Intermittent iLok issues - how do I uninstall?

[Gary_W]

Hi,

I've raised a support ticket with the iLok manufacturers but, knowing you folks, I'll probably get a quicker answer here

I downloaded and installed the iLok licence manager for the very first time a few weeks ago when I saw the freebie Eventide channel strip http://eventide.com/News/Product%20News/UltraChannel.aspx

I have since been very naughty and bought an iLok 2 USB key and bought some Slate products. Which are fabulous.

The bad news is that iLok Licence manager intermittently just doesn't want to run on my computer. It comes up and says that it may be installed incorrectly and that I should try rebooting or re-installing.

Rebooting does, indeed, cure it on 50% of occasions. If licence manager starts, it sees my iLok and all is well with the world. If it doesn't start, I reboot. And then it's a 50/50 whether licence manager will start. And then I reboot. Repeat to fade. So this *isn't* a USB issue - it's the actual licence software not starting. So I cannot even use the Eventide plug which doesn't need the physical key, it just needs the iLok software.

So the obvious thing is to reinstall the software. Trouble is that it won't let me! There is no uninstaller in the folder and the programs section in control panel doesn't think the program exists!! I'm on Windows 7 by the way, all up to date. And I'm a 64 bit chap.

If I just try and run the installer again, it stalls and refuses to do anything

I have zero problems with any other software - I bought this PC from Scan last Autumn and have not had any glitches or issues at all until now. And I'm sure that, if I can unistall and reinstall this, it'll be fine. But how to do it???

Any help gratefully received

[OneWorld]

Hi,

.........if I can unistall and reinstall this, it'll be fine. But how to do it???

Any help gratefully received

Well obviously run the installer? And/or System Restore or roll back to a previous system 'image'

I find when I do uninstall - I use Agent Ransack and Regseeker to try and scour the system for any remaining flotom and jetsom that gets behind.

When you ask how do you uninstall, do yo mean from the computer or the iLok?

[Gary_W]

Thanks for the reply.

I don't want to roll back to a previous install point; I've installed several other plugins that are successfully registered to the ilok and I'm reluctant to poke that particular hornets best.

When I ask 'how do I uninstall'..... There is no uninstall icon in the folder with the rest of the iLok files. If I go to Windows control panel and try to 'add / remove programs' the iLok manager just does not exist. As stated, I have just tried running the installer again and it just stalls and says that no changed were made. I've re-downloaded the installer and tried again with no joy.

It's crazy - when it works, it works perfectly. If it does not work, it tells me to reboot or reinstall. Rebooting has the ability to fix it but obviously is irritating hence me wanting to reinstall. But it just does a 'computer says no'!

[OneWorld]

Hmmm, that's an odd one, But the informed wisdom is install one plug in at a time, it might be one of the plugins interfering with things, I have experienced that in the past. Could you disable the plugins and then see how it runs, if ok (crossed fingers) enable the plugins one by one.

I use Cubase and eLicenser and that does have a 'remove license' option and you wouldn't want to removing the License Manager software as a whole would you, just the offending license?

[Gary_W]

Thanks again.

I *think* I've got somewhere.... I got a reply from the tech support at the company but shortly beforehand I found a post over on the Gearslutz forum which described my issue.

No answer but a workaround. It's basically that the Pace Licence Services 'service' in 'computer management' isn't always starting! So when I've had the issue I've gone into computer management and sure enough the service is stopped. It was set to automatic and, for reasons I don't get, on some boots it fires up and on some it doesn't. Manually starting the service means that the iLok then works without having to reboot and I have no issues.

I have now changed the setting in services from 'automatic' to 'automatic (delayed start)'. Too early to call it 'fixed' but so far, so good. I have had 4 boots in a row where it's worked without me having to do anything at all.

I'll post back with progress and will give this information back to Pace. Should I get any interesting information back I will, of course, share it here

Thanks once more for the help

[OneWorld]

Best of luck.

I am about to upgrade to a new i& computer which has been under the bench for the last 6 months all ready to go, but am dreading all this licenser and challenge-response procedures I will have to go through as several of the softwares on my USB keys are upgrades, so have ot go through the upgrade paths as well and then all the custom file location setups I have on my existing computer, passwords and serial numbers scattered all over the firmanent - ohhhhhh nooooo

[Nabucu]

It seems that there are very serious problems with Ilok / Pace software.
Many users complain of not being able to use the software.

In this link you can read the details (107 pages thread!!!!)

www.gearslutz.com/board/music-computers/844460-warning-do-not-install-new-ilok-software-26.html

[ef37a]

"Hmmm, that's an odd one,"

If by that One World you meant the matter of "programs for which there is no uninstaller nor which appear in an uninstall facility such as Win's Remove Proggs or Revo"... It ain't!

