XARA Designer Pro X 365: Re-install issue

For full disclosure: I did not renew the update service, as I don't feel like paying for future features now before knowing what they might be.

Having said that, today something strange happened: I suddenly could not export PDF files any more, as I always got a cryptic error message ("The PDF filter encountered a general problem. PDF export is aborted (0004)."). The only remedy for this seemed to be running the software as an administrator, but I found that highly annoying.

So, I disabled the software on that machine, re-installed and activated successfully on the first run. Soon after that XARA informed me that a newer version for my software was available. So, I confirmed to update and on restart of XARA this happened:

Attachment 118822

So, in other words: Designer Pro X 365 managed to shoot itself in the foot and forces me to re-install. And after that I'm stuck with the version I downloaded a year ago, because I can't even update to the version XARA had right before my update service expired?

Sorry if this has been discussed before, but somehow I didn't seem to find anything related.
Just to be sure: This is the intended behaviour of the new subscription model?
And why does XARA allow updating to newer versions the user can't activate afterwards - seems kind of non user-friendly?

I was in the same boat as you are in. You need version 12.6

It installed for me without a problem.

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Originally Posted by Guest

For full disclosure: I did not renew the update service, as I don't feel like paying for future features now before knowing what they might be.

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As I have indicated repeatedly and as per what Xara says, you pay for the features that have come out up to the date that you renew/buy, and you get a working preview of new features for the next year, which you can keep so long as you don't have to reinstall, and then if you like these features and want to keep them, you renew (just like before when you bought a new version). If you don't like them, don't renew. If you have to reinstall, like you did, don't expect to see the features that came out after you last paid.

Once you reinstalled, did you do a "Check for updates" under Help and update? If so, did it work ok or did it then tell you that a newer version was available?

I assume that, like most software, if there is a newer version available, the adware kicks in to try to sell it to you. Is this what happened and you accepted to try it out? Or what exactly did it say?

It would be useful to have clearly the steps that happened so that others in the same situation know what to do.

Thanks,

I already gave you those steps: Re-install with the version I downloaded in June 2016, then the usual pop-up window I've seen very many times stating that an update is available for my software. This was no ad, no offer to upgrade or to try out a new version, but the very normal update notice. And BTW, I'm a XARA user for over 10 years now, I know the drill.

And just to point this out: This is not about "wanting to keep new features" that came out in the last year.
This is about Designer Pro X 365 stopping to work correctly from one moment to the next - remarkably exactly 3 months after my update service expired (Honi soit qui mal y pense...). And this is about Designer Pro X 365 forcing me to reinstall because of that and leaving me without any working version of the software after just following the usual update procedure - with seemingly no other remedy but to uninstall and re-install yet again or to renew a subscription I neither want nor need.

As you just seem to have confirmed, this is exactly the way XARA intended this to work. Which means that you're obviously also not entitled to keep any bugfixes released within the year of subscription you paid for. If Designer Pro X 365 stops working, even without any fault on your part, you're back to an up to one year old version of Designer Pro. It's good to know this, as this gives me even less incentive to renew my subscription (even if XARA refuses to call it that).

@dutchim
Thanks for the quick reply. Is there some kind of repository of previous XARA versions? I just have my downloaded version from June 2016 (12.1, I think...). Any update that version pulls from XARA's servers is 12.8, which I can't activate.

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Originally Posted by Guest

Thanks for the quick reply. Is there some kind of repository of previous XARA versions? I just have my downloaded version from June 2016 (12.1, I think...). Any update that version pulls from XARA's servers is 12.8, which I can't activate.

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Try the bottom of the page - http://www.xara.com/uk/designer-pro/download/

Acorn

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Originally Posted by Acorn

Try the bottom of the page - http://www.xara.com/uk/designer-pro/download/

Acorn

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Ah! Talk about not seeing the wood for the trees...:D
Thanks a lot!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Guest

Ah! Talk about not seeing the wood for the trees...:D
Thanks a lot!

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Also there might be a route to v12.6 if you install v12.4:

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Originally Posted by katemoir

I think if you download that 12.4 now it will update to 12.6 anyway...

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Acorn

@Guest.

Thanks for clarifying. I don't think that Xara should be indicating an update that goes beyond the purchase date, so Xara has some work to do to fix this. I doubt that Xara has built-in obsolescence, just bad luck and probably a conflict with something else (MS) caused your problems. There are similar complaints/discussions about other Magix products that have the Update Service, having to reinstall 3 days after expiry, etc., so the Xara part is not alone.

This discussion and another one made me realize another flaw in the system. I received a DVD from Xara when I purchased the first 365 version (v12), as I had with previous versions. I did not have to ask, it just came in the mail. So, I have all of the content that was available when I purchased v12, I presume. However, I renewed the service in July, but there is no DVD forthcoming with all content up to date. Now I have to make sure that I have downloaded all content and saved it with a backup. I did not foresee this one.

Yeah, I also think that there are some quirks in the new system. And BTW, sorry if my last post came across as a bit harsh - I had quite some work to do and that technical issue annoyed me heavily.

Because of that pressure of time I decided to bite the bullet and renew my subscription, rather than trying to uninstall and reinstall versions until it works again. Can't help feeling a bit blackmailed into renewal... However, after the latest updates came in it seems that the PDF export behaviour has changed quite a bit - but that's a topic for a separate post.

Thanks to all people trying to help!