Got my new VSTs, cant do anything because of EWQL+iLok failure...

Howdi,

I’m so, soo, soooooooo terribly annoyed. Yesterday I finally received my Hollywood Brass + Strings bundles, and some other EWQL-stuff, by mail. So after having spend hours on making copies of the original DVDs, installing the stuff, regging my account, I still can’t use it. I need to register an iLok-account, and so I did. You know how it goes: register something, wait for an email with therein a link to validate your address. I always quadrupple-check these things, and I’m 100% sure I entered the correct data. Yet still no validation link.

So, you’d think you’d contact support. You go to the iLok-site, to their support section, and with everything you click, it requires you to login first to be able to ask for support. Obviously that’s not possible since the account is not yet activated. Grrrrr. Sorry, I’m coming from the IT-world as a software engineer, and ugh, this is just utter crap. Take on top that the entire order process was ‘a load’ as well. The EWQL-site is super-duper slow, as was the order-processing (had to wait like 10 or 11 days for it to start getting processed).

Well, then you decide to contact the iLok-company by phone. Apparently they thought it would be nice to not put any contact information on their website. Some company. And apparently there’s little to no info on the entire internet about how to contact them. Apart from all those messages from people asking: “How to contact iLok?!”.

I’d expect something more for software this expensive. Such an anti-climax after all this waiting… I just SO hate it when companies who use e-business, fail at having a decent website. If you can’t even pay for a decently working web-platform, then puhlease, refrain from e-business. Geez!

iLoks have always been a pain, and still continue too.
They worry so much about protecting their software they end up shafting their customers!

Anyway, I hope you get it sorted but a word of warning…
Recently after an update with iLok many users have ‘lost’ their licences, and I mean LOST. They just vanished, no trace, no way of confirming them, just plain gone. And the companies who own the software and sample libraries have turned their backs on those unfortunate users. BE BLOODY CAREFUL! I would hate to see you in the same boat mate, its just plain wrong.

https://www.ilok.com/knownissues.html

I feel for you. I went through a similar experience a few months back when my iLok device failed. It took three weeks to get everything back in order and I was in the middle of a project at the time it happened. Not fun! I had to send in the old iLok before they would transfer any licences to a new iLok, which I had to purchase. I have avoided iLok protected software ever since.

I understand the need for protecting intellectual rights, but the iLok method just builds in more costs that you don’t think about up front. The method of protecting yourself from downtime is a $30 annual subscription for for iLok’s Zero Downtime service and it only works if you have a second iLok on hand or can purchase one immediately when the first one fails.

Ack. Hang in there. It’s annoying, for certain.

kristopherfisheraudio said

https://www.ilok.com/knownissues.html

Typically the link won’t open, haah! What a bad comedy this company brings us.

I really have no clue how I managed, but in my desperate attempts to get the software licensed, I kept trying and trying to get it authorized through the Authorization Wizard. As a former software engineer I should know better that such actions are useless, yet all of the sudden the validation succeeded for some reason. However, my account still has not been validated and activated, so this shouldn’t work really, yet it does. Arcane stuff, I say!

I hear your words about lost licenses and their replacement service. I don’t even want to think about the horror while amidst a project. And WHAT?! People loose their licenses because of the company’s failure? They had to buy new licenses, costing hundreds to thousands of dollars? While I really like what the Hollywood-*-instruments have to offer, I should probably have chosen for another line of products (like VSL), for this is utter crap. I’m sorry for my rant-out-of-annoyment post here on the AudioJungle-forums, but on the other hand I feel this ‘service’ is something fellow producers/musicians should definately know about!

Ah well, on the bright side of things: Hollywood Strings & Brass are currently blowing me away. The legato-slur patches, for the horns, violas, violins etc, are amazing. And oh oh, how amazing the “Low Brass”-patches…! I can’t wait to upload some tracks here wherein it’s used :slight_smile:

Don’t get me started on iLok… Pace are waste of time! I’m having the same problem with my East West Library, I have the platinum plus orchestra set and the Brass section keeps failing to remember it’s registered on my iLok!

I contacted East West about this and all they said I could have mistakenly done something wrong while installing or the PLAY player or PLAY isn’t pointing correctly to the sample directory. It’s definitely not the latter and the former I re-installed twice…

So I’ve tried resolving this from Pace but still, having no decent help from them. So in the mean time I can use Strings, Woodwinds and Percussion but the Brass, well… If I use that the next time I load my session all the instruments in Brass will be unloaded and forgotten.

kristopherfisheraudio said

iLoks have always been a pain, and still continue too.
They worry so much about protecting their software they end up shafting their customers!

