Activation Error

Just got FileMaker Pro 9, installed it, registered it, started it for the
first time, and was asked to activate it. It thought for a few moments and
then came back with:

A general activation error has occurred (-103)


Choosing Activate Later made no difference, and now, every time I start the
program, I am immediately hit with this error message and then the program
closes. In other words, I am dead in the water until I resolve this. Anyone
have any ideas?






--
Rick A.
Pleasanton CA

Re: Activation Error

You starting it on the local machine, or through Remote Desktop or
Terminal Services?

Rick Altman wrote:
> Just got FileMaker Pro 9, installed it, registered it, started it for the
> first time, and was asked to activate it. It thought for a few moments and
> then came back with:
>
> A general activation error has occurred (-103)
>
>
> Choosing Activate Later made no difference, and now, every time I start the
> program, I am immediately hit with this error message and then the program
> closes. In other words, I am dead in the water until I resolve this. Anyone
> have any ideas?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Howard Schlossberg
FM Professional Solutions, Inc. Los Angeles

FileMaker 8 Certified Developer
Member, FileMaker Business Alliance

Re: Activation Error

That was indeed the ticket; I use RDP so often in my home (notebook on the
lap in my retreat) I take it for granted. If FM9 is already running, I can
then remote to it; if I have to launch it remotely, I'm SOL.

Does FileMaker Corp. consider this a significant issue? Will it be resolved?
For me, it's quite serious...





Rick A.






"Howard Schlossberg" wrote in message
news:13f450k3eafldcb@corp.supernews.com...
> You starting it on the local machine, or through Remote Desktop or
> Terminal Services?
>
> Rick Altman wrote:
>> Just got FileMaker Pro 9, installed it, registered it, started it for the
>> first time, and was asked to activate it. It thought for a few moments
>> and then came back with:
>>
>> A general activation error has occurred (-103)
>>

Re: Activation Error

Rick Altman wrote:
> That was indeed the ticket; I use RDP so often in my home (notebook on the
> lap in my retreat) I take it for granted. If FM9 is already running, I can
> then remote to it; if I have to launch it remotely, I'm SOL.
>
> Does FileMaker Corp. consider this a significant issue? Will it be resolved?
> For me, it's quite serious...


I don't want to speak for FileMaker, Inc., but from what I have seen in
response to complaints, they really don't care at all about this. I
have seen three official responses from them on this:

1) You should just leave FMP running on the remote machine all the time,
crashes be damned.

2) Ditch the free RDP. Instead, purchase and use something like
PCAnywhere or Timbuktu, which don't cause the same problems.

3) Volume licenses don't require activation, so you will avoid problems
by buying at least 10 seats.

I agree that for most of us, each one of these suggestions are non-starters.

Most of us would consider this a bug, though FileMaker does not. I
would recommend you either report it as a bug:
http://filemaker.com/company/problems.html
or as a feature request (depending on how you see this):
http://filemaker.com/company/feature_request.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Howard Schlossberg
FM Professional Solutions, Inc. Los Angeles

FileMaker 8 Certified Developer
Member, FileMaker Business Alliance

Re: Activation Error

I have done just that, Howard -- many thanks...


"Howard Schlossberg" wrote in message
news:13f56inb0pfqfc2@corp.supernews.com...

> Most of us would consider this a bug, though FileMaker does not. I would
> recommend you report it as a bug:
> http://filemaker.com/company/problems.html

Re: Activation Error

Rick Altman wrote:
> That was indeed the ticket; I use RDP so often in my home (notebook on the
> lap in my retreat) I take it for granted. If FM9 is already running, I can
> then remote to it; if I have to launch it remotely, I'm SOL.
>
> Does FileMaker Corp. consider this a significant issue? Will it be resolved?
> For me, it's quite serious...

Well, Rick -- apparently your registering this issue as a bug yesterday
got the attention of FileMaker executives ;-)

I got the following notice yesterday afternoon. This offer is available
to any FileMaker Pro 9/FileMaker Pro 9 Advanced customer needing single
user Remote Desktop access to activated copies of FileMaker software:

> Activation was introduced in single-seat copies of FileMaker Pro 9 and FileMaker Pro 9 Advanced. Remote Desktop access is allowed with activation when FileMaker is already running on the client machine when Remote Desktop takes over (refer to FileMaker Knowledge Base ID 6549) and also for trials. Remote Desktop access is also allowed for volume licensed and site licensed copies of FileMaker Pro 9 and FileMaker Pro 9 Advanced. This current behavior results not from our intent to limit Remote Desktop access to FileMaker databases, but rather our intent to limit other types of unacceptable access and how the activation infrastructure handles these situations.
>
> FileMaker has come up with a solution that allows single-user Remote Desktop access to activated FileMaker Pro 9 and FileMaker Pro 9 Advanced databases. This solution involves deactivating the FileMaker product from the client machine, then activating using specially designated replacement License Keys supplied upon request by FileMaker.
>
> Key issues are:
>
> 1. Remote machine must have access to activate and deactivate via the Internet. Telephone activations are not supported with this License Key replacement.
> 2. All/any/both installations of the original License Key must be deactivated prior to activating using the replacement License Key
> a. FileMaker Customer Support will zero out available activations for the original License Key
> 3. FileMaker Customer Support will issue a corresponding replacement License Key
> 4. The replacement License Key can be entered in the activation dialog (either locally or remotely) to activate the software.
> 5. Terms and conditions of the End User License Agreement remain in effect and are not changed:
> a. Remote Desktop access to the activated FileMaker databases is limited to a single user. Multi-user access is not permitted and bound by the terms and conditions of the End User License Agreement (EULA).
>
> Please keep in mind that the replacement License Key must be used with the copy of FileMaker Pro 9 or FileMaker Pro 9 Advanced on the machine that will be remotely accessed and not with any FileMaker products on the machine with the Remote Desktop console.
>
> Please contact FileMaker Customer Support to request a replacement single-seat License Key that allows Remote Desktop access to activated FileMaker databases. Contact information for FileMaker offices worldwide is available at: