[Solved]: Lost Activation on existing Smith Micro era install

[rogermate]

I have purchased close to half a dozen versions of Anime Studio Pro over a little more than a decade, most by upgrade.

The computer just told me to re-Activate - just a #CoinkyDoink given the change in ownership. Noone else out there should worry about their
version they think they own on their computers. Don't bother asking any questions, or looking to the trajectory of other once mighty niche
products like the CakeWalk DAW software, which used to run on DOS and was originally MIDI only.

So there are new owners, methinks they want to milk the teet and have not much concern for the cow. An old cow for whom they have no love.
Squeeze it, squeeze it hard. It matters not what she thinks or feels, she's headed for the glue factory.

Just a coincidence that my computer won't run the software I've paid for, in this new year, the first time I tried to run. The biggest fraud is the claim that
there were too many activations. Pardon my fastidious detailed nature, but I've only ever installed on one computer, the only Windows machine still in use, everything else on Linux. Only installed once, because this old Windows PC plugs along fine, because I don't install ANY new software on it. It's only used
for Windows legacy stuff, and pretty infrequently at that over the last few years.

Shame on me for thinking software I've purchased, somehow I have an entitlement to use. Shame on any new purchaser, or upgrader, who thinks that they are above the natural law of things. It is sooo easy to program in a "timeout" feature, let's all put our mandatory vaccine thinking caps on as if we were Bill Gates. Yes, it's a feature - so we can see what new version is "available". Don't concern yourself with the reality that at some point the company may cease to exist, and unlike all your FOSS, you can't execute software that won't re-activate.

No, I haven't tried. I haven't called the new smith micro to ask for permission to use the software I already own. Oops, forgive: The software for which I've already purchased a valid license, under terms for which my compliance is complete and unequivocable. As if my time wasn't worth dollar? As if the stark reality that further investments of time and learning in an owned license is likely to die like all sub billion dollar corps always do. Perhaps I could go begging - but then how stupid will I feel when I'm a year or two deeper in an abandoned workflow paradigm that might have been re-invested in FOSS alternatives as of 2021? It's like there are these three flies sitting in the toilet: "When the log rolls over ..."

How do we fault Profiteers who need to self justify paying more than zero for a product they perceived as dying when there is viable FOSS out there today?

They just don't get it that there were so many of us, amateurs / hobbyests, which were the bulk of their business. And upgrading each year for $100 or later $150 or so wasn't so bad. $500 or $300? Not for me, I never got paid in money for ASPro.

So it's a bad business decision, IMHO. They are driving me to sinfig or whatever else. It's not my place to criticize, who among you will continue to feed the greed? At what point is your last upgrade going to be money down the drain?

Sure, it could just be coincidence that the software I never installed on any other machine, including the fact I've never re-installed Windows on the sole PC running windows? I've got Ubuntu Studio dedicated DAW, ubuntu laptops, and Linux servers running smoothly. With MoHo going Hari Kari on the Windows
PC, their ain't a ton left on that old i7 box.

Good luck Brothers and Sisters. To be sure, the absolute best thing about Anime Studio for me was always the people on this forum and Kelleytown who treated me with respect and sharing as if I was a pro. Bless you all and good luck.

[hayasidist]

this might help:

http://www.lostmarble.com/forum/viewtop ... =5&t=33574

Versions of 10, 11 and 12 for windows and macs that don't use online licence checks can be obtained here: https://my.smithmicro.com/#collapse37

[rogermate]

this might help:

http://www.lostmarble.com/forum/viewtop ... =5&t=33574

Versions of 10, 11 and 12 for windows and macs that don't use online licence checks can be obtained here: https://my.smithmicro.com/#collapse37

Thanks Hayadist, I never received news of the "final upgrade" but might have missed the opportunity. When I first got notice of the "exceeded authorized installations" (a lie, the truth being they closed down THEIR servers) they had my name and serial number in the software. Trying to execute for the second time after resetting my ISP connection with a fresh IP address etc (maybe there was a bug) I then found that all of that info is deleted, plus the conversion to demo says "0 days remaining". So I can't even export ANY of my work.

Worse still, the link you gave had a warning/caveat: requires a current installation.

So I could spend the time and be left with nothing. Perhaps I was supposed to do this before Jan 1, 2021?

I never received notice. Yet I still received plenty of notice about $300 to $400 upgrades, even after unsubscribing.

I just started poking around the forum, and just read that Mike and Victor Paredes are people behind the new company. Hadn't heard any of that, maybe MoHo has a bright future after all. For now I'm not going to do anything with my art work (mostly non-animation) held hostage under it. Life is too short to go chasing windmills on Windows. I won't get myself infuriated over Windows software screwups until I learn there is a genuine rescue option for customers who learned of the booby trap post 2021.

Sure I'd toss these guys $100 for another chance, but not for Debut or its equivalent. If they want to rescue old school customers, bless them and I'll spend an hour or two to see if it works for me. If they want to return to affordable upgrades, I'll jump on board. If their business decision is a focus on the vertical market, good luck to them and I wish them the best. It ain't me. I feel a bit swindled and angry, I've never been a cracked software user. I've paid the price countless times and seen countless abandonments. It happens. And then there is FOSS. Maybe 2021 is time to start learning Blender?

