For me, also on the latest update, the Buy Now option is grayed out and reads “Buy Now… (Searching for License Server)”. When I put in my code it accepts it but also never reaches the License Server, I can see this because the Deactivate option is then grayed out. In your case, it looks like you don’t have this access problem.
It’s concerning that LL is taking rather a long time to get to grips with an issue I expected to be resolved in a few days after I contacted support. Still, it has made me realize that I’m essentially leasing Scrivener, instead of having purchased a permanent license as I’d previously believed.
I installed both emergency patches. They both worked for a couple of days and then stopped. I’m thinking this is an intermittent problem for me. Yesterday the message popped up. Tonight, however, no message. Someday it appears and some days is doesn’t. I
Then I got the error message for the first time after the update (it worked before that). I’m not going to open a ticket. I don’t see any point after 14 pages of errors in this thread. I’m running a bog standard version of Windows 10, no special settings other than using bog standard Windows defender settings. There is no obvious reason that makes my install different from the vast majority of other installs. I also have very long start up times and crashes on loading occasionally, and so on. None of these issues used to be the case.
With my internet connection already on, the PC already connected, I launched the program. I think the issue lies at L&L’s server authentication or activation authentication level. Perhaps it’s experiencing delays in processing. Certainly that would be consistent with the sheer volume of issues that you’re seeing.
I’m not wild about using software that depends on server level authentication to start the program up, and defaults to trial mode when it can’t connect properly, especially when those reasons that are not within my control. I realize that you’ve made those choices for your own business reasons.
Perhaps it is time to review the authentication procedure, esp. the hardware that it depends on. Otherwise the thread will not stop at 14 pages of feedback. (edit: actually there are at least four more threads that show this issue, too).
Ken, somewhere back in those 14 pages (and the numerous other threads on this), it’s been indicated that this issue arose when the authentication server Literature & Latte had been using abruptly went out of business. That service had worked seamlessly, AFAIK, for years. They had to scramble to find a new service, and it’s had all these problems.
I updated my Scrivener to Version: 1.9.15.0 - 13 Oct 2019 for Windows 10. However, now it says it is unlicensed (though I technically own two licenses for for Windows and one for Mac).
Given the length of this thread, and not meaning to be rude, but you might look back through a few pages to see what suggestions there are. Obviously, this has happened a lot since L&L was forced to switch license-authentication services after their old one went out of business. The new one kind of … inhales, deeply and persistently, it would seem.
The best way to limit this thread would be a pinned informational post containing an explanation of the problem, current status, reassurance that people won’t be left unable to use the software (I’m half way through my “revoked licence” trial period now, having started out pretty confident it would be resolved in a few days) and whatever advice applies for users to help themselves.
Yes, very true. It would be nice to hear that L&L are working on it and when we can expect a definite fix.
@Suzanar: unfortunately it seems all you can do is wait for them to fix the problem. You should still be able to use the software, even though the message pops up.
Excellent idea! Maybe even a post pinned at the top of the Technical Support forum. With its title in all caps and, if possible, some flashing object next to it, since people (like me) often don’t look at the pinned posts.
I just wasted half an hour of my life reading this entire thread in search of the solutions I was assured were to be found, but none such exist.
My setup:
Scrivener for Windows 1.9.15.0 - 13 Oct 2019
Windows 10 Home build 1903
No firewall issues
This same problem is now happening to me. It happened when I started Scrivener while my network was purposely turned off for distraction-free writing. It has certainly not been three months since I used Scrivener with the network on. The last time I used it, with full Internet access, was just three days ago.
My question is whether a geo-blocking issue is involved with the new authorization server. I am in Hong Kong. There are some paranoid companies which block access to IP addresses outside the USA, Canada, or UK, which is perhaps what the authorization server is doing. I wonder if others reporting this issue are also outside the USA/UK. No, I have not tried this with a VPN. Since the problem is not always reproducible, there is no way of knowing whether the IP address is the problem. But it’s one of the first things I would have them check.
