Update Service - Annoyance

[Rik]

Can someone please tell me how this 'Update Service Period Expired' reminder can be disabled?

I know it's expired. I can read that it's expired.

Thanking you in advance.

[handrawn]

only way I know is to block the program in firewall - I block the program full stop, but then I don't need the web stuff - I think acorn has some method of blocking just the program' hooks' that produce the message...

Every so often if you do block, the program will decline to start until you let it check your activation

[Rik]

I just cannot believe that Magix/Xara want to do this.

The more I get annoyed, the less I will do something.

[handrawn]

'tis the way of magix - they like nag screens it would appear, the in your face marketing

[Jonopen]

Maybe try annoying them - send them an email every time you get a nag screen, thanking them for the reminder and explaining why you don't want to upgrade!

[handrawn]

spam the spammers !!

[Promidi]

Try this:

In Windows firewall, make a firewall outgoing rule that blocks access of the following file:

C:\Program Files\Xara\Xara Designer Pro X\17\DesignerPro.exe

to IP address:

163.172.175.38

If you find this breaks something , then you can script the enabling and disabling of the rule as follows

Disable:

@echo off
netsh advfirewall firewall set rule name="{name of rule}" new enable=no
mshta vbscript:Execute("msgbox ""Firewall off. Designer Pro update check unblocked"":close")

Enable

@echo off
netsh advfirewall firewall set rule name="{name of rule}" new enable=yes
mshta vbscript:Execute("msgbox ""Firewall on. Designer Pro update check blocked"":close")

Now, this works for DPX16, but I will have to wait 12 months to see if it works for DPX17 but if someone who is getting the DPX17 nag screen might want to give this a try.

[handrawn]

just to say if you have a third-party firewall it may not allow you to do this, depending on settings; you may need to approach this directly in that software

I just block the program access to the internet completely - then allow briefly on the rare occasion I need any online resource, [I don't do websites or cloud]; and when the program needs to check activation once in a while [three months as I recall]

[Promidi]

I just block the program access to the internet completely - then allow briefly on the rare occasion I need any online resource, [I don't do websites or cloud]; ]

The reason I do the specific IP address block is because I do use DPX for websites. Therefore blocking program access to the entire entire internet prevents any FTP upload. The IP address block is specifically blocking access to the specific server that DPX16 (and maybe 17) checks for the update.

Personally, I would not worry about using a third party firewall as the Windows 10 firewall has, more most people, come of age.

[handrawn]

I prefer a third party firewall that is easy to understand and set up the way i want it