** · 23 December 2015, 07:44 PM

Hi Phill

This sounds totally annoying. I think the best best is to submit a support ticket at http://support.xara.com/ Something is not working here (duh!) and support is the best option to getting this issue resolved. That said, as this is Christmas week, I think next week would be a better time to submit the ticket.

**mwenz** · 23 December 2015, 08:10 PM

No worries from me, Phil. I think the new scheme for copy protection sucks even if I haven't had any issues. I think at minimum the phone home in order to use the software for an extended period off-line borders on criminal for perpetual license software.

I have nothing that can help. Sorry.

Mike

**Phill** · 23 December 2015, 08:16 PM

I had already done that prior to my post. Unfortunately you are right about Christmas as the holidays and time off they have in England are incredible. Here in US it's just a couple of days but in UK they make a week of it! It just is not reasonable for software which has been installed on the same computer/s for the buyer to be denied access.
It has nothing to do with anti piracy, how can it? Xara is the only company I have ever had this kind of problem with and that includes MS Office Adobe CS, and Corel.
BTW I tried to get a "trial" working but so far no luck.

**Acorn** · 23 December 2015, 09:52 PM

Originally Posted by Phill

I had already done that prior to my post. Unfortunately you are right about Christmas as the holidays and time off they have in England are incredible. Here in US it's just a couple of days but in UK they make a week of it! It just is not reasonable for software which has been installed on the same computer/s for the buyer to be denied access.
It has nothing to do with anti piracy, how can it? Xara is the only company I have ever had this kind of problem with and that includes MS Office Adobe CS, and Corel.
BTW I tried to get a "trial" working but so far no luck.

Phill, sorry to hear about your snarl-up. Work through Xara's Knowledgebase: http://support.xara.com/index.php?/K...serial-number; this describes how to deactivate from within the program as well as the method you are describing.

A trial will work on another (clean) machine but I doubt it will on one with a licence issue.
Download the trial Xara Web Designer 11 Premium instead. This will give you 7 to 30 days use. It will handle most of your .XAR site aspects; enough to handle minor modifications.
Note the design file saved is .WEB but it is essentially the same file.
Do make a copy of your original before starting, just to be safe.

Still submit a Ticket (http://support.xara.com/index.php?/Core/Default/Index) even if it is Christmas Eve.
I am sure the Xara Pixies will still be working.

Finally, I note Arizona has 11 Federal Days and one State day. In the UK, we have 8 Bank Holidays. On both sides of the pond, companies still stay open (or lose trade), though individual employees may choose to take longer periods off.

Acorn

**Phill** · 23 December 2015, 10:59 PM

Don't know why I didn't think of this before but I just installed the previous version disc, and after entering the serial# a screen popped up giving the option to use for 30 days without registering. I chose that option and the program ran! However, this denial of use by Xara just is not ethical - in fact it's the same as theft as they are in effect selling product and then stealing it back once they have the money. It does not make any sense as all it does is cause a lot of inconvenience and aggravation to paying customers without whom they would definitely not be in business. Anyway, thanks for that WEB suggestion which I would have tried next.

**ss-kalm** · 24 December 2015, 01:12 AM

Phill - If you have a previous version disc, don't you also have a previous version registration number? You CAN have both versions installed concurrently without any issues. they don't overwrite each other.

Just to play devil's advocate, you haven't bought the software. If you read the EULA (or whatever they are called these days ...), I believe that you have only purchased a licence to use the software.

Having said that, no matter what the protection, Xara are only punishing the honest users ... the dishonest users probably already have a crack to get round it.

**gwpriester** · 24 December 2015, 01:13 AM

I have asked someone from Xara to have a look at this thread but I suspect most are out for the holidays.

**Phill** · 24 December 2015, 03:29 AM

Originally Posted by ss-kalm

Phill - If you have a previous version disc, don't you also have a previous version registration number? You CAN have both versions installed concurrently without any issues. they don't overwrite each other.

Just to play devil's advocate, you haven't bought the software. If you read the EULA (or whatever they are called these days ...), I believe that you have only purchased a licence to use the software.

Having said that, no matter what the protection, Xara are only punishing the honest users ... the dishonest users probably already have a crack to get round it.

I did read the EULA for previous installation and it states wordrds to the effect that one has a licence to install on 2 computers and that if installing to another computer it has to be deregistered on one of them first. There is no mention of having to wait 30 days to deregister. Apart from that in this case
I have only had it installed to the SAME computers ALL of the time.

**Acorn** · 24 December 2015, 07:36 AM

Originally Posted by Phill

I did read the EULA for previous installation and it states wordrds to the effect that one has a licence to install on 2 computers and that if installing to another computer it has to be deregistered on one of them first. There is no mention of having to wait 30 days to deregister. Apart from that in this case
I have only had it installed to the SAME computers ALL of the time.

Phill, trying to understand the circumstances. Did you "upgrade" both machines to Windows 10 since installing XDPX11? Was the office machine the last one for this?

Acorn