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Invalid Product Key when updates are release


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Hi,

Wanted to see if anyone has a better way of getting around this issue or if this is fixed in the version forward of 1.6.4. Seems that every time a update is available for Affinity Photo I am given a dialog box on startup with the message of "Invalid Product Key" with the only option of closing the application. The only work-around I have found that work is a full uninstall of the application so that I can re-enter the product email and serial number. The second option being to update the program itself if the version number is higher then on the one currently on installed.

This is more then a hindrance for someone like me who make need to get work done or does not always have the ability to access the internet to download the latest and greatest. Also, I should be able to enter in the valid product number of a older version of the software and not be re-enter my product key to be verified to use the software I have purchased is a huge bug in my opinion. The copy I own is from the Affinity store, so this is not a app store or Windows issue, but seems to be constant during version updates.

So is there a fix for this? Will this be the same M.O going forward with all Affinity products? Any sort of answer or direction would be helpful, as searching this forum didnt turn up anything for me

Specs:
Affinity Photo 1.6.4.104
Windows 10 (1803) to be clear this has happened on different versions
 

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26 minutes ago, ByNine said:

"Invalid Product Key"

This is the 1st time i've heard of this error after installing an update.  We've seen this error before but mainly when someone installs Designer into the same folder as Affinity Photo.  From the sounds of it tho, you only have Affinity Photo.

Has this happened with every update?  Also could you drop me a private message with your account details, so i can check the product key.  I wasn't able to find you on our system to confirm any details.

 

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50 minutes ago, stokerg said:

This is the 1st time i've heard of this error after installing an update.  We've seen this error before but mainly when someone installs Designer into the same folder as Affinity Photo.  From the sounds of it tho, you only have Affinity Photo.

Has this happened with every update?  Also could you drop me a private message with your account details, so i can check the product key.  I wasn't able to find you on our system to confirm any details.

 

Stokerg,

- Yes, this happens with every update

My account information can be found under my company email of [EDIT] mail removed for privacy reasons [/EDIT]; I also do own designer and I am installing it via the default suggested locations for both applications. This seems to only happen with photo and it is always before an update. To be clear, there will be a new version of both Designer and Photo on your site; Designer normally notifies you and lets you know that you can download a new update. I have yet to see that happen for me with Photo. After installing the Designer update, I can no longer open Photo without getting the message. So I think you have partially answered my question on the issue. However, not being able to to re-enter your product key in a provided dialog box is not very user friendly. 

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If an installation of Designer interferes with Photo, it really sounds like they are not installed in the default directories.

Can you confirm which directory (the full path name) you have each product installed in?

-- Walt
Designer, Photo, and Publisher V1 and V2 at latest retail and beta releases
PC:
    Desktop:  Windows 11 Pro, version 23H2, 64GB memory, AMD Ryzen 9 5900 12-Core @ 3.00 GHz, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 

    Laptop:  Windows 11 Pro, version 23H2, 32GB memory, Intel Core i7-10750H @ 2.60GHz, Intel UHD Graphics Comet Lake GT2 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU.
iPad:  iPad Pro M1, 12.9": iPadOS 17.4.1, Apple Pencil 2, Magic Keyboard 
Mac:  2023 M2 MacBook Air 15", 16GB memory, macOS Sonoma 14.4.1

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8 minutes ago, walt.farrell said:

If an installation of Designer interferes with Photo, it really sounds like they are not installed in the default directories.

Can you confirm which directory (the full path name) you have each product installed in?

Walt,

I can guarantee you that they are installed in the provided default locations; "C:\Program Files\Affinity\{Affinity Designer, Affinity Photo}". I was not stating that Designer is the 
cause of the current issue of the problems I am having, I was just following a possible line of thinking presented by stokerg. However, if the product can not function when installed in the same family parent folder in this case "Affinity" then that is a bug. This also doesn't address the issue of being able to re-enter a product key without having to reinstall the software; I know I am beating a dead horse here, but when a challenge for product key should be given to the user so that they may correct the issue on their in. I understand maybe this may have been done to help with piracy of the product. But neither the current implementation or the one I have mentioned, with "curb" that situation. 

This is really my biggest frustration with the project and not that it wants a valid product key.

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Hi ByNine,

I'm not in the office so can only speak from memory regarding Windows installs. The problem with installing both Photo and Designer into the same folder is when the user doesn't create a sub folder for each program.  They just install both into a folder called Affinity, creating a sub folder for each program shouldn't cause these issues (i can confirm in the morning when i've access to a Windows PC) but it's common practice advice from most software companies not to install 2 different programs into the same parent folder, even if they are both from the same company.  