[Víctor Paredes]

I'm sorry about the issues, rogermate.
We are doing our best to make a clean transition between what is already done and what we want to do in the future. We are a small company, we love this software and its community and we are working hard to keep everything running well and offering solutions when it's not.
Please, feel free to contact me if you have any other issue.

[toddwaddington]

I have no dog in this fight, but I *think* your beef is with SmithMicro and Windows. These guys just came on board a month ago. Maybe it has been in the works for a while, but it was only announced a month ago. SmithMicro has been lousy for Mac users especially. And they only posted (after the big push to sell as many copies as they could prior to Christmas) that it isn't Big Sur compatible just recently.

So, many of us are grateful that reputable creators are in charge now. They have spent countless hours with their own creative projects, shared wonderful tutorials over the years (Victor addressing your issue directly is a GREAT SIGN). I was inches away from taking the deep dive into ToonBoom but REAALLY didn't want to go there. It's an entirely different system and I love that Moho is mostly vector and keyframe based.

Anyway, right now I'm only going on faith that they will resolve the Big Sur issue. I mean, why wouldn't they? They own the company and I'm guessing they'd like to satisfy old and new customers alike.

Good luck!

Todd

[rogermate]

I have no dog in this fight, but I *think* your beef is with SmithMicro and Windows. These guys just came on board a month ago.

An ex-girlfriend could look me up and say "Hey, I've got a new Yoga instructor and now I'm new and improved under NEW MANAGEMENT"

I'd smile and wish her the best, knowing it would be impolite for me to reveal thoughts like "I wasted hundreds of dollars on you over the years, and
the 'NEW MANAGEMENT' spiel ain't doing it for me" - Because, I really DO have some social sense & sensibilities!

===

So I got curious and did a duckduckgo on "Big Sur" and the Mac. Sorry but I don't equate your desire that a software company re-develops an existing product for a new operating system (albeit a new version) with my expectation that previously purchased software doesn't have a hidden time-bomb 'time out" feature. Which further locks up my content. An unannounced "feature" despite considerable "upgrade spam" received over the years.

But good luck to you anyway, you're probably a professional if ToonBoom is a real consideration. (Not saying it's better, it's more $$$$)
So we're likely in different worlds. There are likely thousands, easily tens of thousands, of similarly situated license holders like me. I'll wait
for my brethren to report success in their handling of a likely timeout wave of 2021 before investing more time.

[Greenlaw]

Worse still, the link you gave had a warning/caveat: requires a current installation.

Go here: https://my.smithmicro.com/forum.html

Click on the Moho 12/Anime Studio header, download your version of ASP/Moho, install and activate it as normal. All that's required is your serial number, and you should be good to go. The only difference with these 'final' installers is that they are not dependent on Smith Micro's server for activation. Which is only right since Smith Micro no longer supports ASP/Moho.

As you've noted, the new owners are Mike and Victor, who are hardly "crooked" or "incompetent." Mike is the original creator of Moho, and Victor is one of Moho's most expert users and a regular contributor this these forums. (They're both also genuinely nice guys, and good friends of mine so I'll personally vouch for them.) I believe Moho will only flourish under their management, as it did when they managed Moho a few years ago.

BTW, the transfer occurred less than two weeks ago, so please give Lost Marble some time to figure things out and set up their new shop.

For more information about the new owners and Moho's future, check the Announcements section of this forum.

Good luck!

[slowtiger]

rogermate:
I assume you're talking about version 13, as you didn't mention your version anywhere?

In that case the problem is that Smith-Micro, owners until 3 days ago, didn't bother to set up their license servers correctly to continue support after the sale of Moho. They did, however, care for the older versions and still supply new downloads in 2021 which don't need any license server.

The new owners of Moho, who can't be made responsible for this mess, did receive the code and all files just last week (and maybe still don't have access to all of it), so you need to give them some time to change the code and release a new build of v13 which works without license server, or set up a new license server (which I doubt since the address Moho 13 is looking out for is hard-baked in the code).

My best advice is to track down some v13 user in your area, get your files on a stick and visit that person and spend some afternoon exporting your stuff OR saving in v12 format (which IIRC should be possible), so you can continue working with it in v12 ( the installer for this is availabe for free on SM site, you just need your v12 serial number).

I'm sorry, but you're not scammed, it's just an unlucky combination of circumstances and will sort out in hopefully short time.

[Greenlaw]

I had switched back to using Moho 12.5 a while back, so I hadn't noticed if Moho 13 stopped working on my computer. FWIW, I just now launched Moho 13 and it's still running fine.

Of course, I haven't tried activating Moho 13 on a new computer but, if the Smith Micro server has shut down, it hasn't affected my existing installation of Moho 13.

BTW, the very latest Moho 13 can still be downloaded from: https://www.mohoanimation.com/moho-trial.shtml

It's the 'trial' installer but you should still be able to insert your serial number to unlock it. That said, I do not know if this installer requires the SM server to activate it, but give it a try and please report here what happens.