Happens all the time. Those pesky toolbars you can pickup when downloading something else. Often on forums people show links that do not get you directly to the schematic/info they mention and I have been caught before with a piece of intrusive crap that I could not remove. On one PC I had to stop using Chrome and go back to IE because of this.

And even if you CAN start the uninstall process the b'stds whack you onto the net and ask silly bloody questions!

OP: Have you now been shown how to uninstall should the need arise?

Dave.

[OneWorld]

And even if you CAN start the uninstall process the b'stds whack you onto the net and ask silly bloody questions!

Dave.

They are the worst of the lot, but I generally find music apps generally well behaved in that circumstance. I have come across other apps and it is like pulling flamin' teeth trying to get shut. Additionally you have to be very careful installing and always carefully read each screen so you don't get the counfounded toolbars and other flotsam and jetsom.

And for that reason I always have my trusty imaging software at the ready. Might take 15 mins to restore but then I get back to a nice squeaky clean machine.

I also have one of the disk caddies, where you can slide a hard drive in/out. I get a working system, with all drivers, activations etc. Make a copy of it on one of the drives and use one as a test bench, so I can throw any old rubbish on to test it out.

When I come across software I find useful and well behaved, I install it on the 'clean' drive almost all software manufacturers will allow a few installs.

All that might seem a lot of effort but it keeps the PC running sweet. I have to admit I used crackz in the distant past and noticed the installation with crackz and obscure freeware crashed it's ass off every 5 mins. Conversely, the 'clean' machine was like a faithfull ol' hound dog, always at my side and never let me down!

[ef37a]

And even if you CAN start the uninstall process the b'stds whack you onto the net and ask silly bloody questions!

Dave.

They are the worst of the lot, but I generally find music apps generally well behaved in that circumstance. I have come across other apps and it is like pulling flamin' teeth trying to get shut. Additionally you have to be very careful installing and always carefully read each screen so you don't get the counfounded toolbars and other flotsam and jetsom.

And for that reason I always have my trusty imaging software at the ready. Might take 15 mins to restore but then I get back to a nice squeaky clean machine.

I also have one of the disk caddies, where you can slide a hard drive in/out. I get a working system, with all drivers, activations etc. Make a copy of it on one of the drives and use one as a test bench, so I can throw any old rubbish on to test it out.

When I come across software I find useful and well behaved, I install it on the 'clean' drive almost all software manufacturers will allow a few installs.

All that might seem a lot of effort but it keeps the PC running sweet. I have to admit I used crackz in the distant past and noticed the installation with crackz and obscure freeware crashed it's ass off every 5 mins. Conversely, the 'clean' machine was like a faithfull ol' hound dog, always at my side and never let me down!

The worse part of the internet hike is that if you are using an app' like Revo and you let the software onto the net you invariably lose the registry clean up. You can always follow up with C cleaner mind.

I did once defeat an "unistallable" program by running a search for and deleting every mortal thing to do with it then running Ccleaner. Can't remember what it was now.

"Imaging" as you might be aware, is beyond me at the moment!

Dave.

[OneWorld]

Imaging is dead easy. Try for example macrium Reflect, there's a free personal version.

Download and install. Run the software up, you'll select the disk to be imaged, under 'actions' then select the target desitination - the disk that the image will be saved to, run the process.

I went out and got myself one of those external USB powered disk drives and keep an incremental set of images 01Vanilla, 02All Essential hardware, 03All_Music_Hardware(Interface etc) 04All_Essential Music Apps, and so on.

As I mentioned it's a bit of a faff, but it has come in very very useful at times. The only drawback is if you install several apps without making a new image, if you roll back to a previous image, you lose all those apps.

But as mentioned I get all the essential music apps on, Cubase, Kontakt, etc, all those that require serials, activation, license managers etc - and I keep a text file with all my serials, userID logons etc

It's all about getting organised I suppose, I do it because I am a lazy slob, instead of relicensing, ferreting about finding install CDs, passwords etc, etc, etc I just press the Restore button and sit and wait 10 mins, job done.

Make a boot CD for the imaging software as well

[xymox700]

OK guys. To uninstall the ilock License Manager which doesn't show up in the add/remove programs section of the Control Panel, all you have to do is find "Pace License Support Win64" file and uninstall it. This is the file for ilock License Manager. That is all. Good Luck.

[Martin Walker]

Hi xymox700, and welcome to the SOS Forums!

However, I feel I must point out that the topic you've just replied to hasn't been active since 2014.

Thanks for your advice though, and we look forward to your contributions to more recent posts

Martin