protel 99 SE won't Unlock?

Have you remembered to put the 'dashes' in the code?

Hi Martin,

When you enter the codes the dashes are automatically entered. It's interesting as some of the tools open, others won't. I'm disabling my spyware and virus protection to see if that helps.

Thanks for the reply,

Fred

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I've only ever tried the demo, but it licensed by writing to the disk in an obscure way. Perhaps you're running NTFS on the latest disk instead of FAT32?

col> Hi All,

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Hi Colin,

A very good point. I reinstalled the software on a computer in the lab using Fat32 for C: disk. It worked, my software disk is OK. Then I went and looked at the laptop computer on which this software will not unlock. It's FAT32 formatted. Maybe worth reformatting the disk an option if I can find the restore disk.

Thanks,

Fred col> I've only ever tried the demo, but it licensed by writing to the disk

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Fred Again: So I've reinstalled the software on the problematic laptop. I can un-lock all the modules except "Schematic 5.0" (a pretty necessary part). When I try to unlock Schematic5.0, the following message error message appears:

Exception EAccess Violation in module AdvSch.dll. Access violation @ address 01851212 in module 'AdvSch.dll' read of address 00000000.

Look familiar?

Regards,

Fred Fred wrote:

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Fred, While this particular problem is not familiar, there is an overall familiarity to your current plight. Are you knowledgable of the "full-clean-uninstall" procedure for P99SE? The current state that you find yourself in sounds like it could, just possibly, be related to some DLLs that the normal uninstall does not remove.

Here is copy of the clean uninstall procedure. (In Step 5. The *.BPL or *.DPL files number approx. 5 of each. You are looking for CSRTL50.bpl, ProtelComponents50.bpl, vcl50.bpl, vcldb50.bpl, vclx50.bpl, CSRTL.dpl, ProtelComponents.dpl, vcl30.dpl, VCLDB30.DPL, and VCLX30.DPL. Usually, some are removed by the uninstall but not all.)

Version # Protel 99SE/ Service Pack 6:

PROBLEM: Is there a specific uninstall procedure for Protel? I have uninstalled and reinstalled using add and/remove programs but Protel is still acting up.

SOLUTION:

1) Un-install Service Pack 6 for 99SE 2) Un-install 99SE 3) Delete the Design Explorer 99 SE directory (make sure you have no personal files or libraries stored here before you do this). 4) Delete the files *99SE.* from your Windows or Winnt folder 5) Also delete from the Windows or Winnt folder *.bpl and *.dpl, if they are still remaining. 6) Re-install Protel 99 SE a) If Win 9x then Reboot 7) Re-apply Service Pack 6 a) If Win 9x Then Reboot

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Sincerely,
Brad Velander.


"Fred"  wrote in message 
news:1164143505_29403@sp6iad.superfeed.net...
>
> Fred Again:
> So I\'ve reinstalled the software on the problematic laptop. I can un-lock 
> all the modules except "Schematic 5.0" (a pretty necessary part). When I 
> try to unlock Schematic5.0, the following message error message appears:
>
> Exception EAccess Violation in module AdvSch.dll. Access violation @ 
> address 01851212 in module \'AdvSch.dll\' read of address 00000000.
>
> Look familiar?
>
> Regards,
>
> Fred

Hi Brad,

Thanks for the post. I did as you suggest but was unsuccessful. Perhaps files are in other directories on Win-XP. I deleted directory "Design Explorer 99 SE". I deleted *99se.* in C:\\windows. Then I did a search for *.bpl, *.dpl and found them in windows\\system32. SO I deleted them as well. Then the computer was rebooted and I installed 99se. When I tried to unlock the software elements I got the same reaction; could unlock all but Schematic.

I'm bummed.

Fred

Brad Velander wrote:

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And then software companies are surprised that people, honest users, revert to the cracked market to be sure their software, payed software btw, will run for years to come. I'me not in favor of cracked sw but I like to have full service for at least 10 years. FULL service. I still run software from mid 90's. It is still able to do the job very well. And then I know this software. Zilog

Fred,

If your personal situation has not prevented you from doing so, have you tried reformatting the hard disk within the PC that you are having problems with?

Doing that won't necessarily solve your problem (as there could be some aspect of the hard disk which is stopping the schematic server from unlocking, and which even a reformat might not fix), but if it is feasible for you to do that, it might still make a difference.

I am fully aware that doing that would not be a trivial undertaking though, so something else which would be worthwhile for you to experiment with beforehand is generally "experimenting" with the Client99SE.ini file contained within the Windows (/ WINNT / whatever) directory. Before you do anything else, make a backup copy of that file (and store that copy in some other folder), and then see what happens in various circumstances, such as totally deleting the file contained within the Windows directory (is it subsequently regenerated when you next start Protel 99 SE?), examining the details listed under the [Locks] section (probably located at the very end of that file, but search for it if it's not) and perhaps even editing the details which are listed there (and especially paying attention to the line which specifies the lock for the "Sch" server).

And another file in the same (Windows) directory which could also be worth similarly experimenting with (after once again making a backup copy of that file within another folder) is the AdvSch99SE.ini file (given that you have been experiencing problems with the schematic server).

If you eventually do manage the unlock the schematic server again after experimenting with those files (and perhaps yet other Protel 99 SE related files also located within the same (Windows) directory), it is not out of the question that you would then need to "recustomise" your copy of Protel

99 SE again, but that would still be a small price to pay to regain full functionality again.

And as far as Altium's attitude is concerned, it's one thing for them to no longer provide support in the form of answering any questions about how to actually use Protel 99 SE, but it's quite another to provide no assistance to anyone who is experiencing problems with unlocking any of the servers. The license which you purchased is presumably of a permanent nature, and as such, there should be an ongoing obligation on their behalf to continue supporting any users who are experiencing such problems (assuming of course that such users actually possess a valid license).

I'm not totally certain whether it's true, but I still think that it would be (technically) possible for them to issue you with another license number which would unlock *just* the schematic server (and on a permanent basis), and that you could simultaneously continue using the license number which they have already issued to you in order to unlock all of the other servers. (But if that is not actually true though, and they are unable to provide you with satisfactory assistance in order to unlock the schematic server using your existing license number, then they should be required to provide you with a new license number which unlocks all of the servers.)

While I have never seen any of the source code which is associated with analysing license numbers and enabling (/ unlocking) the different servers, I still have reason to believe that some parts of that code can make "low level" changes to data stored on hard drives, in order to enforce time limits on licenses of a temporary nature (which are provided to people in order to permit them to evaluate the software during a trial period, and prior to actually purchasing it). In the cases of licence numbers which are supposed to enable one or more servers on a *permanent* basis though, the server(s) concerned *should* always be enabled, and regardless of any "low level" data which might ever have been written to the hard drive during any occasion.

Having said that, Altium's software is notorious because of a "near enough is good enough" attitude, and a frequent unwillingness to investigate the fine details of how to implement features and functionality properly. And as such, it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if there are actually bugs within the code for analysing licence numbers and enabling the different servers which can sometimes result in even license numbers of a permanent nature malfunctioning in some circumstances...

In any event, good luck in your quest to regain the use of the schematic server on your new PC.

Regards, Geoff Harland. g snipped-for-privacy@optum12net.cos.au (Transpose m & s in address provided - then also remove cuberoot of 10^3 + 9^3 - 1^3.)