Sony Creative Software is a sad sad joke

Sebaz wrote on 12/19/2009, 9:03 PM

I tried to launch Vegas today and I got an error message right away saying that msvcr71.dll was missing so the program couldn't launch, and that re-installing the software might solve the problem. So I uninstalled Vegas Pro 8.1 (which is a pathetic joke anyway) and 8.0c, rebooted, installed 8.0c, rebooted again and launched 8.0c. It asked me for the serial number, so I entered it, then it asked me for the serial number for the upgraded older version, so I entered it, then it went to the form to enter the personal information, which luckily had been saved from the first install of 8.0c back in October when I installed Win 7 64 bit from scratch. When I clicked next, it tried to activate the software, and it bounced, saying that the "server was unable to complete the registration as requested. If you click cancel..." blah, blah, blah.

So I clicked cancel and went to the customer support "Ask a question" form, where you select the program, enter the serial number, the OS you use and all that. When I click submit, I get this message:

We noticed that you chose "Windows 7" as your operating system. This particular Sony Creative Software program is not supported on any Windows 7 operating systems, and therefore not eligible for support. However, you might be able to find a solution from our extensive knowledgebase.

WTF???? I used Vegas 8.0c in Windows 7 since the beta, going through the RC and now finally the RTM, and it works as well (or as bad) as in XP or Vista. But even worse, in the next screen it tells me that SCS's hours of customer support are between I can't remember what times M-F and Saturday and Sunday closed. Are you freaking kidding me???? I have to work on two Vegas projects this weekend, and now I can't use Vegas until someone at SCS decides to read my e-mail on Monday and reply???? What kind of company is this???

See, these kinds of situations, along with the pathetic reliability of their software is why Vegas Pro is not a real Pro product and most pros don't take it seriously. If you have pro software, you can't close your business on weekends, you have to have at least a few people doing shifts from home as needed for when a customer is in trouble during the weekend and can't even use the software because of SCS's own bug riddled software.

Now I'm screwed. I have to import the footage into Premiere CS4 and start cutting and doing titles and filters all over again. And it's a good thing that at least I have a reliable NLE in my computer to allow me to finish my work when the toy software from SCS decides to take a break.

Comments

Cliff Etzel wrote on 12/19/2009, 9:46 PM

xberk wrote on 12/19/2009, 9:58 PM

It might be possible to go back to a restore point in Win7 prior to the DLL going missing.

ushere wrote on 12/19/2009, 10:20 PM

and why did it go missing?

did you install / uninstall anything prior to launching vegas this time around?

i understand your frustration, but i'm (like many others) running 9c (and 8 previously) under win7/64 with no problems other than those already noted in this forum.

i find it highly unlikely ANY 'budget' nle, incl. ppro, fcp, edius, etc., is going to be guaranteed trouble free. heck, i used to run avids in my studio (and paid heavily for them), but they too had their off days....

breath deep, think what you might have done, and perhaps, as suggested, roll back to a previous restore point....

Cliff Etzel wrote on 12/19/2009, 10:49 PM

Galeng wrote on 12/19/2009, 11:19 PM

Just a thought, but did you happen to try and do a restore point?

ushere wrote on 12/19/2009, 11:24 PM

hi cliff,

i did put 'budget' in inverted commas ;-)

i would also term my v1 and forthcoming z5 as 'budget' camcorders.

i'm not inferring that either software or hardware are consumer level, but when compared to what it really takes to make serious tv / video, they are definitely 'budget'.

Jay Gladwell wrote on 12/20/2009, 4:10 AM

One would think that after the many years, many experiences and many versions of Windows, that people would not be in such a hurry to install new, unproven operating systems, especially with new, unproven software.

Instead of going back in V8.0, try going back to XP.

JJKizak wrote on 12/20/2009, 5:15 AM

It's a joke that some people continue to operate computers who should not.
JJK

farss wrote on 12/20/2009, 5:33 AM

All I can add to that is I run in a new PC, NLE version and OS for months before I commit anything critical to it.
Most of my audio work is still done on a 486 running Win2K and Vegas 6. It works, nothing to be gained moving forward.

