Activation problem in 9.0c

Sebaz wrote on 1/4/2010, 3:32 PM
I sent the following message to support, but just in case somebody went exactly through this and knows the solution I'm posting it here too.

I received my packaged Vegas Pro 9 today, so since I had already installed the trials for both the 32 bit and 64 versions on Win 7, I didn't install from the disc, but just opened 9.0c 32 bit and closed it to get the prompt to enter the serial, so I entered it. After that I was able to launch it fine. Then I launched the 64 bit version and it went fine. But then I closed it and launched the 32 bit version again, and this time instead of Vegas I got the dialog beginning with "Registration of Vegas Pro 9.0 requires elevated privileges". So I clicked on the "next" button and the UAC prompt appeared, but once I clicked on the Yes button, nothing else happened. Now, the 64 bit version still launches fine. And the 32 bit version will launch only if I right click on the icon and choose "Run as administrator".
I searched the forum and followed the advice of one user in the "9b Activation Snag" thread that recommends deleting the License key under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Sony Creative Software\Vegas Pro\9.0\ so I did that and then I had to go through the registration process again. However, I still have the same exact problem. I would prefer not to have to uninstall and reinstall Vegas, can you tell me what to do?

Thanks

Comments

ingvarai wrote on 1/4/2010, 3:46 PM
Run Regedit and see if you are allowed to open for example this key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Sony Creative Software
or this key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Sony Creative Software

I have had many related issues with SCS software, DVD Architect etc. apart from Vegas itself. Somehow it boiled down to registry problems, especially these keys not having sufficient permissions, for some reason..
Finally I reformatted my harddrive and installed Vista from scratch plus the service packs and then installed all my SCS software.

An advice: Let the Windows MSI installer do all work for you, when installing and uninstalling etc., do not use any "Ashampoo" uninstallers etc., I suspect tools like this mess with the Registry and confuses the SCS (Vegas) installer.

In your case I advice you to open the aforementioned registry keys and set their access properties to "Everyone". This will probably solve your problems, at least I hope so.
Ingvar
goshep wrote on 1/4/2010, 5:10 PM
After your http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?Forum=4&MessageID=687367last[/link] rant about Vegas 8, I cannot fathom why you would upgrade to Vegas 9.
Rob Franks wrote on 1/4/2010, 5:29 PM
"After your last rant about Vegas 8, I cannot fathom why you would upgrade to Vegas 9. "

I read this and fell on the floor laughing.
Sebaz wrote on 1/4/2010, 5:35 PM
After your last rant about Vegas 8, I cannot fathom why you would upgrade to Vegas 9.

Not at all related to the topic, but I'll answer anyway. When Vegas 9 was released, it was, at least for AVCHD editing, a pathetic piece of crap. Things that were taken for granted in 8.0c, such as hitting the space bar and the video starting to play immediately, were absent in 9.0 and 9.0a (I never tried 9.0b). Pressing the space bar would result in a horrendous 5 second stutter until video would play at full speed, and it would do the same most times the cursor went through a transition. It was like a crappy old car that you want to start in cold weather. It starts, but it takes a while.

Added to that, the 64 bit version inherited a huge bug from its drunk father Vegas 8.1, which consisted of a warning about half the times the user opened the program informing that the source files were not found, when in reality they were still in the same place. That caused the user to have to click cancel, close 8.1, open it again, load the project, and then it would work.

So back then, not even for free I would have used Vegas 9. Then recently someone in this forum mentioned that 9.0c didn't have the stutter AVCHD playback anymore, so I thought I'd install the trial and check it out. Since the two bugs mentioned above are indeed gone, and since Vegas is still my favorite NLE when it comes to its GUI, and even though I don't like to give money to a company that releases beta software as an RTM, when I saw that $150 deal I took it. It's only that obviously SCS shouldn't have released Vegas 9 to the public until it reached the current build.
ingvarai wrote on 1/5/2010, 12:14 AM
> It's only that obviously SCS shouldn't have released Vegas 9 to the public until it reached the current build.