Great thing with Windows is you can download the older versions from here: https://affinity.store/update/windows/designer/1/

Would you mind uninstalling Designer and installing 1.6.2 taking a screenshot of the install directory from the setup wizard.  Then update to 1.6.3 and once complete take a screenshot of this install location showing in File Explorer (would normally be c:\program files\Affinity\Designer)

Then start up Photo, taking a screenshot of the error and also if you could send a screenshot of File Explorer showing the install location for Affinity Photo.

As i've said, it's nothing i've come across before, so the screenshots will help and also give me something to log with the Dev team.  As of now, if i log this, i'll just be asked if i can replicate it (which i can't) or have evidence of it happening.  The screenshots allow me to show it is happening

 

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18 minutes ago, stokerg said:

Great thing with Windows is you can download the older versions from here: https://affinity.store/update/windows/designer/1/

Would you mind uninstalling Designer and installing 1.6.2 taking a screenshot of the install directory from the setup wizard.  Then update to 1.6.3 and once complete take a screenshot of this install location showing in File Explorer (would normally be c:\program files\Affinity\Designer)

Then start up Photo, taking a screenshot of the error and also if you could send a screenshot of File Explorer showing the install location for Affinity Photo.

As i've said, it's nothing i've come across before, so the screenshots will help and also give me something to log with the Dev team.  As of now, if i log this, i'll just be asked if i can replicate it (which i can't) or have evidence of it happening.  The screenshots allow me to show it is happening

 

Stokerg,

Thanks for looking into the issue; if you cant reproduce it, I would not worry about it for now as I may be an edge case when it comes to this. I have solved the issue for now and am running the latest for both programs. Unfortunately I need to get a project out before I can go about doing the what you asked, but when I get to it, I will make sure I have a detail process so that you can re-create the issue. As far as the same "parent" directory issue, its something I never heard of before; technically would not this not be an issue unless you put the program on different drives? i.e. Affinity for Programs.

I have attached the screenshot of my current locations

screen.jpg

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Hi ByNine,

Now i'm with my Windows PC i confirm you install setup is the same as mine, so you really shouldn't be seeing the error after updating

Once you've finished the current project, if you could try uninstalling, reinstalling the previous version and then update Designer and see if the message returns, screenshots or a screen recording showing the install paths would help :)

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  • 5 weeks later...
On 7/23/2018 at 1:11 PM, stokerg said:

Hi ByNine,

Now i'm with my Windows PC i confirm you install setup is the same as mine, so you really shouldn't be seeing the error after updating

Once you've finished the current project, if you could try uninstalling, reinstalling the previous version and then update Designer and see if the message returns, screenshots or a screen recording showing the install paths would help :)

Hey Stokeg,

I have recorded a video showing you the following;

Video One

Video Two

Let me know if you need anymore information

 

 

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Hi ByNine,

Thanks for both videos. 

But there wasn't an 'invalid product key' error in either video.   

Can you check this location for any crash report:

C:\Users\YOUR PC YOUR NAME\AppData\Roaming\Affinity\Designer\1.0\CrashReports

If you could attach any crash dumps you find in that folder, that will be a big help.

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Hi Stokerg,

As I mentioned in the videos... the invalid product key dialog does not come up anymore... the program refuses to launch. Before it would launch into the program and then error dialog would come up within AD itself. To be clear, this was a program specific dialog box and not a windows error dialog ... also the Crash Report directory is empty

Regi E.

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Hi ByNine,

My bad, i didn't notice the videos had sound as well.  The joys of working in an office environment mean my Mac is constantly on mute and my headphones connected to my phone.  I'll rewatch the videos and see what else can be done.  

Could you just try starting Affinity with the CTRL key held down and see if you get an option to reset some settings?  If you, at this stage, i'd select all and click Clear.

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If you could do the following, check this location:

C:\Program Files\Affinity\Affinity Photo and private message me a copy of the licence.xml file and do the same for Designer.

Then if you can uninstall Affinity Designer, afterwards if you could check this location:

C:\Program Files\Affinity\Designer

And make sure there are no left over folders.  If there are, please delete them.

Then install 1.6.4 from this link: https://affinity.store/en-gb/update/windows/designer/1/ Run it up and see if you get the error and then update to 1.6.5 and see what happens.  

If you could record the screen while installing 1.6.4 and updating to 1.6.5 that would be a big help and just Private Message me a link to the video, as it will contain product key information.  I suspect this may be a different issue to the one you 1st posted about, as you no longer get the invalid product key message but i could be wrong.

 

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