There's still a lot of broadcast editing done on linear edit suites, they simply get the job done and oftenly faster than any NLE could.

I apply the same logic to cameras. One day maybe the AVCHD cameras and their codec will be ready for prime time.

Bob.

ingvarai wrote on 12/20/2009, 5:49 AM

> And it's a good thing that at least I have a reliable NLE in my computer to allow me to finish my work when the toy software from SCS decides to take a break

I am glad to hear that you have found a solution that works for you!

> Sony Creative Software is a sad sad joke
It is the other way around here where I am.
Ingvar

The Kid wrote on 12/20/2009, 5:59 AM

Its just Sebaz just check his record everytime something goes wrong its all the fault of Vegas

ingvarai wrote on 12/20/2009, 6:03 AM

Yes,
and since he has found a reliable NLE, as opposed to the "toy software" from SCS, I guess we have heard the last word from him.
Ingvar

Rob Franks wrote on 12/20/2009, 7:12 AM

Wow.
In all my years of reading these forums, I have never seen one person incur so many problems.

And again, In all my years of using Vegas, (quite a few) I don't think I have ever lost a file such as msvcr71.dll

But then to have Sony shut down on you when you go to re-apply for serial just because you're running on an unsupported platform.... well that just takes the cake

The whole thing makes me wonder if the problem is actually Vegas, or just maybe something in between the chair and the keyboard?? I don't know, just a guess. In any event thank goodness you have Premiere pro. Well... wait a minute... I have that too. Can you say 'from the frying pan to the fire'?

UlfLaursen wrote on 12/20/2009, 7:46 AM

All I can add to that is I run in a new PC, NLE version and OS for months before I commit anything critical to it.

This is very wise, Bob - I do the same here.

/Ulf

ritsmer wrote on 12/20/2009, 8:13 AM

msvcr71.dll is a module containing standard C library functions such as printf, memcpy, and cos.
It is a part of the Microsoft C Runtime Library.
It is not a Vegas part, but Vegas is partially written in C therefore the DLL must be present.

Google it if you lost it or got your registry screwed up so that it can not be found.

It is a sad joke to blame Vegas for missing DLL's, cold coffe and the like.

Sebaz wrote on 12/20/2009, 8:26 AM

But then to have Sony shut down on you when you go to re-apply for serial just because you're running on an unsupported platform.... well that just takes the cake

Well, it might be an unsupported platform according to them but 8.0c installed and activated in Win 7 Beta, Win 7 RC and Win 7 RTM in October. That the activation bounced last night has nothing to do with the platform, but with SCS's incompetence to properly operate their servers.

And for all the well intended posts about going back to a restore point, I'd rather not do that unless it's a last resort. I don't know what other side effects it might cause. I like to keep my system free of unnecessary software, I only have what I need, and I don't know what's to blame for the deletion of that file, because I had not installed anything in the past few days, and I had ran Vegas with no problems on Friday.

But it's not necessary anyway to go back to a restore point because the problem of that file missing was solved by uninstalling and installing Vegas again. And my anger is not about that file missing. I wouldn't have wasted time posting a rant if that were the case. My anger comes from the fact that SCS screwed up their servers and maybe lost my serials, so now the activation bounces, but even worse, that they don't have a person in their staff that reads customer e-mails and when it's a case that the user can't even open Vegas, then offer that customer a quick solution. That to me is what makes SCS a sad joke and Vegas a toy, because now I have to finish a project and I can't until hopefully tomorrow, and who knows if they will even reply tomorrow.

Sebaz wrote on 12/20/2009, 8:27 AM

It is a sad joke to blame Vegas for missing DLL's, cold coffe and the like.

Again, many people here are missing the point. It's not about the missing dll. Read my last post above.

rs170a wrote on 12/20/2009, 8:58 AM

My anger comes from the fact that SCS screwed up their servers and maybe lost my serials,...

Dumb question but did you check My Account - My Software for your serial numbers?
The other possibility is that you re-activated it one too many times and you'll need Customer Service to clear it up for you.

