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Why is it now no longer possible to use Trados on two different computers at different times? Thread poster: Astrid Elke Witte
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I KNOW it used to (theoretically) be possible to install and use a licensed copy of Trados on two different computers, provided that they were not used at the same time. Now it is no longer possible to do that. Pity!
Since Tuesday morning I have been in the slightly disadvantageous position of no longer having a desktop PC, but only a laptop without any data (no TMs, no Multiterm termbases, and little else, of any sort, either).
As business is as brisk as ever, and has ... See more I KNOW it used to (theoretically) be possible to install and use a licensed copy of Trados on two different computers, provided that they were not used at the same time. Now it is no longer possible to do that. Pity!
Since Tuesday morning I have been in the slightly disadvantageous position of no longer having a desktop PC, but only a laptop without any data (no TMs, no Multiterm termbases, and little else, of any sort, either).
As business is as brisk as ever, and has to carry on until such time as I acquire a new computer, after doing one translation entirely by hand, by typing it out in a Word document, I downloaded Trados and Multiterm 2007 from my account page at www.sdl.com. I normally have a licence - or did have one on the PC I used to have - so imagine my dismay when I found out that I was refused the use of the licence for the emergency situation! However, there it was in black and white: "0 licences out of 1 available."!!!
I find this extremely mean of SDL. As if I did not have enough problems, doing large urgent legal translations on a laptop without data! To top it all, due to this mean refusal of use of my one licence in this situation (the activation code is there on the account page, but use of it for such an emergency situation iis "not available"), I cannot even do ONE translation using the same TM, but have to keep creating new TMs partway through the translation, since the evaluation version requires that!
I am extremely disappointed that SDL has this new unfriendly policy. It is extraodinarily impractical, and I cannot see how they benefit from it. I am not going to buy another licence for just a few days until I get a new computer, in any case! Once I get the new computer I shall also not be buying another licence of the same edition, but will prefer to find a different answer to the problem. With ALL other software, if you have a licence key it is possible to use it again on a new computer.
Astrid ▲ Collapse
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Brandis (X)
Local time: 18:48
English to German
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| good to note.. | Jul 11, 2008 |
Hi! I would switch back to those good old editions that were availing feasibility of opeation, personally I am a trados person and less or no sdl type,there too much rubble. Brandis
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| What if your computer is down? | Jul 11, 2008 |
I wonder what hoops we would all have to jump through if we were in the situation where our trusted main computer stopped functioning, with a deadline the morning after... Even if you had an emergency computer for that purpose, you still wouldn't be able to do squat about it.
However, I wonder if this is actually legally correct. When I bought my Trados licence, I bought it with the understanding that I could install it on two computers as long as I wasn't using both copies simultan... See more I wonder what hoops we would all have to jump through if we were in the situation where our trusted main computer stopped functioning, with a deadline the morning after... Even if you had an emergency computer for that purpose, you still wouldn't be able to do squat about it.
However, I wonder if this is actually legally correct. When I bought my Trados licence, I bought it with the understanding that I could install it on two computers as long as I wasn't using both copies simultaneously. The money I paid at that moment was also for that possibility. I seriously doubt this is legally enforceable. Once you have paid for something, I don't think you can modify that which you paid for. I think a judge would have no problem deciding in my favor if I bought a house and it turned out to be a mobile home...
[Edited at 2008-07-11 19:42] ▲ Collapse
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Ralf Lemster 
Germany
Local time: 18:48
English to German
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| Get in touch with SDL Support | Jul 11, 2008 |
If you can no longer return your licence (for instance, because your computer has a hardware problem, or was stolen), get in touch with SDL Support. In fact, that's what I would do straight away.
Best regards,
Ralf
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Astrid Elke Witte
Germany
Local time: 18:48
Member (2002)
German to English
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TOPIC STARTER | Why is it necessary to return the licence? | Jul 11, 2008 |
Ralf, my main computer is gone - got the blue screen with the white writing and went away with a computer man. He reported several days later that it had a broken motherboard and a broken "Netzteil" (whatever one of those is), and it would take five weeks to get the new parts. I therefore instead ordered a new computer, which I will get on Wednesday.
