I haven't bothered to reinstall them either, although I'm not as heavily invested in them as you are. I just own a few.

OMG! SO agree with this thread. SOOOO frickin annoying. I'm DREDDING my next update/install/whatever with newblue. :(

What does REPREP mean? Are you wiping and reinstalling the OS or something?

Is your issue that NB wants you to activate at all, or that you have to activate each NB collection independently? Online activation to a specific PC is the norm for software these days. It is not going away.

A unified activate app would be nice, but you still have to enter the code once for each plug-in collection. I have always kept my RegCodes in a text file for easy cut and paste when needed.

I would like a unified update application. Something that looks for updates for every NB product you have installed and ask if you want to update. Right now you have to do each one individually.

I have quite a few NB plug-in collections. Nine plus Titler pro making 10 products. I bought nearly all of them during their Awesome August sales last year. I have only had to activate once at initial install. Updates have not required re-activation. I see in the change list on updates they talk about updates to the activation system frequently so my situation may not be the rule.

I have a complex installation of seven servers with VegasPro installed and configured in 1 gig network. All of the machines are maintained with a large array of third-party plug-ins including NewBlue from when the company started years ago.
I could complain like the original OP that it is a laborious task to install and maintain the licenses with activations. BUT
1) This process for software control is NOT about to go away - in fact it is about to get more prevalent with future issues. So work with it.
2) All of these harddrive installations are maintained with system images - the process being a base image, and then a second and third layer image for each. This practice lessens the need for any re-install of most common software. (Adobe products being the nasty exception.) As long as this method of restoration is viable - it works fine here.

Rory, the activation process has not change in all that time. It really is a simple process:

1. Install
2. Activate
3. Use

While we have had some activation issues a few times, the current versions should activate fine for you. If you're having any issues activating, please contact support at newblueinc.com and we'll certainly work with you to get them activated.

Now, if you activate a bunch of times, you will exceed the activation limit. The same is true with Vegas. However, if you contact us, we will up the limit. But it is really best to deactivate to recover the activation, rebuild your machine, and then activate again.

Even better, get all the software installed and activated, all our plugins install and activated, and then make an image of your hard drive. Now when you want to rebuild your computer, you can just reload that image and be done in a few minutes instead of a few hours and will not have to individually reinstall every individual program.

"A unified activate app would be nice"

Yes, it would. This is something being looked at.

It would be nice if things simply worked as they were designed to.

downloaded and installed vegas 13 AND NB VID ESS 6 - that comes free with Vegas. Installed fine, seemed to work fine. Tried to activate 6, it sends me an email, tells me it is activated. The email says nothing about 6, instead offers me a free SKIN TONE thing with a code I have to assume is for IT and not 6. So, I download SKIN TONE in the form of Vid Essentials 4 (??) install it and activate it with said code. Cool, thanks, I think. Meanwhile, I 6 SEEMED to be activated, I check for an update for 6, there is one, I download and install it, it ASKS ME for a code or tells me I have 14 days of trail..... on my packed in Vegas 13 plugins. Yeah.... thanks.

SONY doesn't list a code for that in MY ACCOUNT page because IT is so messed up that have a section just to re-add software that Sony Database apparently looses periodically.

Good thing I'm bald or there would be hair all over my keyboard.

I guess maybe a couple more hours of emailing 2 different companies will get this SIMPLE PROCEDURE straitened out. ... not that I am bitter or anything... at least in this thread I don't feel so alone or stoopid.

--- just tried again and it claims it will send me an email with a link to click to activate, but last email was a link to SKIN TOUCH UP.
I don't want to get into 2 of the 4 things I clicked on their website that just plain didn't work - at least not in CHROME (whish is kinda popular)

The bundled VE6 activates automatically. You don't need to do anything to activate it. Just use VE6 in Vegas Pro 13 and it will work without a watermark.

But I ran the CHECK FOR UPDATE, it found one for VE6, installed and now it gives me 12 days left to "activate".

I also fully uninstalled V6 and reinstalled the Vegas version, thinking maybe it DID activate by itself, but still stuck.
I'll bug SUPPORT about this.

Thanks Jetdv. Please look into this.

your plugins are such good value for money and are excellent. But as I do a complete reinstall every three/four months immediately after the install I am under pressure to get content completed by the deadline so any unnecessary time exercise becomes a problem.

If a may make a suggestion. have one complete install for everything with a tick box for which plugs a person has and one serial no. Your machine will then send a number to whichever service you are using to manage activation. If you are using an outsourced activation provider, well I would say they should provide QUALITY service.

Also I disagree ...simple!!!! but walking a mile to get a glass of water is also simple but unnecessary ...that is the point.

Install = ok

Activate = I have a set of serial numbers AS LONG AS MY ARM ....FOR EACH PLUG. That have to type in as I cant copy past.

Rory, I am able to copy and past from their online page where I am logged in showing activation codes (for the ones that show it). If your editor is offline, you could copy the info to a jump drive to cut and paste maybe speed things up?

Disagree strongly with Rory Cooper post above - NewBlue process is correct, standard, and a model for the industry. See my post in above thread posts for my position.

Cut and paste should not be allowed in the activation of software with the most serious concerns over blocking - however there are two levels of cut and paste that are being discussed by wwjd.
1) First level is an entire activation block allowed as single operation - this is the most detrimental to a vendor - but for example SCS software has this practice.
2) Second level is micro cut and paste parts of an activation block - this is more secure - and it IS allowed by NewBlue.

That have to type in as I cant copy past.

You can copy and paste. I have always done it this way. To repeat my previous post, I keep my reg codes for all products in a plain text file for easy copy paste if needed. At purchase time I copy paste from the email or web page that has the code.

Rory, please do make sure you deactivate before rebuilding and activate again.

Also, I would suggest drive image software. Rebuild your machine. Get your NLE and plugins installed and activated, and then create a drive image. Now you can restore to that state every 3 or 4 months without having to reactivate everything every time.

If you want to update the NLE or plugins, you can then restore the image, update the NLE and/or plugins, and then create you a new drive image.


BTW, why can't you copy paste? I just copy them into a text file put them on a pen drive, and then I can copy from there and then paste on any machine.

Done! thanks for the suggestion I purchased some software that creates a drive image so this should do.

I keep all my important info in print and filed “old school” so I don’t save text files on hard drives etc in case of theft or crashes, etc. Example I installed a new NAS and it unfortunately wiped out all my data and music libraries etc because it was RAW format, there was no warning that the NAS would do this. I replaced that NAS with one that has windows 8 as an operating system but unfortunately a lot of video stuff was lost.
fortunately I have all my serial codes etc and details in print on file. The media libraries are backed up on separate loose drives.

VideoITguy yes I understand that certain procedures are common practise but the common practise is to make it the users problem. And that is unacceptable. it’s not working and it’s not my problem.
Seriously with all those intelligent folks out there in the software development industry and this is the best they can do?? a mindset that lots of numbers can fix a problem is typical of a problem filed world where problems don’t get solved.