[ratscloset]

Nobody is crooked or incompetent

No servers have been shut down for Activation due to the Sale.

Activation for discontinued versions of Anime Studio 10, Anime Studio 11, and MotionArtist were switched months ago in many cases.

The last updated installers for these versions are currently available at

https://my.smithmicro.com/

(select your version)

This will allow you to install and License your software with your valid key. If you get a message about exceeding activations, you are not using that last updated installer.

Make sure you fully uninstall the current installation and reboot before downloading and installing the last updated installer from the link above for your version

Moho 12 users can also obtain the Last Updated installer from the link and use that the same way to download and install the last released version of Moho 12

Moho 13 still uses the current Activation Server as of this date.

[rogermate]

Nobody is crooked or incompetent

What planet are you living on?

No servers have been shut down for Activation due to the Sale.

So the crippling of the paid software license was not due to a server shut down. It was merely a scheduled "time out feature"
embedded in the prior officially distributed installations. What a relief!

On a positive note to anyone else discovering their version of 11.x failing to allow execution or recovery of your content, the "last version"
as originally pointed out by Hayadist did work for my installation. Contrary to the instructions on the SmithMicro site, it appeared to work
even after the "time out feature" caused the current installation to fail, ultimately wiping out the registration/serial number/username data.
Your mileage may vary.

Activation for discontinued versions of Anime Studio 10, Anime Studio 11, and MotionArtist were switched months ago in many cases.
[...]
If you get a message about exceeding activations, you are not using that last updated installer.

I feel a little bit dirty compulsively reading between the lines, kind of like a peeping tom at a DRM ethics lecture, but are you trying to say "Yeah Rogermate, sorry about the built in 'time out feature' self-destruction hiccup" or am I just being anti-social like an old school rocker, but without the horny groopies?

Make sure you fully uninstall the current installation and reboot before downloading and installing the last updated installer from the link above for your version

I didn't do that - neither an uninstall nor a reboot. In fact - the instructions on the download page said a prior installation was required. In any event, I was pleasantly surprised that previously installed 3rd party tools were retained after re-installation.

Ending on more of a serious note, I want to apologize to the new owners for coming on too hard. Having said that, the lessons of Brand Equity suggest sufficient attention is applied to protecting existing customers when inheriting / acquiring a Legacy with the intent of preservation, or even growth.

If it is possible and within forum rules, I'd like to change the title of the thread to something like "[Solved]: Lost Activation on existing Smith Micro era install". An admin has my permission, or someone can tell me how to do it if it is possible.

[Greenlaw]

If it is possible and within forum rules, I'd like to change the title of the thread to something like "[Solved]: Lost Activation on existing Smith Micro era install". An admin has my permission, or someone can tell me how to do it if it is possible.

You should be able to do that. Just click Edit for the first post in this topic and change the subject line. I just tried this on one of my own topics as a test and it worked.

Hope this helps.

[Lost Marble]

Hi rogermate. It looks like your activation problem was solved. It's totally fair for you to be frustrated by this kind of thing - for the software you purchased to stop working is not a pleasant experience. Nor is it acceptable, in my opinion. I'd like to give a little more background, I hope it feels helpful.

Moho uses a software licensing system that works with a server to verify the validity of installed software. We added this at Smith Micro many years ago to reduce piracy of the product. But some of us were very concerned about users losing access to the software they legitimately purchased. This could happen if Smith Micro went out of business, the licensing company went out of business, Moho was discontinued, etc. None of that seemed very likely, but it would be awful if it happened. So some of us came up with a plan to always build a sort of "backup" version of Moho without more permissive activation features, and to keep that as a safety in case something stopped working with the licensing.

These are the builds you were pointed to on https://my.smithmicro.com/, the ones called "final available version". They're meant to keep running forever, or at least as long as your OS and older versions of Moho are still compatible with each other. Or you could run an older OS in a virtual machine, and let your grandkids keep running older versions of Moho.

There was a hiccup here where you needed to download a new installer. But our intention was never to take away something you paid for. Keep using Moho forever, please! Even better, let's see if we can tempt you with an upgrade sometime in the near future. But if not, keep using the old version, we won't take it away.

As far as having no love for the old cow of Moho, well I can only prove that to you in time. Words alone aren't worth a lot, but I will tell you that the main reason we're here is in fact because we love this old cow very dearly. She is not headed for the glue factory, but it will take us a bit of time to put up the proof behind our words. I hope you'll keep an eye on what we're up to, and hope you'll be pleased with where we go with Moho.

[rogermate]

Hi rogermate. It looks like your activation problem was solved. It's totally fair for you to be frustrated by this kind of thing - for the software you purchased to stop working is not a pleasant experience. Nor is it acceptable, in my opinion. I'd like to give a little more background, I hope it feels helpful.

Yes, solved and hopefully another user may avoid some frustration and get a quick answer from this thread.
It is definitely good news to learn that the original creator is back at the helm and that my hasty assumption was 100% wrong.

Your explanation is helpful and I'll just ad there is nothing wrong with red meat, especially old beasts* out in the field. Don't ask me how I know, but
that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Good luck!

*just clarifying that this attempt at humor is solely self-deprecation