As a matter of fact, I do have all the data on a Western Digital external hard disk. However, the computer man took that away, and wil... See more Ralf, my main computer is gone - got the blue screen with the white writing and went away with a computer man. He reported several days later that it had a broken motherboard and a broken "Netzteil" (whatever one of those is), and it would take five weeks to get the new parts. I therefore instead ordered a new computer, which I will get on Wednesday.
As a matter of fact, I do have all the data on a Western Digital external hard disk. However, the computer man took that away, and will now put it onto the new computer. When I get the new computer I will therefore probably have such information as I may need to "return a licence". However, that is not when I need the use of a licence, but just now, inbetween, while I am working on a laptop.
There should be no need to "return a licence" if it is supposed to be possible to install a licensed version of Trados on two computers - with the limitation of only being able to use it on one of those computers at any one time. That certainly used to be the rule, anyhow. And all I am trying to do is install it on a second computer (a laptop) while the other one is not in use - because it is gone, never to return.
Astrid
P.S. I did contact SDL via their web page yesterday lunchtime - when I finally got a second computer man, capable of getting my laptop into the Internet - but they have not replied yet.
[Edited at 2008-07-11 20:07] ▲ Collapse
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JPW (X)
Local time: 17:48
Spanish to English
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| Check the licence agreement (if possible) | Jul 11, 2008 |
Victoria wrote:
However, I wonder if this is actually legally correct. When I bought my Trados licence, I bought it with the understanding that I could install it on two computers as long as I wasn't using both copies simultaneously. The money I paid at that moment was also for that possibility. I seriously doubt this is legally enforceable. Once you have paid for something, I don't think you can modify that which you paid for. I think a judge would have no problem deciding in my favor if I bought a house and it turned out to be a mobile home...
They have obviously changed their policy, and my guess is they have specifically reserved the right to do this in their licence agreement, without notice...
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maciejm
Poland
Local time: 18:48
English to Polish
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| Have they or haven't they changed their policy? | Jul 11, 2008 |
John Paul Weir wrote:
They have obviously changed their policy, and my guess is they have specifically reserved the right to do this in their licence agreement, without notice...
The question is whether they have really changed their policy. I have had my Trados 2007 installed on my two computers since I bought it last December and it still works on both of them. In March my laptop broke down and then I had a problem with Trados re-installation, but I was told by their service technician that in such a case I had to return my licence, which I did using my desktop computer, and within about half an hour they sent me a new code to start Trados on my TWO computers again.
Now, because I travel a lot, and use my laptop when I am away from home, I wouldn't like to find myself in a situation that for some reason I wouldn't be able to haveTrados on two computers.
So, I am looking forward to any information as to what their current policy with that respect is. I have tried looking through their knowledge base, but found no information.
M
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Astrid Elke Witte
Germany
Local time: 18:48
Member (2002)
German to English
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TOPIC STARTER | It appears from the account page that "returning a licence" was part of a previous system they had | Jul 12, 2008 |
I logged into my account page, and for a previous version of Trados there was an option to "return a licence". However, for the latest version there is an activation code: a string of numbers and letters that goes in a series of 5 or 6 different boxes.
As far as I can understand, to install it on two computers I would have to type in this activation code on both computers after installation.
It should not make a difference whether I install it and type in this activatio... See more I logged into my account page, and for a previous version of Trados there was an option to "return a licence". However, for the latest version there is an activation code: a string of numbers and letters that goes in a series of 5 or 6 different boxes.
As far as I can understand, to install it on two computers I would have to type in this activation code on both computers after installation.
It should not make a difference whether I install it and type in this activation code on the same day, on both computers, or on two different days, some time apart. It should also not make a difference if one computer is not there any more and I then decide to activate the installation on the second computer.
However, it sounds as if it has to be done on both computers at exactly the same time.
Astrid ▲ Collapse
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| Activation codes | Jul 12, 2008 |
(1) AFAIK, the activation code is machine-dependent. It is similar to WinXP activation - however, if you are in hardware trouble and need to reinstall your system quickly , M$ have a toll-free 24/7 phone activation assistance which really works. Fortunately, I have not had to find out about SDL Trados flexibility in this respect, but I cannot imagine other way around but contacting them.
