Zugg Software :: View topic - Why are people having trouble getting a new license?

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2005 6:43 pm

OK, I'm stumped. We are getting completely flooded with emails from people who can't seem to figure out how to upgrade their old eLicense code to a new code.

I can understand people having a bit more trouble if they hadn't used zMUD in a while, changed email addresses, etc.

But last night I updated the auto-upgrade version so that people who are running the previous versions of zMUD got notified about the 7.20 version.

When the previous zMUD is already running on a computer, that means they already have a valid eLicense reg code. When you run the new version and it detects a valid eLicense reg code, then the Upgrade button appears.

When you click the Upgrade button it allows you to update your name and email address in our database and then installs the new license.

So if people were already running the previous versions of zMUD, upgrading to the new version should require just a couple of mouse clicks.

And yet we are flooded by email from people who can't seem to follow these simple directions. I don't know if people are just not reading the screen and following the instructions or what. We are getting a ton of messages asking to get their email address changed. And yet, the very first thing the upgrade procedure does is let you change your email address yourself.

Maybe I'm missing something, but it seems like this upgrade to the new license should have been really smooth and easy for the vast majority of people. So maybe someone can tell me why they had problems with this.

Don't bother posting if you were installing the new version onto a new computer. Only post if you already had the previous zMUD working and then had trouble with getting a license in the new version. If there is a way to make this easier, I'll do it. But until I can understand why people are having so much trouble there isn't much I can improve.

Wanderer Joined: 02 Sep 2005 Posts: 60

I don't know about everyone else, but I know in my case your database is in error. I purchased your 55$ bundle including zMud, zMap, and acx a bit over a week ago. I have a copy of the webaddress it sent for confirmation but did not receive an email confirmation. I have also verified the 55$ charge against my bank reccords.

I have an order number which zMud accepted as my registration key and was working happily in 7.13b.

Your database however, claims that I did not purchase zMud and instead thinks I purchased zMapper and acx but NOT zMud. It claims that I was charged 20$ for each. This is incorrect.

I naturally have already sent an e-mail on the subject and I will refrain from including some details on the public forumns. I now have 29 days left for this problem to be fixed, since zMud thinks I am on a free trial again. *sigh*

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2005 7:56 pm

Yes, that is a special case. The eLicense Bundles didn't get imported into the new database correctly in some cases and I'm looking into that and will respond to your email as soon as I fix it. The problem stemmed from the fact than when purchasing a bundle from eLicense, it sends you the same Order ID for each product. I should have your order fixed later today.

But this is an unusual case and doesn't explain the hundreds of other email we are getting.

Newbie Joined: 11 Sep 2002 Posts: 1 Location: Germany

Hello,
I have to say it worked flawlessly without a single problem, maybe people don't like to read so much text in the desc about how to do it and a step by step instruction with few words would help?
The more text the less info many people get out of it .
Btw. Great work, i loved and do love Zmud, seems to use less memory than before, too.

Wanderer Joined: 02 Jul 2002 Posts: 74 Location: USA

I may have done it a bit diffrently then how it was explained to do it, but it still worked wonderfully except for a little problem I already contacted Zugg about.
I installed the new version into its own folder, copied all of my files (char folders, zmud.ini, chardb.db, setting.doc, startup.ini, and elicen40.dll) into the new folder, then started zmud and went through the update without any problems at all.

Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2005 3:43 pm

I added the elicen40.dll file back into the installer yesterday to help people who are installing it to a new directory or new computer. This allows people on a new computer to manually run the REG-ZMUD.EXE program and enter their old elicense code and then upgrade it. I had initially worried about including the elicen40.dll file (some people would then scream that I hadn't really gotten rid of eLicense). So what I did is add a new "section" in the installer called "eLicense upgrade files" which is responsible for copying the elicen40.dll, reg-zmud.exe, and zsreg.dll files that are used for the upgrade. Some time in the future I can make this section of the installer turned off by default.

Anyway, what I'm getting a *lot* of is bounced email messages. Looks like there are many cases where someone has zMUD already running on their computer and then they click the Upgrade button, but they don't bother to change the email address when prompted. So the license key gets sent to an invalid email address and I get a bounced message.

