Locked out of Xara DP11 once again!

**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

**Phill** · 24 December 2015, 06:49 PM

UPDATE
Today I received an email from Xara and Magix stating that it has now been activated on both pc's! However, like the last time there was no apology for the inconvenience. In response to the question by "Acorn" both pc's had been upgraded to Win 10 since the initial install. The computer which locked me out was upgraded to 10 about a month ago which was an automatic upgrade with the transfer of all files and programs completed through that progress. All the installed programs, except for an old one which was incompatible with 10, have been running correctly, as indeed Xara was until yesterday. Even if 10 had been installed as a clean install I should have been allowed to install Xara as non of the hardware had changed. This problem seems isolated to Xara 11 as v 7 and v9 have continued to run when the OS was upgraded from XP to Vista and again to 7. Thanks to all who responded, but I have zero confidence in Xara/Magix and will not be buying any more of their products in future. That only leaves Corel as the only viable alternative as Adobe now require an annual subscription. That's why I am still using CS5. Pity, as Xara DP is a good program but a bad company.

**Acorn** · 25 December 2015, 04:26 PM

Originally Posted by Phill

UPDATE
Today I received an email from Xara and Magix stating that it has now been activated on both pc's! However, like the last time there was no apology for the inconvenience. In response to the question by "Acorn" both pc's had been upgraded to Win 10 since the initial install. The computer which locked me out was upgraded to 10 about a month ago which was an automatic upgrade with the transfer of all files and programs completed through that progress. All the installed programs, except for an old one which was incompatible with 10, have been running correctly, as indeed Xara was until yesterday. Even if 10 had been installed as a clean install I should have been allowed to install Xara as non of the hardware had changed. This problem seems isolated to Xara 11 as v 7 and v9 have continued to run when the OS was upgraded from XP to Vista and again to 7. Thanks to all who responded, but I have zero confidence in Xara/Magix and will not be buying any more of their products in future. That only leaves Corel as the only viable alternative as Adobe now require an annual subscription. That's why I am still using CS5. Pity, as Xara DP is a good program but a bad company.

Phill, not a great experience for you but at least you are sorted. You still have a working application with free upgrades (for V11) in perpetuity so it is still possible to use without ever interacting with the company so keep using it and let the application prove itself. Part of Xara's problem was the introduction to Windows 10 after their launch so that development teams get a view of MS's direction with an alpha release but they can only aim to be ahead of the game. In this case, the contentious on-line activation fell foul of the W10 upgrade such that your application thought it was a new install; you get two bites and then you're into SNAFU territory. Xara did "explain" that W10 upgrades needed a deactivation and reactivation, seconds of effort, to avoid this but they were not smart enough to target all purchasers directly and relied on TG and their Knowledgebase for the detail.

At least stick with TG and Dear Xara... all the issues you find going ahead so we all collectively benefit. An application is not just code, it is the user experience and the after care. Your pain can be turned into a positive.

Merry Christmas,
Acorn

P.S. I told you the Xara Pixies would help; they're just a little shy.

**Michael** · 26 December 2015, 07:39 AM

Originally Posted by Phill

UPDATE
That only leaves Corel as the only viable alternative....

When you're on the lookout for alternative software I'd recommend Alternativeto.net. For instance: if you'd search for an alternative to Xara you will find Inkscape as a free alternative (http://alternativeto.net/software/xara-xtreme/) which is a good vector application (albeit with some major drawbacks compared with Xara) and GIMP or Paint.net for Photoshop.
I wouldn't put my eggs in Crel's basket.

**pauland** · 27 December 2015, 01:02 AM

Xara DP is a good program but a bad company.

This is total nonsense and you are cutting off your nose to spite your face.

It's unfortunate you had the problems, but Xara did sort out the issue and invariably they do.

I'm really disappointed to see how little it takes to make my fellow man descend to use such such derogatory adjectives as you have used to describe Xara in this thread, and I cannot reconcile your description of the company with reality.

I hope you stick with xara and form a better opinion of the company and be a little less free with the accusations in the future.

I've know this company since the very first days when they were producing software and a more ethical and helpful company it would be hard to find.

In case you're wondering - I have no association with this company except as an end-user.

**Acorn** · 27 December 2015, 11:48 AM

Car manufacturers learned early on that improving performance and speed all but failed if the cigarette lighter make a grating noise.
Any designer knows that if the buyer has a niggle, however trivial, that becomes Public Enemy No. 1.

Xara is moving to a totally on-line product and is learning on the way; application niggles will be fixed through continuous integration.
Xara clearly must realise that customer service is still paramount and that this has to be developed equally.

We should praise Xara when it hits high and cajole it when it is missing the mark. The problem we have is we do not set the mark.

Acorn

**JET** · 27 December 2015, 12:54 PM

I have zero confidence in Xara/Magix and will not be buying any more of their products in future. That only leaves Corel as the only viable alternative as Adobe now require an annual subscription.

Just so you know; it's not as bleak as all that. There are other sources of vector drawing programs in addition to Corel's Draw and Technical Designer (both of which I also use).

ACD's Canvas (now at version X16) is another of the venerable "big four" drawing programs (only FreeHand is gone, having been discontinued by Adobe). There's also Serif's DrawPlus, and open source Inkscape.

Like you and probably countless others, I also refuse to rent software, so my purchase of CS6 was the last money Adobe has received from me, and will remain so unless/until it offers perpetual licenses again. In fact, Adobe's take-it-or-leave-it arrogance against the decades-long customers who made Adobe what it is finally freed me of the ridiculously expensive Master Collection version update cycle I'd allowed myself to be suckered into, the savings of which has more than paid for all the above-mentioned alternatives, and I haven't missed a beat.

I've always considered it a matter of professional advantage to maintain comfortable proficiency in multiple drawing programs, thereby avoiding being held captive to and victimized by a single vendor. Adobe's move rather validated my stance on that.

JET