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Dual Boot License issue

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

Hiya… I recently installed an XP64 next to my XP32 in dual boot, so I can use more RAM when doing Z work.

Problem is, when it asks for my activation code which I used for the 32 bit install, it says the code isn’t valid for this computer???

I checked the support site, but it was not very helpful, as it said next to nothing about Dual boot setups, only that the licesne is valid for 1 computer and 1 user, which a dual boot seems to fit the description, as ofcourse you can only be logged into one OS at a time and use one copy of Z at a time…

So whats wrong?

#2

The current license code system thinks of each booting system as a different computer. You “might” try installing ZB into two different directories and registering each of them. If you’re out of registration chits, then you should probably open a support case asking for additional license authorizations.

The only other solution that might work is to un-authorize before rebooting and re-authorize after rebooting each time. This is a PIA, so I can’t recommend it.

Right now, I don’t think there are any work-arounds. It’s similar to the RAID issue (essentially the license system seems to get confused about RAID drive systems and if they start differently between reboots, the license manager thinks it sees a “new” computer.)

-K

#3

thats pretty lame.

Usually when licensing the prog looks at the computer which means like the motherboard/ethernet address, and that would in theory stay the same on all OS’ as the hardware is the same?

So you are saying that I actually cannot use Z at all in a dual boot setup? I hope they change this in Z4…

#4

I have not found a satisfactory way to us ZB in a dual boot scenario. I’d open a support case. Essentially this is the Macrovision FlexNet way of doing things–while most users only depend on Ethernet ID, since MAC addresses can be spoofed, they introduced a stronger scheme that looks at memory, graphics card, RAM, disk drives, etc. to make a “fingerprint” of the system. And if things change “too much”, then it invalidates the license. Microsoft iteself uses this approach in XP, which plays havoc with virtual machines. Your alternate approach might be to run ZB in a VM, but that will probably constrain you too much.

-K

#5

There should be no problem with a dual boot system provided that you don’t try to run ZBrush from the same folder under both operating systems. In other words, you need a separate ZBrush installation (in a unique folder) for each OS.