I already know that several of these cases are from people who have stolen reg codes from other people. I really debated about whether the upgrade program would automatically retrieve the reg code or whether I'd force the user to receive the valid email. Looks like there are many cases of people getting a new license without a valid email address, which is bad. But that's the price I paid to make this upgrade as easy as possible. At least the upgrade program is limited in the number of times it will work.

But you'd think that when given the opportunity to enter a new, valid email address for their license key that people would use this. The upgrade program specifically says in big red letters that this is the only opportunity to change their name/email address, and yet people are clicking the Submit Changes button without changing the email address.

The other thing I see happening is that people go into the Recover Password section and then enter some old address that doesn't work anymore, thinking that maybe somehow it will still let them into the store.

Oh well, hopefully these things will decrease over time. Right now it's hard to get anything else done while we deal with all of this email.

Apprentice Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 135

I got the upgrade message yesterday. I want to say "Thanks, Zugg" for the new update process. I thought the instructions were clear, exact, and easy to follow. I was surprised at the simplicity of the entire process! Well done.

Beginner Joined: 23 May 2004 Posts: 14

I tried to upgrade Zmud right off. I went to the "Get Liscense" button before upgrade, maybe I was jumpy. Point of the matter is either A) I mis-clicked and accidentally went past the email change without changing it or B) I never got the message to change my email. I can't upgrade, I'm still running on trial days. I've tried every suggested method, but all I get is 'invalid email' on both the store login and the Zmud upgrade button. I sent an email with a copy of my 'receipt' file, or the last update on it anyway, from the email that I'm -sure- I used to purchase Zmud, but I'm still waiting for a reply or something.

Wizard Joined: 15 Jan 2002 Posts: 1644 Location: USA

Zugg is swamped with emails, and its a weekend so support might take a little bit longer then usual.

Newbie Joined: 25 Sep 2005 Posts: 2

Hello Zugg and all,

It didn't ask for a new e-mail address, and I'm not blind. However, I upgraded to the latest version and per the instructions one can log into the store and have a note sent to the e-mail address used to purchase the software--I have a new one so followed the instructions to send an e-mail to support with my new address. It may take awhile to get my updated registration, but it will be worth it so I'll be a patient Zmud user. :o)

Cheers,
Lythande.

GURU Joined: 23 Dec 2000 Posts: 4834 Location: USA

Newbie Joined: 11 Sep 2005 Posts: 2

I'll drop in a quick mention: for me the zMud upgrade went wonderfully smooth... but when I upgraded zMapper I didn't get the Upgrade button. I dug aroud and found the reg-zmap.exe program, ran that and all was sorted in no time at all.

One thing did slightly confuse me though: I changed my email address on the zMud upgrade and then gave the same email address during the zMapper upgrade, but it created a second account with the old email address being the login... login details were correctly sent to my new mail address though.... I worked out how to join the accounts together, but it was a little weird for a brief spell. ;)

Newbie Joined: 29 Oct 2000 Posts: 6 Location: USA

My license worked fine. What didn't work was the name I'm licensed under. I tried to change my name to my actual name when it asked for it, but it would not allow me to, so my zMUD is currently registered to one Jacqueline Wright, of whom I have never heard.

Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2005 3:21 pm

Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2005 5:27 pm

You don't want to use a reg code that is assigned to a different name...that will cause you problems upgrading in the future. Back when we used Kagi many many years ago, it was possible to get the same reg code assigned to two different people in rare situations. So it's possible this happened to your reg code. Send us an email to support@zuggsoft.com with your original purchase information and any old reg code that you were using and we should be able to get it straightened out in the new order database.

Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2005 5:35 pm

I had a bit of a hiccup understanding how to merge my two accounts and getting all my codes to show up. But the actual upgrade process worked like a charm. I just clicked through. I was able to resurrect the email address I used years ago though when I first bought zMud.

Newbie Joined: 29 Oct 2000 Posts: 6 Location: USA

Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2005 6:03 pm

Is there somewhere we can see screen shots of each screen you see when upgrading? Particularly the last one? I know when I upgraded there was something about that last screen that threw me out, but I got it to work eventually?

Cheers,
Erazmus.