The point is, the old Scrivener never ever did do that!
The new Scrivener should work the same way.
Other software have the license writtensomewhere inside after entering it. So there is no need for any external checks.
1 Like
That statement is not accurate. Any license embedded in a local file can be decrypted because the key is often also on disk, though may be difficult to determine.
Companies like GPSoftware, the makers of Directory Opus, use a local license file and it works well, but it is still there for anyone to try to break and copy, which they have.
And many software companies use licensing products like SoftwareKey that do require a periodic connection to a license server. That whole business model came about because of weaknesses in local storage of license information.
You are mistaken. “Old Scrivener” absolutely did check in with our license server periodically. Just ask all the people who were around when that company folded and the server stopped responding.
Without an external check, how would you suggest we void returned licenses?
Katherine
Katherine, voiding returned licenses should be a secondary concern to ensuring that those who have valid licenses are NEVER adversely impacted. Also, if a check must be performed when a license is voided, that should be done immediately and as a condition of refund. Finally, it is unlikely that L&L has to contend with very many returned / voided licenses compared to the number of valid licensees who retain their licenses, IMO. If L&L must “err,” in this equation, then it should always do so in favor of its loyal and valid user base.
3 Likes
Katherien,
I contacted the support about it. But that didn’t change anything.
The important point is still that Scrivener doesn’t work, when I get this failed connection-message.
Now our lockdown is over, the music school is open and I have to take my daughter there, because it’s far from home.
I used to work, while I waited for her. But for obvious reasons then I have no internet connection .
So there will be a connection failure. What do I do then?
Oh and now the tempest season is starting here and I have to switch off PC and internet and take them from the grid. so I need to work offline too.
In my thinking, it’s a bug, when I can’t work offline, whenever I need.
1 Like
Yes, I agree this is a bug. Please message me your email address; I’ll check the support queue and make sure the person handling the ticket is aware of the situation.
Jan 8 22
This bug still lives. Been getting it about twice a week.
I have to start the Task manager to end the process.
A clue: I have scrivener auto start when the computer is powered-on. I figger other auto-starts are conflicting with scriv starting.
All these issues with the license server added to my disinterest in updating Scrivener from 3.0.1, which is working fine.
Then the other day, on my other computer, I installed 3.1.1 in a parallel installation to 3.0.1. I was expecting to have to activate it, but it just installed as activated and ran without issue. Once I imported my settings and got the dictionaries right - that was that.
Is that how it’s supposed to work? It apparently picked up the registration from the other install. I was expecting to see some kind of “license server” activity that I’d have to hold my breath for until a successful completion.
If I’d known it was that simple I’d have done it on my main laptop long ago. 
Now when I run 3.0.1, it gives me a warning that S is not running from its installed location - as expected; the new install is now the default Scriv app. But it continues to load anyway.
Yes, this is how it is supposed to work. You should only need to activate Scrivener if it is a “new” install, whether on a new machine or after deleting the previous versions activation information.
Thanks, kewms.
Looking at the release notes, I see I am actually two releases behind.
After downloading, I can just install it into the same location, and settings, dictionaries, paths, should all be happy then?
(Excuse my paranoia - I’m trying to avoid falling into troubleshooting rabbit holes these days, much as I can enjoy them, and that leads me to lag on updates, and to leave well enough alone.)
Yes. Extra backups are never bad, but updating in place between 3.x versions should be fine.
Thanks again. About to backup and update now.
From the release notes:
- Fixed a bug whereby using Save As in a project set to sync with an external folder retained the external folder file path in the new copy. An external folder should sync with only one project to avoid conflicts.
I think I encountered that yesterday. I did a save-as, and then went to set up its sync, and it still had the parent path. A potential gotcha there.
And this one:
- Fixed a bug whereby moving paragraphs in the editor via Edit ▸ Move ▸ Move Up/Move Down caused them to lose their paragraph formatting (alignment, indentation, etc.) and paragraph style, if one was set, and could also impact the formatting of adjacent paragraphs.
Not sure I’ve seen that, but it sounds similar to issues that make lists difficult to work with.
Some good fixes in these updates. Thank you! This one I encounter frequently, and I think I first reported it.
- Fixed a bug whereby merging documents caused the editor left/right margin to disappear for the merged document.
The update worked more or less as expected. But one of the files in the hunspell folder got updated, and some, though not all, of my custom dictionary words were no longer recognized. I didn’t look closely enough to see which one it was, tbh. But I overwrote them all from a backup of that folder I made just before updating, and now all seems well.
About every three days scrivener displays the "cannot connect " error. I click retry, and scrivener crashes… I click the red x, it closes, and then I restart without problem.
A link to the Scrivener project is in the startup folder.
I can start scrivener on a tablet that is NOT connected to the webnet, and do not receive the error.
I can start scrivener on a laptop that is NOT connected to the webnet, and do not receive the error.
Anybody have any ideas?
Could it be the same as this :
Thank you for your comments.
I have Scrivener installed on three computers. None give me unregistered errors. Only on one computer is the ‘cannot connect to the license server’ error displayed.
Well, perhaps I picked the wrong thread, but I am pretty certain that I saw someone with the same issue as you somewhere…
If you search the forum a little, maybe go back 2 or 3 months, if I recall properly, you’ll find an answer to your question.
Check this thread :
…and see if it ain’t your anti-virus blocking the connection.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
If this is no help,
…have you tried reinstalling to that one computer ?
…or look for what is different in that one computer vs the two others (OS settings etc) ?
Yes reinstalled…
Each computer is configured for different purposes, with dozens of different programs…
I was able get that behavior to stop by logging in as an administrator. Saw that solution in a board somewhere. Forgot about it, and had to search again to find it after I did an upgrade. Seriously annoying ongoing issue.
Definitely avoiding rabbit holes, @Mad_Girl_Disease , but I think your eye for detail caught something quite good here.
In fact, I first iinterpreted this had to do with indented lists…and it turns out, I think it actually does.
It might be just the tests I tried, but indented lists seem much more stable now, when you move items around. That would follow, actually, from what this item seems accttually to say. Then a side effect, that’s most welcome.
Behavior isn’t fully right yet, as sometimes order labels turn out wrong on movementts, but that’s easily fixed by reapplying the list format on the line that goes wrong - other lines at same level will aso pick that up.
I’m a little concerned about starting up the lists conversation again before its time, but would like even so to let @tiho_d know his work is noticed, and much appreciated. Maybe @kewms can pass that on, if naming him here doesn’t 
Perhaps it is also a very careul step by step in this area, which would make good sense 
1 Like