Entering a licence key

[vikingtone]

Sorry to be dumb  -  but I trialled Publisher 2.0, then waited a while before deciding to buy it. I just bought it - when I try to launch it a window pops up saying I can buy it, or quit. There's no option to enter a licence key and the app doesn't load enough to let me enter a licence key.  I really need to get on  -  I apologise if I am stupidly missing something,  thanks

[walt.farrell]

The answer to that is complex, and depends on which OS you use and where you made the purchase, so it's probably best to start with this FAQ and dive deeper as you need to:

 

[vikingtone]

Thanks for taking time to offer advice, and also for such a fast response.  I realise it will have complications  -  after all you wouldn't want to make it easy to erase a trial status or a trial could last forever - I get it.   I bought the app from the Affinity store, I use a mac and have no VPN or other oddball arrangement.  I am very worried about the concept of removing a device from my account  -  I own Publisher (had V1 now V2) Photo V1 and Designer V2.  I wouldn't want hassles with the other apps.

While I do understand the problems  -  I really need a fix.   I will read the other docs, and maybe reboot my mac and see if it helps,   thanks again

[walt.farrell]

Where did you download the Trial for Publisher from?

Where did you purchase Designer 2 from? Does it run? And if you look in your account at the Affinity Store (https://affinity.store/account/licences) do you see your Designer 2 and Publisher 2 purchases?

[vikingtone]

I have bought all my Affinity apps from the main Affinity site, not Apple app store.  However, only the Publisher sale seems to show up in my account details.

I am beginning to fear that my account has become corrupted  -  I changed my credentials between buying Designer V2 and Publisher V2   -   my account ID used to be my old email address   --   I wonder if somehow I have 2 identities.

But the stranger thing is that (as far as I recall) the Publisher V2 trial would have been linked to cab_, so it becomes even more confusing.

Designer V2 works fine  -  and it did so prior to updating to mac Sonoma.  It's only the Sonoma update which is pushing me to update Publisher, frankly. It doesn't really offer much over and above V1, as far as I can see  -   but Publisher V1 crashes all the time under Sonoma so I am in a bit of a corner.   I have been using the 'delete plist' approach to getting Publisher to work, but it's not really worth all the hassle, so after updating to Sonoma I decided I needed to go to Publisher V2

[walt.farrell]

First, please edit your post and remove those email addresses. It's not safe to have them here publicly.

10 minutes ago, vikingtone said:

It doesn't really offer much over and above V1, as far as I can see 

V2 offers quite a bit more, though I can't tell which of the new functions would be worthwhile to you, of course.

But there's no reason to move to V2 just due to Sonoma. V1 should work fine there as long as you don't use Light Mode for the User Interface.

Regarding your Account: Nothing should be corrupted, you just have 2 accounts, one for the old email address, and one for the new email address, and you'll need to login using the old one for items you purchased using the old email, and login using the new email for items purchased using the new email.

[vikingtone]

Yes, good point about the email addresses  -  thanks.   I wasn't being disparaging about the PV2 update  -  I like the books development etc.  But, I am not the producer I used to be, I am just a retired old fart who does a few book projects for friends.  I used to be an Illustrator/Photoshop/InDesign guy, but when they started their subscription model I couldn't afford it, so transitioned to a fair vendor.  Though I have found the transition somewhat challenging  -  mainly due to 'old dogs new tricks' issues     Some of my friends have gone to PV2, so I need to upgrade anyway, to be able to share files more easily.  It just makes sense across the board.

Anyway, I have bitten the bullet and bought PV2  -  so really do need to get it to work.

Do you think it would be simpler to re-up my trial and then I can enter the key code from a running session?  would that work?

Thank you so much for taking all this time to try to help me, it really is appreciated.  

[walt.farrell]

2 minutes ago, vikingtone said:

Do you think it would be simpler to re-up my trial and then I can enter the key code from a running session?  would that work?