Anyway, I hope you get it sorted but a word of warning…
Recently after an update with iLok many users have ‘lost’ their licences, and I mean LOST. They just vanished, no trace, no way of confirming them, just plain gone. And the companies who own the software and sample libraries have turned their backs on those unfortunate users. BE BLOODY CAREFUL! I would hate to see you in the same boat mate, its just plain wrong.

https://www.ilok.com/knownissues.html

Guess what. After a software updates, all licenses are now gone from my iLok. This includes, amongst others, Hollywood Brass, Hollywood Gold, Ministry of Rock 2. I filed a support ticket to iLok, but obviously I still have no reply. Not even a sign of life. I know I can´t expect anything from EWQL for this, since the authorization process is a one/time thing only. When I try to reauthorize it just says± license code invalid or already used. Crap like that. This is a sad, sad day, for I´m on a deadline. I recently invested all my belongings in original software like this, and I´m working hard now too earn that back. For I have to or I´ll end up in trouble. And now this. Yet the PACE/iLok company simply doesn´t reply…

WHAT A FAIL. I simply cannot (and will not) spend over $1000 again for the same software. This is unheard of. I can cry…

@Coriiander

You will find a lot of helpful info in this thread on Gearslutz

There’s a lot of pages of it, but many solutions are presented, and one of them may help you. All of the posts by Simon Morrison are very helpful.

Beyond that, write to PACE (makers of ILOK) via eMail or by mail to express your dissatisfaction. A lot of people are doing this.

http://www.paceap.com/paceap.html;jsessionid=c7c1a6cf201eea61651f19c7a80f

My final suggestion is, if you’re not able to get your products working, then upload MIDI files of your compositions, and someone here will probably help you do a good mockup of your work (so you can meet your deadline)

As I posted in another thread, I hope this is the beginning of the end for ridiculous dongle-based authentication methods. Surely, it will be the end of ILOK because they are going to get little support from developers in the future after this fiasco.

Just gone through the same sorry tale - I finally got The Dark Side up and running by manual installing and EW dropped a license into my ILOK account. I am still having problems with the PRO Expansion Upgrade for Storm Drum 2. I have the Complete Composers Collection still intact as well as Goliath but I think I will not buy anymore East West libraries if they still rely on an ILOK. I completely understand why such methods of anti-piracy technologies exist however I think that the events over the past week with PACE may actually harm EW.
If Project SAM can reside on a serial number whereby I personally think their “sound” is unmatched then EW must reconsider. I was very tempted to pre order Storm Drum 3 however now I am not too sure.

Thank you for your replies. I’ll check out the provided links, but need some rest first. It’s just very heavy on me. I’ll keep it short: been software engineer for several years, had 3 companies, became victim of needless crime on the street (attacked by 6 youngesters) due to which I ended up in coma, with brain injury and more. After waking up after several weeks + recovering for 3 years I can’t do my IT-job anymore. This is why I recently chose to focus on my 2nd passion (well, maybe 1st passion, though i chose IT for more financial security). I sold about everything I had to invest in professional software, and well, then this. Non-recovery of these licenses is not an option for me. I need this to be recovered quickly for I am actually DEPENDANT on the software for earning back money in not too long time. I don’t have an income due to my situation, this was going to be my income; hence all the investments.

I mean it: if I have to, if this fail company never solves this in short notice, I will launch a website to facilitate a place for all users who’ve fallen victim to this. I will somehow, if at all possible perhaps through combined efforts, do what’s necessary to have my licenses recovered, and those of all others. Heck, I survived cancer, I survived attempt to murder (that violence thing), I learned to walk again, I lived in various continents, I took care of terminal parents, I had my own various companies already at the young age of 19. I’m 35 now and I know how to fight. PACE is not yet done with me if this doesn’t get resolved in very short notice.

For really, this is unheard of. Bigtime.

Good for you Corriander - I too am sick and tired of being stamped on - I have MS and had to give up secure job and music, this and freelancing is my source of income.

btw. You mentioned ProjectSAM. I very much love their products as well. Some of their smaller libraries (Concert Harp and Organ Mystique for example) are just great. I never use anything else for harps than their Concert Harp :slight_smile: Now I had actually been thinking to invest in Lumina (seems nice for quick inspiration, with a lovely lush sound), yet I choose a more foundation-alike thing like sevearl EWQL-libs.

Coriiander said

btw. You mentioned ProjectSAM. I very much love their products as well. Some of their smaller libraries (Concert Harp and Organ Mystique for example) are just great. I never use anything else for harps than their Concert Harp :slight_smile: Now I had actually been thinking to invest in Lumina (seems nice for quick inspiration, with a lovely lush sound), yet I choose a more foundation-alike thing like sevearl EWQL-libs.

