Cubase 6.5 eLicenser - Backwards Compatibility with Cubase 5?

[Minimoog2004]

Hi All. Hoping somebody out there can help out with this...

I recently upgraded from Cubase 5 to Cubase 6, with the upgrade in dongle license that that entails, and all was dandy with Cubase 6 (and subsequently Cubase 6.5) running smoothly on my new 64 bit Windows 7 laptop.

The problem, however, came last night when trying (unsuccessfully) to open my previous version of Cubase (Cubase 5) on my XP machine using the same dongle with the updated license, the eLicenser on this XP machine refusing to 'see' either the 'Grand 2' or 'Cubase 6.5' license aboard the dongle when opening the eLicenser Control Centre (depsite working before the upgrade). Downloaded the latest eLicenser version but alas, same problem. Uninstalled that, downloaded and installed the previous eLicenser version from the eLicenser archive (6.0.2.7036). At last the eLicenser detected the Grand 2 license, however, now listing the Cubase 6.5 license as an 'Unknown Application' (despite still showing up ok as 'Cubase 6.5' when tried agan in the eLicenser Control Centre of the W7 laptop) incpable of initiating Cubase 5.

My question then; while I am aware that Cubase 6 is written for W7 (although some have been lucky enough to get it working in XP), is the 6.5 license on the dongle also w7 specific? Or, have Steinberg rendered the Cubase 6.5 dongle license non-backwards compatible with previous versions of Cubase for strategic reasons or is the 32/64 bit issue also a problem with the dongle license as well as the main program? Thanking for any help in advance...

[The Elf]

I use my 6.5-ed dongle on both Win 7 and XP machines (and with both 32/64-bit software versions) with no problems - so no, it's not specific.

Unfortunately it sounds like it's got its knickers in a serious twist by now, so I suspect it's going to be one for Steinberg to sort out form you.

[Minimoog2004]

Ok, thanks Elf. Good to know that

[Minimoog2004]

Oh, sorry Elf. When you say the 6.5'd dongle works on an XP machine, did you mean it was allowing you to run Cubase 6.5 on that machine or a previous version of Cubase? Thanks again.

[The Elf]

Both. I regularly run 4, 5 and 6.5 with no problems.

[OneWorld]

I had an odd update/upgrade problem like this, but sort of came across the solution by accident, so cannot remember the exact details. I was also in the situation where I had 2 dongles as I got a new dongle with one of the softwares I bought, during install all my licences were transferred to one dongle, all went fine.

Then I ran up Cubase and no licences seen!

I had done the dongle software updates etc and they too found nothing, I really started to get the squeaky bottom feeling - about 4 licenses all gone.

But then I ran the install again and the software looked at the CD (which had the old licence software) it found that, and it went through it's motions, and worked? even though it was looking at the old licence software on the CD, even though during installation the procedure went on the internet to update the software?

Best of luck

[Rich Hanson]

I had a similar problem when I upgraded to 6.5 - on one computer the licenses just disappeared. Running "Update eLicenser License Database" from the Settings menu in the Licenser Control Centre on the problem machine sorted it out.

[Minimoog2004]

Thank you one and all. It appeared that Cubase and the eLicenser had indeed got its knickers in a twist. Thanks Elf for confirming that the 6.5 license would indeed run both previous versions of Cubase and also on XP, and also to One World and Hairy Ears in resolving this. A simple reinstall of the latest eLicenser (which I had already done once) and running the "Update eLicenser License Database" option eventually solved the problem.

Thanks again guys - big sigh of relief!

[Rich Hanson]

There is a particularly nasty sinking feeling when you plug in your eLicenser with 500 quids' worth of software on it and the control centre tells you it's gone!

Glad you got it sorted.

[OneWorld]

There is a particularly nasty sinking feeling when you plug in your eLicenser with 500 quids' worth of software on it and the control centre tells you it's gone!

Glad you got it sorted.

You feel your bottom drop out your pants, I had several other products apart from Cubase on the same dongle, probably nearer a £1000, using the dongle eveything was found, then when it said the eLicenser was out of date and wants to update - NOTHING!!!!

And I still cannot understand why I had to put the original CD in, which had a copy of the old eLicenser software on which re-installed....over the new one????. All I know is the licenses re-appeared, so I got that critter drive-imaged that instant

Why oh why oh why don't software developers document these issues so when a simpleton like myself installs/updates/upgrades gets a blow by blow account of what should/will happen during that install.

I want to upgrade to 6.5 but am wondering if it is worth the hassle