(2) I only upgraded to SDLT 8 on my laptop (I am on the move often) and left SDLT 7 on the deskt... See more (1) AFAIK, the activation code is machine-dependent. It is similar to WinXP activation - however, if you are in hardware trouble and need to reinstall your system quickly , M$ have a toll-free 24/7 phone activation assistance which really works. Fortunately, I have not had to find out about SDL Trados flexibility in this respect, but I cannot imagine other way around but contacting them.
(2) I only upgraded to SDLT 8 on my laptop (I am on the move often) and left SDLT 7 on the desktop. Could I do better in this respect and have active SDLT 8 on both?
Antonin ▲ Collapse
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maciejm
Poland
Local time: 18:48
English to Polish
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| One way or another | Jul 12, 2008 |
One way or ranother my Trados 2007 still works on my BOTH computers.
However, I do not want to risk and see what happens if I return my licence - BTW, using the licence manager, not "My Account" page.
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I'm a bit surprised you have a back-up machine with no programs installed! I work on my desktop and have a laptop with all my programs installed on it, plus two ISP in case one goes down. I can use Trados 2007 on both computers - obviously not at the same time.
Anyway, if you know your activation code, you should be able to insert it and Trados should work... don't forget to register it!
[Edited at 2008-07-12 11:13]
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| Have you actually tried to activate the license on the laptop? | Jul 12, 2008 |
Hi Astrid,
It has been my understanding that you actually can use the same freelance license on two PCs. For all I know the information "0 licences out of 1 available" appears in your account as soon as you activate the license on one PC but this does NOT mean that you cannot use it on a second PC. It has been repeatedly mentioned by SDL Support in similar threads that this is still possible.
Have you actually tried to enter your activation code on your laptop? If you h... See more Hi Astrid,
It has been my understanding that you actually can use the same freelance license on two PCs. For all I know the information "0 licences out of 1 available" appears in your account as soon as you activate the license on one PC but this does NOT mean that you cannot use it on a second PC. It has been repeatedly mentioned by SDL Support in similar threads that this is still possible.
Have you actually tried to enter your activation code on your laptop? If you haven't used the activation code on any other machine than your desktop PC before, it might just work. Unfortunately, I cannot try this with my license because I have the professional version, which is indeed limited to one PC at a time.
Best regards,
Claudia ▲ Collapse
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Åsa Campbell
Australia
Local time: 02:18
Member
English to Swedish
| Claudia is right | Jul 12, 2008 |
You should be able to use the same activation code on your laptop. You do not have to return your first license for this to work. I have done that myselft without any problems and now have Trados on both my desktop and my laptop. I did not do this at the same time, it was months apart.
Your activation code is available on sdl.com if you logon to your account.
Good luck!
Åsa
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Astrid Elke Witte
Germany
Local time: 18:48
Member (2002)
German to English
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TOPIC STARTER | Yes, certainly I tried activating it on my laptop | Jul 12, 2008 |
Hi Claudia,
Yes, the first thing I did was to try to activate it on the laptop. However, it does not work.
Astrid
Claudia Digel wrote:
Hi Astrid,
It has been my understanding that you actually can use the same freelance license on two PCs. For all I know the information "0 licences out of 1 available" appears in your account as soon as you activate the license on one PC but this does NOT mean that you cannot use it on a second PC. It has been repeatedly mentioned by SDL Support in similar threads that this is still possible.
Have you actually tried to enter your activation code on your laptop? If you haven't used the activation code on any other machine than your desktop PC before, it might just work. Unfortunately, I cannot try this with my license because I have the professional version, which is indeed limited to one PC at a time.
Best regards,
Claudia
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Astrid Elke Witte
Germany
Local time: 18:48
Member (2002)
German to English
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TOPIC STARTER | Certainly the activation code is available on my account page | Jul 12, 2008 |
The problem is that it does not work to activate the licence on the laptop.
This is the rude message it throws up:
"The activation of the fulfillment is denied by the activation policy because max extra acts exceeded # 7950-335835 (Error code 50040)".
Astrid
Åsa Campbell wrote:
You should be able to use the same activation code on your laptop. You do not have to return your first license for this to work. I have done that myselft without any problems and now have Trados on both my desktop and my laptop. I did not do this at the same time, it was months apart.
Your activation code is available on sdl.com if you logon to your account.
Good luck!
Åsa
[Edited at 2008-07-12 13:06]
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