Oh well, as an experienced software user I take it for granted that updates will come along, and I know that there is really only one way to acid test software - release it. With this in mind, I manage very well indeed, with the uncountable number of software I use all day.

By the way - did you try the approach I suggested? How did it go?
Ingvar
Sebaz wrote on 1/5/2010, 4:31 AM
Oh well, as an experienced software user I take it for granted that updates will come along, and I know that there is really only one way to acid test software - release it. With this in mind, I manage very well indeed, with the uncountable number of software I use all day.

Yes, but there's a difference between an RTM software that has some minor bugs and one like 9.0 that was unusable for AVCHD editing. I never used software from a major software company that was so buggy, the only software as unstable as that was freeware or shareware from a small developer.

By the way - did you try the approach I suggested? How did it go?

Oh, I tried it, but I still have the problem. Maybe SCS will reply to my e-mail today. I just hope I don't have to uninstall Vegas and then re-install it.
ingvarai wrote on 1/5/2010, 5:04 AM
> I never used software from a major software company that was so buggy
Well, I have used Windows since 1994 so.. I have :-)

> I just hope I don't have to uninstall Vegas and then re-install it
Excuse me, what is it that you fear here?
I have installed - uninstalled - and reinstalled Vegas countless times. It takes less than 3 minutes on my machine.
Ingvar
Rob Franks wrote on 1/5/2010, 5:15 AM
"and one like 9.0 that was unusable for AVCHD editing."

And one man's opinion most certainly does not make for fact. I used 9a, and b for avchd just fine. Bugs? Sure there were but it was a step up from 8. Of course that's just my...... opinion :)
Sebaz wrote on 1/5/2010, 6:25 AM
> I never used software from a major software company that was so buggy

Oh, totally, especially Windows 95 was a piece of crap, but even with some crashes, it allowed me to do everything I needed to do. With Vegas 9.0 I simply could not edit AVCHD and I had to go back to 8.0c. I mean, it's pretty bad that with Vegas, even 9.0c, you have to do a RAM preview for a simple crossfade transition, when in other NLEs such as Neo 2 Booster you don't even for complicated transitions and most filters, but to be able to preview any event in 9.0 that didn't even have any filters or transitions, you had to do a RAM preview. That made it unacceptable to me.

Excuse me, what is it that you fear here?

Well, one thing is that I like to keep my Windows installation as clean as possible, and uninstalling and installing programs over time makes it slower in my experience, although Windows 7 seems to be better than that. On the other hand, there's the problem of time wasted, even if it's a few minutes, I have a lot to do. But most of all, since you have to activate Vegas every time you install it, I don't want to risk what happened to me on Vegas 8 on a Friday night when the server rejected my activation.
ingvarai wrote on 1/5/2010, 6:41 AM
Sebaz,
when I read what you have to say about Vegas, I think that you might be better served with another application, another NLE. Vegas works like it works, it functions like it functions. It is not a bug, it is a behaviour. If you think Vegas is slow, try Adobe After Effects.

> Well, one thing is that I like to keep my Windows installation as clean as possible, and uninstalling and installing programs over time makes it slower in my experience
The reason Windows gets slower is that more and more startup services and utilities creep into the list of startup applications, which means Windows gets more and more to do when it starts up. While this may be right when installing different applications, it does not apply when installing the same application.

Sebaz, I have tried to help you, read my post further up, I think made a decent attempt to help you. But with your overall negative tone here, my willingness to help is rather low at the moment. Please take into consideration the enormous complexity of an application like Sony Vegas before you judge it like you do. Calling Windows 95 a "piece of crap" says something about your ability to judge software.
I have almost given up helping you.
Ingvar
Sebaz wrote on 1/5/2010, 7:30 AM
It's not negative tone, I didn't start this thread with a Vegas bashing. Somebody posted about not understanding why would I upgrade to Vegas 9 after my problems with it, so I simply posted my opinion. I have strong opinions, either take it or leave it, I don't care.

And your help is much appreciated, I tried what you suggested, and it didn't work, but I appreciate your suggestion nevertheless. Getting help on this matter was the reason I started the thread.