Mike

Sebaz wrote on 12/20/2009, 9:16 AM

Dumb question but did you check My Account - My Software for your serial numbers?

Yes, I did, and they're still there. And I activated whenever I re-installed my OS from scratch, which was three times this year. But whatever it may be, I wouldn't be so furious if someone at that sad joke of a company would read my e-mail from last night and send me a freaking activation code so I can use the software I own.

ritsmer wrote on 12/20/2009, 9:29 AM

You are on thin ice -really - but keep going - it's quite entertaining.

Cliff Etzel wrote on 12/20/2009, 9:36 AM

Sebaz - Yes - you own a copy of the software. And I do understand your frustration.

The way SONY tries to prevent software piracy is to place a limit on the number of times a serial key can be activated. I've run into this issue before and the tech support people I have spoken with in the past are friendly and helpful.

You can request that they increase the number of times you can activate a serial. I've done this and it works out fine. I just did a fresh install of Win7 on my laptop yesterday and when I went to activate my copy of Sound Forge 9, I am unable to activate it with a -41 error - which is in the FAQ as too many activations for my serial. So I have to practice patience and wait til Monday to activate it. I need to do a base restore of my desktop as well but will have to wait til Monday to do that so if I need to contact SONY Tech Support to resolve a similar issue on this, I can.

It's not a perfect world, and it can be frustrating at times - I'm going through this with Cineform - their anti-piracy setup is one of the most frustrating, but they have a right to protect their intellectual property so we are at the mercy of their rights.

Just breathe and do the best you can given the circumstances.

Cliff Etzel
Videographer : Producer : Web Designer
bluprojekt
--------
Desktop: OS: Win7 x64 | CPU: Q6600 | Mobo: Intel DG33TL | 8GB G.Skill Dual Channel RAM | Boot/Apps Drive: Seagate 160GB 7200RPM | Audio Drive: Seagate 160GB 7200RPM | Video Drive: WD 640 7200RPM Black Series | Vid Card: nVidia GT7200LE

Laptop: Dell Latitude D620 | C2D 2.0Ghz | 4GB G.Skill RAM | OS: Win7 x64 | Primary HD: WD 320GB 7200RPM | Video HD: WD 250GB 7200RPM

Sebaz wrote on 12/20/2009, 9:57 AM

My problem is not with the anti-piracy measures, that's understandable, but if you put those measures, then you have to be there for the customer when he or she has a problem with the anti-piracy mechanism that prevents him or her from running the software, and that has to be if not 24/7, at least from 8 AM to 10 PM every single day, including weekends.

Cliff Etzel wrote on 12/20/2009, 10:02 AM

That I understand. I caught myself becoming frustrated at this yesterday - especially with Cineform, and maybe it's something SCS might do if they are trying to make a push to promote their software by having a skeleton tech support crew rotate out on the weekends - one can only hope ;)

Cliff Etzel
Videographer : Producer : Web Designer
bluprojekt
--------
Desktop: OS: Win7 x64 | CPU: Q6600 | Mobo: Intel DG33TL | 8GB G.Skill Dual Channel RAM | Boot/Apps Drive: Seagate 160GB 7200RPM | Audio Drive: Seagate 160GB 7200RPM | Video Drive: WD 640 7200RPM Black Series | Vid Card: nVidia GT7200LE

Laptop: Dell Latitude D620 | C2D 2.0Ghz | 4GB G.Skill RAM | OS: Win7 x64 | Primary HD: WD 320GB 7200RPM | Video HD: WD 250GB 7200RPM

Sebaz wrote on 12/20/2009, 10:10 AM

Exactly. I understand this may not be Adobe or Apple, and their budget is way smaller, but having a couple of employees at home check the support e-mail once per hour to see if there's a customer that cannot run their software because of the anti-piracy measures, and then run their serial and machine ID through the software that gives me the long activation code, that can't possibly cost them much, at worst one hour of overtime if it's a non-exempt employee, and those programmer positions are typically exempt, so it wouldn't even accrue any overtime.