I must say how much I dislike any software that needs to regularly re-authorize itself–and that obviously includes Scrivener. Why can’t you join the other 99 percent of computer programs and simply authorize the software ONCE, on first use, by placing a key in the Windows registry?
I have too much to lose if Scrivener becomes inoperable because of this bug you’ve been unable to fix. Just authorize our machines once and let us write without worry.
I absolutely agree with this. Rolling activation only inconveniences paying customers. This version is approaching end of life in any case.
I’ve lost a lot of confidence in the weeks I’ve been watching my counter tick down – 11 days left now. Reading the license agreement to learn about the parties’ various obligations wasn’t encouraging either.
Incidentally I’m in the UK, so I don’t think it’s geo-location. It was an interesting idea though. Anyway. I’ve just tried to register while connected to the USA by VPN and the behaviour was no different. Of course the license server could be blocking known VPN addresses too.
The answer is no. All people in all regions are having this issue. I’m on the latest, and still issues.
→ Hey, IT department of Literature and Latte! What should be done! Keep the validation external, but it only has to use your personal servers and not a 3rd party disaster, one time only, and that validation triggers something Internally in the software that makes the program permanently validated. This should get around the stupid crackers/hackers. This should also solve the problem “what if all 3rd party validators go out of business” or “war prevents validation”. And, should save you your customer base. If you do not do this, and we have this issue again (which still is not solved), then we will leave you. You will be known as a bad company, your A+ rating will become F- and you will go out of business. This is why using 3rd party validators just do NOT work! Thank you!
Thanks!
.ps How do we get around the Crackers/hackers faking validation and triggering that internal validation check illegally?
Have the external give the internal; a new code with special characters that do not exist in utf-8 that are 1. unreadable and unseeable to human eye, but your software can read both internally and externally and 2. Completes the password to make the software validated. Or, just have the external software give the internal software characters of utf-8 kind, that completes the password to make the software permanently validated. However, this doesn’t really prevent the issue unless you can hide this part of the program well such that it is impossible to find by simply using a program.
signed someone who can’t program, but does know a thing or two.
Scrivener is generating another issue besides the activation problem. When I load up Scrivener, first I get the usual error message about the activation, and now Scrivener is “not responding” when I click on the the “recent button.” I have to shutdown Scrivener through the Task Manager.
I have no idea if the app hangup has anything to do with the license issue. The “not responding” message appeared for the first time last week.
My message says they’ve been unable to verify my activation for more than three months. Dear friends at literature and latte, when will this be fixed, or the 3 version come out?
Thanks so much!
Skye
I wonder if v3 will use a similar server-based rolling authentication scheme and thus be vulnerable to the same problems down the line, I suspect so but I guess there’s no way of knowing without an official statement.
LIke I posted earlier, if it has the same issues, they could lose their jobs because all of us who rely on this will be forced to move to competitor and we won’t come back. They don’t have anyway of supporting RTL and LTR in the same row anyway. That alone makes me leery of staying with them.
Bottom line though: Authors who publish professionally, will go with the best software that works for the most places they publish without fear of losing all that hard work they did and without fear of not being able to publish due to formatting issues caused by “free trial version” vs. “pro version”.
I had the “cannot validate yadda yadda” last year (maybe year before last?). Nothing suggested by support worked. That machine died a rather inglorious death, and was replaced by a new machine (Win 10) and Scrivener WinV1.x has been working. Had been working - it is now doing the same validation error routine as has been reported. How long this has been an issue, I don’t know, as I’ve been using each successive beta of WinV3 for awhile now, and hadn’t needed to go back into V1.x until today. I removed it and reinstalled from the latest, and nada. This isn’t a huge deal for me, since I’m just plowing along with WinV3beta, but it does cause me some concern about this sort of thing happening if/when the general release of WinV3 is done.