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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Anyone know if the new activation can be performed for a machine which isn't connected to the internet?
The three machine limit isn't a problem for me, but I do keep my music computers well away from the internet, so that I don't need to install anti-virus and the OS is the same every time I switch on.
ROG.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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ROG ... I do the same thing.... no internet on my DAW.... hence no need to have AV or FW...
However, I don't hesitate to connect a cat5 to the switch up here to authorize new software..... or even the large DL files from a vendor when I buy an update or something new.
As soon as the auth is good or the DL complete, the cable cones back out and it's life as usual round here again.
depending on the vendors.... some are simple and some are a PITA..... I have used a USB stick to grab the auth key and use it to activate the software... that works and usually only takes a few minutes..... but I've had some that were so frustrating that I went and got the cat5 and plugged it in.....
Last edited by Guitarhacker; 12/03/13 03:47 PM.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Herb -
The problem is that my machine is too far from the router for a cable and it's not WiFi equipped.
I'm hoping that the supplied code will activate the software on first boot and that the internet will only be needed for de-activation and generating a new code. If that is the case, though, I don't see how it would stop anyone from activating more than three machines which were off-line.
Anyone able to help?
ROG.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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ROG,
Check the list of Videos just posted in Tips and Tricks (at top) - the first video explains what you need...
floyd
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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ROG, Check out the new post by PG Music in the Tips and Tricks section. The first video in the list explains how to activate without an internet connection.
It involves calling a toll-free number and obtaining an activation number.
Richard Williams
Sydney
Australia
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Enthusiast
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Sorry, Floyd beat me to it.
Richard Williams
Sydney
Australia
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Many thanks, Guys.
Guess I should have looked there first. Not toll-free from the UK, unfortunately, but maybe if I ask it can be done via email.
ROG.
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Hi ROG, If you open up the "Support" link at the top of the page and then click on the '[more contact info]' link, there are international toll-free numbers listed.  Regards, Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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So..... this would be the first year I recall needing an activation code. I was wondering how long until PG did this.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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PG Music Staff
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Guess I should have looked there first. Not toll-free from the UK, unfortunately, but maybe if I ask it can be done via email. Just to be clear, it doesn't have to be done over the phone - can be done via email or live chat as well.
Andrew
PG Music Inc.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Cheers, Andrew. That's just what I wanted to hear.
PG Support - got to be the best ever.
ROG.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Apprentice
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Many thanks, Guys.
Guess I should have looked there first. Not toll-free from the UK, unfortunately, but maybe if I ask it can be done via email.
ROG.
Good news Rog, as far as I am aware it is, look at PG home page. Your free phone number all the way from uk to Canada is (drum roll) 00800-4746-8742 axey
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2013
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Newbie
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Hi All,
Never posted before here, but felt motivated to due to the activation.
One of the things we see more and more everywhere is control in the name of security and safety, such as health and safety and licensing for more and more everyday activities.. In the UK this red tape is killing small and medium businesses. On the global scale corporations want more and more from people on this level, more knowledge and control.
There is another trend of more freedom inspired business and human value and artistic based interaction. The online activation for me was a very disappointing move forward. This means a customer is not trusted and has to ask to have their own software able to be used. For me this was one of the real magical aspects of PG Music, a human company, not a "lets follow corporate trends" one.
I run a software company and tie a product to the user name, and they can then cheat and copy this if they wish. It does mean of they are caught its tied to their name. However, most would not dream of this and the few who possible do would probably find another way to pirate the software. The main client base for me is the important aspect. I would not want to control my customers. It is not seen as this as this is a fairly normal practise, but this is what this is.
Very dissapinted in one of the best musical products I have experienced otherwise. I also use other musical software which doesn't involve this.
Would a dongle not be a better option?
Kind Regards
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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IMO a dongle would NOT be a better option.
Matter of fact, I stopped using any softwares that required the dongle years ago and haven't looked back.
The system now in use by PG Music is rather lenient, the user is allowed up to three authorizations on three different machines right out of the box, the authorization is tied to the machine and not the software itself, such that even after authorizing those three machines the user could still connect a USB drive with the program on it to different machines and is allowed 30 days of full featured operation there.
And PG Music has graciously stated that anyone with a special need to authorize more than those three machines can contact Sales and Support and perhaps work out the situation.
Same fine folks as last year, same great service, it is long past time that PG protects their innovative intellectual property IMO.
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I have found that you can update any of the older PG drives to 2014 and if you stay on the one partition on your computer such as windows 7 that already has biab installed on it, then when you open biab on the pg drive it will tell you that biab is already activated.
BUT if you have windows 8 on a different partition on the same computer, you will have to activate it once on there, using up another of your activations, even though that windows 8 partition may only be pointing to the biab installation on windows 7.
Overall not a great deal for me.
musiclover
Last edited by musiclover; 12/19/13 11:03 AM.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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musiclover--
Yes, the authorization is tied to the System, so that if you are running two different OS's like that, one won't know what the other is doing.
However, you might be able to contact pg music support directly on the issue and claim extenuating circumstances, they may work with you on that such that you don't lose two authorizations because of the one machine with 2 OS's on it. Worth a shot.
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I understand the concern over dongles, but as you say its about protecting copyright. Three dongles would cost very little then, to produce. The use of the words "lenient", and "authorized", are words more prevalent in our do called free society's these days.
Remember we have paid for the software. The current tension between users as grateful renters or owners is very different. I do not expect to have to ask for permission to use a keyboard or guitar. These can be ripped off also. The problem is that the more customers buy into licencing everything, the more normalised this becomes until everything relies on online usage. This is why so many non-mac users were shocked as to the ridiculous controls of the ipad.
Its a great product all about human freedom of expression and aristry - I hope an alternative method becomes available to improve activation.
The trend now in the UK is for more and more folks to go offline, to get around the madness of all the datamining by "authorities". I like the ethic of the Freedom software movement. I'd happily pay a little more for extra dongles.
You say dongles puts you off the purchase of software, I think onine activation does this also.
Best Wishes
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Hi Riverstream. Thanks for your comments. I have worked with dongled software systems as both a developer/administrator, and an end user. Believe me, it always ends up being a proverbial PITA - sooner or later.
The administration overheads are significant, and the time to resolve user's issues is high, and most often incredibly inconvenient for the end user.
We purchase one single copy of the software with one license, and PGM lets us install and run it on three different systems, no questions asked.
Try running it on 3 different machines with one dongle.
And fundamentally, PGM have an absolute right to protect their investment from piracy.
Frankly, I reckon that's a pretty good arrangement. If you want it on more machines (let's say 6), just buy another copy.
My two cents anyway.
Regards
Trevor
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
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The recent trend I've noticed is software developers making a combination of both options available, e.g., you have 3 activations, but one or more of those can be tied to a user-supplied USB memory device that's then usable without further activation in any computer just like an Ilok or other dongle. That would alleviate my concerns with the current system.
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