I have Symphobia 1 & 2, Orchestral Brass Classic and also Lumina and all are great. I do want True Strike 1 & 2 but my mate Blankster has got me interested in Spitfire samples libraries.

gballx said

I do want True Strike 1 & 2 but my mate Blankster has got me interested in Spitfire samples libraries.

Graham, I just went through an evaluation of True Strike vs. Spitfire Percussion and I chose the latter because I found it more versatile. Both sound excellent but I found True Strike a bit more aggressive while the Spitfire offering seemed to be a bit better rounded for my purposes.

I also recommend the Loegria library of the Albion series. I actually find it perfect for corporate work as well as orchestral stuff.

Meanwhile, I sent off a lovely letter to EastWest and iLok concerning this complete debacle. You can put me on the list of those avoiding anything iLok for a while. They have lost a lot of credibility in my mind.

Update from the Gearslutz thread.

UPDATE: June 25, 2013 14:00 PST

This warning is no longer in effect.

The iLok (PACE) license database issues have been resolved.

The iLok License Manager software is working as expected.

Known Issues:

Problem: Installation of iLok License Manager software fails

Solution: Un-install all previous versions of iLok/PACE software first, then re-install iLM

(Restart your computer after installing iLok License Manager )

Problem : After restarting the iLok is not visible in iLok License Manager or your DAW

Solution : Un-install all previous versions of iLok/PACE software, then re-install iLM

(Restart your computer after installing iLok License Manager )

Problem : Licenses missing from iLok

Solution : Perform a Sync/Repair in iLok License Manager

(If this does not work, contact iLok (PACE) directly: https://www.ilok.com )

Problem : Unable to transfer license

Solution : Contact iLok (PACE) directly: https://www.ilok.com

For ALL unresolved iLok support issues, contact iLok (PACE) directly: https://www.ilok.com

Un-install Procedure

MAC

  1. Open the LicenseSupportInstallerMac_v2.0.0 disk image: http://installers.ilok.com/iloklicen...stallerMac.zip

  2. Run the “Uninstall License Support” application

  3. Drag the following items (if present) to the Trash:

• Macintosh HD > Library > Preferences > com.paceap.eden.clientdb.v1.01.sdb

• Macintosh HD > Users > your_user_name > Library > Caches > com.paceap.iLokLicenseManager <- folder

• Macintosh HD > Users > your_user_name > Library > Preferences > com.paceap.iLokLicenseManager.plist

  1. Restart your Mac

WINDOWS

  1. Select and uninstall all programs beginning with “PACE”:

• Windows XP: How to change or remove a program in Windows XP

• Windows Vista: Uninstall or change a program

• Windows 7: Uninstall or change a program

• Windows 8: Uninstall or change a program

  1. After uninstalling each program, restart the computer

  2. Delete the following items (if present):

  • C:\Users\your_user_name\AppData\Local\PaceAP <- folder
  • C:\ProgramData\PACE <- folder

It definately is not fixed. Quite a coincidence I loose all my licenses on the day that it’s supposedly fixed. I actually reinstalled my entire computer, format included (had to reinstall anyway). I also tried on an another computer, to check if it’s a 32-bit issue, but nada. No, this definately isn’t fixed. Still no reply from the company either. Thank you for your reply though. I think it’s nice to see how the AJ-people can discuss things :slight_smile:

Thanks Michael for this info - very useful to me
Wow Gareth that is some comprehensive reporting there - EW came through license just awaiting a resolution to my Storm Drum 2 PRO upgrade expansion problem - Invalid or Expired license. Any ideas?

EW license support came through and now I am back up and running!

That’s great to hear gball. I’m happy for you :slight_smile: I still haven’t had any reply whatsoever. As expected tbh. And when I magically get some reply sometime in the future, I’m very afraid it will be a total no-brainer like: turn off your firewall and if that does not work contact us again (< insert another period of waiting >; rinse & repeat).

Coriiander said

That’s great to hear gball. I’m happy for you :slight_smile: I still haven’t had any reply whatsoever. As expected tbh. And when I magically get some reply sometime in the future, I’m very afraid it will be a total no-brainer like: turn off your firewall and if that does not work contact us again (< insert another period of waiting >; rinse & repeat).

What I did was send a provisional email to EW support - got a case number - then emailed licensing@eastwestsounds.com with the case number and brief message. Then waited a couple of hours and then resent the same message again. I got new activations for two products really quickly. Just keep emailing them the same message - it worked for me! I hope you get your problems sorted very quickly - good luck to you.

I had this same problem with QL Pianos-- apparently iLok updated their servers and now EW’s AuthWizard doesn’t work. Just contact their licensing support email and they’ll approve your samples within 24 hours and drop it into your iLok account.

Irritating, but at least fixable.