You only get 1 Trial, though they sometimes "reset" the Trial eligibility when enough things have changed. But I doubt it would help. 

Do I understand correctly that the issue is that the dialog box isn't large enough? Can you give a screenshot of that (before entering your email address, obviously)?

Have you tried pressing/holding the Ctrl key quickly after you start Publisher, so you get the Reset dialog? At that point, leave the first 3 boxes checked and click Reset, and see if that lets it work.

[vikingtone]

I didn't know about the 'clear data' thing, but now tried it twice to no avail. But thanks for the heads up.

The only reason I suggested doing a re-up on the trial is that I have already had 2    I tried it as soon as it came out (and wish I'd bought it then at the discounted price  -  ho hum )  but then let it drift out of my mind.  A good while later, when I was having problems with working with V2 files from friends, I downloaded it again  -  and of course was told I had already had my shot. I wrote to the people over there and they kindly re-triggered another trial.  Being a real bozo, I played with it for a while and convinced myself I didn't need it  -  yeh, really smart.  So I then let that second trial run its course as well.  I know  -  I have made life hard for myself.

I enclose the screen which comes up when I launch the app  -  and it also appears after doing the data clear option.  I have followed other suggestions that I follow the button to 'Purchase' on the basis that it ought to remember I have bought it and trigger a licence entry box. But that has never happened  -  the system just goes through the form of getting me to buy it again.  It really is frustrating.   As a really 'off the wall' thing I also clicked the option to try another account. That only led to the same window opening.

[walt.farrell]

Thanks for the screenshot.

If I understand everything (and with a bit of guessing) I think you probably activated the Trial using your old Affinity Store account, then purchased using the new Affinity Store account. In that case, if you were to login to the Affinity Store using the old email address, you would probably find the Trial there in your V2 Licenses section.

And if that's the situation, have you tried clicking that "Switch to another account" link below the QUIT APP button? If you specify the new Affinity Store account, it should see the purchase, and activate the application.

[vikingtone]

Fantastic  -  I did try the 'change account' thing, but made the error that I needed to go TO cab.......  whereas I actually was in cab..... and really needed to change account to viki.......   and when I did that, it activated perfectly.

I am extremely pleased, and very grateful for your persistence.  It's a breath of fresh air to actually get product support in this day and age.

I can get on with my project, thanks again,

 

cheers

TB

 

 

[walt.farrell]

You're welcome, and I'm glad it worked. 

Have fun  

[walt.farrell]

By the way, I think you're likely to find having two accounts at the Affinity Store for your V2 purchases confusing, especially if you buy any other content from the Affinity Store (brushes, other artistic tools) as you won't be able to install them automatically via the Account dialog in both Designer and Publisher. You might need to manually download the Store content and manually install it, rather than letting it be handled automatically.

Alternatively, if you purchased Publisher 2 within the past 14 days you could return it for a refund, and re-purchase it using your old account so they're all together.

But before you do that, it would be good, I think, to email affinity@serif.com and discuss all this privately with them, so you can share the email addresses and other account information safely and get their opinion on how to proceed.

 

[vikingtone]

Yes, agreed. I think having 2 accounts is likely to cause (more) confusion for me.  I will send an email as you suggest.  I am not keen to refund/rebuy, but if they say it's the most sensible way forward than I will go with it.

I had no idea, when I edited my details and changed my user ID, that it wouldn't just change the ID  -  I had no idea it would create a second account  -  that makes no sense to me,

 

thanks again for all your help

TB

[walt.farrell]

1 hour ago, vikingtone said:

I had no idea, when I edited my details and changed my user ID, that it wouldn't just change the ID  -  I had no idea it would create a second account  -  that makes no sense to me,

Nor does it make sense to me, if that's what you did rather than intentionally creating a new account. But the Serif team will be able to explain it, I'm sure.

[vikingtone]

Thanks again    I will see what they reckon, after the weekend

T