FSD license malarkey

[Guest Elvi5]

Hey Guys,I recently dared to re-install my FSD Cessna 337. An aircraft I bought many months ago & never really had a chance to fly.After having to download various new installers, the license system refused to install & asked me to contact support. Fair enough, I had hours to burn that day. However, FSD refused to re-issue my License because my IP address had changed dramatically.I work in the game industry & move overseas often. I explained that to them & even sent a jpg screen grab of my original invoice. Still not good enough. They just smugly sent me a PDF of their EULA.I guess that settles it from their end. I feel totally ripped off by their over-anal protection system. As far as I'm concerned, FSD are nothing more than common criminals.Even Windows XP & all my Flightone products will activate multiple times from within the US or Europe.FSD do nothing more than force legit customers to turn to piracy.Hopefully this can help a few people avoid being stung in the future.Thanks,George GrimshawFlyTampa

[Guest 777_lr_2k7]

Someone elese posted about FSD today, here's the link;http://forums.avsim.net/dcboard.php?az=sho...d=376878&page=2Thanks for the information because I was looking into buying this product and I know now i'll be staying away from it.

[nudata 10]

Unfortunately, some of the "commercial" products are really hobbies. While that is not an issue, it does become one if the "company" has a sub-hobby of creating the most bulletproof installer. Now we see a problem where the paranoia overcomes customer service. In fact, sales become less of an objective versus preventing theft. I have seen the same thing as you and no longer buy products from such companies with their "guarding Fort Knox" philosophy. And, to the eventual messengers of the obvious - yes they have a right to make money and protect their product. It is the "tipped balance" that annoys some customers and that is the risk/benefit ratio a few companies distort.Regards,Dick Boley

[Guest allcott]

As with Microsoft and their activatino policy, truly the ONLY people inconvenienced by these `protections` are the genuine customers. The pirates got round their protection systems a long, long time ago. So the degree of protection is zero. The level of aggravation, complete.So what they must be seeing - fuelling their paranoia - is fewer and fewer customers paying them money, while more and more people are using the software. Is there really any wonder why?Allcott

[ahuimanu 50]

Yeah, I've got a 10-foot pole that I'll lend anyone goin' down this well-trod path.

[Guest allcott]

I don't even install the `old` FSD payware aircraft I bought and paid for a long time ago. Guess the aggravation exceeded the enjoyment factor by such a margin it just isn't worth the trouble anymore.Besides, their once trademark accurate flight models and damage modeling have long since been matched by other developers. The Dornier 27 or the Saab Safir flight models and feature list knock the FSD ones into a cocked hat in FS9, and the immersiveness and sense of `being there` is much greater in those developers products. FSD are simply not as good as they think they are, and that's got nothing to to with the quality of support. Allcott

[Guest panda234]

Thanks for the heads up. I buy a lot of payware but really try to avoid the ones with licensing protection schemes that are a pain in the you know what. I'm involved in this hobby for enjoyment. It's one thing if I had to put up with this at work where I'm being paid but to have to put up with it when I'm involved in a hobby is a non-starter. A year ago I would have ranted a bit with the goal of maybe motivating them to come up with a copy protection scheme that protected everyone's interests, not just FSD's, but nah, I'll just avoid them. Life is too short. Thanks again.bill

[peppy197 165]

I have spent way over a hundred dollars there, at FSD, buying up all their stuff, and now that I changed computers and lost all my registrations,. I cannot get a single license from them although I have contacted them on numerous occasions.I must always be doing something wrong, but for a guy like me that has a PhD in Science, I thought maybe I could figure it out, nope...Thay are also quite rudeal

[Guest babua]

This kind of rabid anti-piracy attitude is actually counter productive. All it does is to direct genuine users towards p2p networks and once there more often than not they discover a huge treasure besides a hack for the one they were looking in the first place.It beats me why would somebody doubt even after a scanned copy of the invoice! Fudging an invoice copy is far more difficult than downloading form P2P networks!

[jfri 42]

>However, FSD refused to re-issue my License because my IP>address had changed dramatically.>What if I would get a completely new computer? Can I expect to have this problem then?

[MD83 1]

You don't expect freeware authors to be helpful. However, when they become commercial vendors ........

[ORN 1]

About a year ago I had a discussion with some guy over at FSD, can't remember his name, but he was very polite and willing to solve my (or their actually) problem; all the installers freezes at the activation routine. Since nothing (however hard they tried), worked I gave up, simply because I didn't want to spend any more time with it.What I never could figure out was why on earth they didn't swap to a decent installer (Flight1 wrapper for instace is outstanding in every way). The answer I got was something like the number of unsatisfied customers was so small. They could not change installer because of me and a couple of other guys.Are we really that few?It's a pity because I have most of their titles, but cannot use a single one of tham as it is, not since I bought a new computer about a year ago. And I would like to give the Porter a go when it's FSX ready ...Eagle

[ORN 1]

That's excactly what happened to me (se the above post).Eagle

[Bigmack 25]

I experienced the same "I MUST BE STEALING" attitude from FSD about a year ago. I moved FS9 from my D drive to a new raid array C drive. Reinstalled windows and FS9 with no problem. All the AC I purchased from Flt 1, Lago,and Feelthere installed without a flaw. When I tried FSD ac, I kept getting install error telling to contact FSD. After posting for help on thier website,those arrogant #### removed my post and sent me a email accuseing of stealing thier products. I had at least 5 of thier AC I purchased from them. And they had the proof of purchase. But they insisted that I installed some hacking software from some person I never heard of that defeats thier protection. And I was SOL in getting to use what I paid for. I remind you this was on a brand new install of win XP and FS9.I believe sellers have a right to protect thier software. But when a paying customer is made to feel like a common crook, that's overkill.FSD is the only company out there that won't allow you to customize your panels the way you like, without jumping thru hoops. I own alot of payware aircrft, so I know these guys are wayyy over the top on paranoia.Bill M

[1mikel151 71]

>This kind of rabid anti-piracy attitude is actually counter>productive. All it does is to direct genuine users towards p2p>networks and once there more often than not they discover a>huge treasure besides a hack for the one they were looking in>the first place.>>It beats me why would somebody doubt even after a scanned copy>of the invoice! Fudging an invoice copy is far more difficult>than downloading form P2P networks!The only thing that directs a user to pirated material is lack of morals and values, not anti piracy measures.this is a sad post, I have most of their designs and have thought about reinstalling, but I have had one bad experience with rude attitude and don't feel like repeating it, I just don't buy from them any longer.Regards, MichaelKDFW

Asus A8N32-SLI Deluxe nForce4 SLI-x16 / AMD