MOTUnation.com

So I just had the video card replaced on my 2013 Macbook Pro (under Apple Care). This is my secondary rig but I had *finally* gotten everything all dialed in, software updated, plugins all talking to each other about a month or two back.

Got back the machine, went to open DP 8, and got a message asking if I wanted to buy the software or enter my serial #.

My guess is this won't be the only thing that will ask this of me, so before I start going through things one by one, the question is:

I made a Time Machine backup before taking the laptop in to be repaired. If do a restore from Time Machine, should it put back all the necessary permissions and such that seem to be missing now?

You'll get some stuff to work by restoring from Time Machine, but not necessarily everything. It will depend on the authorization schemes used by your software. I think a TM restore is a good place to start.

Thanks, Bayswater. I dug up the authorization code and got DP running fine, and so far everything else - plugins, etc - seem, knock on wood, to be working o.k.

Certain internet authorizations do not work after a crash and Time Machine restore. Master Writer and Final Draft are the only two I ever had an issue with -- unless I had the foresight to de authorize them first (I do a lot of testing). DP 7 and earlier need to be reauthorised with the CD.

DP 8, as you found out, just needs to have the license info re entered. A few of my plugs need the same. iLok authorizations as well as serial number based ones are unaffected.

mikehalloran wrote:DP 8, as you found out, just needs to have the license info re entered.

So can we conclude that DP 8 looks at the graphics hardware (among other things) to ensure it is running on an authorized Mac?

bayswater wrote:

mikehalloran wrote:DP 8, as you found out, just needs to have the license info re entered.

So can we conclude that DP 8 looks at the graphics hardware (among other things) to ensure it is running on an authorized Mac?

No.

DP 8's license manager phones home on startup. I don't know where this info is stored but it is not normally retained in a Time Machine restore. With DP 7 and earlier, the Auth File is restored -- you can find it easily enough. -- but DP cannot use it without re-authorizing from the CD.

Some schemes use the MAC address. Others including Finale use the hardware address of the drive in the system-- move the drive to another position on your Mac and you have to reauthorise.

Thanks, Mike. So far everything else does seem to be opening without the Time Machine restore.