HOSTER GONE did i do somethig wrong

[admin]

Originally Posted by ddouglass

If you change anything major such as the motherboard or C: drive then it is recognized as a different computer (may be based off of the Microsoft SID).

Not quite this way. Over the years, MTU has evolved our security to be very forgiving, yet still protect our rights. We use a number of fingerprint items from your computer to determine when it is the "Same" or "Different" computer. Obviously, if you change enough of our fingerprint items, it will be recognized as a different computer.

Year+ old versions of MTU software do NOT have the flexibility we provide today in current versions. It is hard to predict exactly what happens when doing upgrades from very old versions. In theory, the new version captures its new fingerprints which are compared to the past fingerprints in your database at MTU.com. If you don't change ANYTHING, the new version sees "Same" and installs. If you change any hardware, or reinstall Windows and your MTU program version was many years old, it probably will see it as a Different computer and limit installing again without MTU manual intervention. We do offer this as a free service. It takes a lot of out support time for a number of reasons.

The whole mess comes from MTU providing UPGRADES. We give FREE upgrades that usually don't create a problem. When we require buying an upgrade, instead of like our competitors who require you buy a NEW FULL version, this causes problems for us. We are trying to benefit existing customers, but it costs us dearly in reusing the same RegCode you already have.

With Hoster 3.320, we activated a new registration script that requires a Hoster or Hoster upgrade purchase since May 30, 2006. That's 24 months back. I truly can't believe it, but some users have a problem with MTU giving them free upgrades for ONLY for 24 months. Instant gratification and "entitlement" mentality regardless how much MTU must spend to provide the upgrades makes them unhappy people.

Suffice it to say that the current versions are very forgiving as to what is Same or Different computer. You can replace a hard drive AND reformat and reinstall Windows and it is still the Same computer.

Originally Posted by slsides

I'd really like to get the real scoop on this particular aspect of the copy protection. the ticket i submitted was because i made a mistake with the video drivers and thought i might have to wipe everything and start over in order to get the machine fixed. the answer i got seemed to indicate that there would be no problem with this, even though i ended up getting stuff straightened out before resorting to such extreme measures.

if a hdd goes bad, the machine counts as a different computer? someone please give complete and thorough information about this.

Shaun, we can't reveal everything about our security or it would be cracked.

Read the top part of this Thread as I tried to answer your questions up there.

Sometimes, our security scrpits, like any web program, can error. We sometimes find that the same computer has two registrations on it for the same program, but different versions. That should not be. When a prior one is removed, and the new installed, there should be one record for that computer. This is where the problem can creep in. In this case, we manually must view and delete one of the records so things work again. It is rare, but it does happen.

We also have some users who try to "break the system", so we have to document what we do. Then, when we see someone needing our intervention time after time and again, it is clear and we ask them to buy a new copy for their other computers.