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quote:
Originally posted by: Peter Grainge
X5 is no longer activated by a server so you will wait a long time.
Phone the appropriate number from this page.
http://www.adobe.com/activation/phonenumbers.html
I believe they have a means of providing a code for you. If they claim otherwise, please post back and let me know.
Just because they no longer support it does not mean you are not entitled to use it.
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Excuse me for bringing this up again, but my coworker--who isn't in today--said she did as instructed in the TechNote, and rebooted, but still gets the activation dialog when she tries to use RH X5. It was recently reinstalled after she was upgraded to a newer machine, still running XP.
I'm trying to help her with this. Referring to the TechNote below,
--1) On the Adobe download page referred to in the TechNote, I don't see the 5.0.1 patch explicitly listed. There is a 501 file under the download for Word 2003 Support Update. Is that the one?
--2) Does step 3 of the Tech Note refer to the .exes of the 501 and 502 patches? If not, then what? I downloaded and saved the patches when they were issued, and I don't see a Robohtml.exe or a Robohelp.exe among them. I have a RHO_x501.exe and a RHO13_x502.exe.
Thanks,
Mike
Due to activation issues with Adobe RoboHelp X5, the following may be completed to turn off activation with RoboHelp X5.
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The need to activate - or lack ot it - is covered here.
Read the RoboColum(n) for mutterings on RoboHelp, Technical Communication Suite and technical communication.
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Hi Colum,
In step 3 above, I downloaded the two exes to the desktop, and ran Robohelp.exe. An error message indicated that vxdbms.dll is not found and I need to reinstall. However, the file is actually located appropriately in the original installations for RoboHelp and RoboHelp HTML.
Because the downloads are intended to install over the original (RHx5.02), I assume it isn't necessary to remove the originals, correct?
What's amiss?
Thank you,
Linda
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Did you save the exe files to the two locations in Program Files replacing the previous copies?
See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips
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Hi Peter,
Glad that you are still with the forum! It's been a few years since I've worked in RH and read your valuable help.
I'm up and running now, and thanks for checking back with me personally.
Words are slippery, and the instructions for downloading and updating 5.01 & 2 and then re-installing the exe's took some poking around by our team. It was a challenge to find the 5.01/5.02 updates. The exe downloads were clear, but someone here finally understood to literally save the exe's at the appropriate levels, not save them somewhere and try to run them, which was the first thought that came to mind. So we're good to go and all is working now.
Thanks again, and best regards,
Linda
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I am in the same boat- I have Robohelp X4.1 and need to replace my laptop (now 5+ years old). After 6 hours on the phone with a dozen different support reps in India, here is a synopsis of my case:
1. At least four support reps told me I needed to "update". There is no update, of course. I would have to buy a fresh copy off the street for $999. That would also violate Adobe's activation policy, effectively reverting my license to subscription software that expires whenever they feel like deactivating subscription servers.
2. I finally reached a "supervisor" (supposedly) in Robohelp support that provided me with a link to download X5.
3. I was unable to download the file, and immediately responded in my open case that I was unable to do so (unable to get secured access to the file)
4. Although I even got a call back from the "supervisor" about a week ago now, promising to resolve the problem, Adobe has still, 16 days later, refused to provide me with access to download the file.
I don't believe that Adobe does not have the wherewithal to provide simple access to a file download. I don't know what game Adobe is playing now, but the end result is that they are refusing to honor my perpetual license. Caveat Emptor!
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The background here is that after Adobe took over Macromedia, they identified a security issue with the old activation servers. What they decided to do was provide replacement exes for X5 users, the idea being that you install X5, apply the patches and then install the replacement exes that do not need to be activated. See http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/403/kb403696.html
For users of earlier versions they agreed to upgrade them to X5 without charge as you have a right to that license and it is Adobe policy not to use the need for activation to force an upgrade. Contact Customer Support as I have indicated earlier in this thread and don't accept anything to the contrary.
Let us know how you get on.
See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips
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Contact Customer Support as I have indicated earlier in this thread and don't accept anything to the contrary.
Thank you for your reply, Peter. As I indicated above, I spent 3 hours talking to 6 different people in support before I got to someone agreeing to provide me with X5. That person was apparently unable to get me secured access to the ftp link to that download file.
After several days passed, I spent another (documented) 3 hours just to get back in contact with that person. That included 30 minutes arguing with a customer support rep who repeated over and over "Neil, I would never refuse to allow you to speak to a supervisor", as I repeated over and over "well, then turn me over to a supervisor". It was truly Orwellian.
He did finally pass me on, and after another hour on hold as I was booted around, I did talk to that supervisor, who asked for 24-48 hours to get things working for me. He also told me to just communicate via the support portal, rather than spend all that time trying to contact him by phone. Well, that was over a week ago, and he has never responded to my support portal queries. He did call me on July 10th, telling me that "he was working on it".
Now, what do I have to do to get someone in support to help me in an expeditious manner? I have exhausted all the usual procedures. Do I need to get the phone number of the CEO? Do I need to send him a certified letter? What do I do?
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Sorry, a glass of wine too many with Sunday lunch. I had it in mind you had not got as far as getting them to agree to give you X5 so that you could install that and then follow the Knowledge Base article.
I don't have contacts in the right area any more so I will have to go through someone else. Because of time zone differences it will take a little while to find out what is going on. Do you have any call references or names? You can send them to me via my site if you prefer not to publish them here.
See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips
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Thanks, Peter! You have private email, including my case#, Adobe ID and contact I have been "working" with.
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Update: Thanks to Peter's gracious assistance I have my copy of X5 installed and working.
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Glad to have helped.
See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips
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Peter,
You seem to be the Adobe Customer Service-whisperer on a few boards, so...
I'm in the same boat as this person you recently helped here.
Trying to activate RoboHelp X4.1 but obviously getting bounced about by "not the most helpful" customer service reps on the phone (since eHelp is out of commission and no online activation seems to be working for this product).
I'm curious as to how you resolved the other X4.1 user's situation - it seemed to involve getting a link to a full working copy of X5, which I would be more than fine with.
I can contact you privately through your site as "NRothschild" did in his particular case, if you'd prefer.
Thanks,
Russe11D
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I have RoboHelp Office x5.0.1 and did the following to avoid the Activation.
1. I installed the following patches (in this order):
RoboHelp Office
RoboHelp for Word
RoboHelp SP2 Update (contents of zip)
2.I replaced both .exe files.
I was then able to run RoboHelp HTML perfectly.
Unfortunately, when I try to run RoboHelp for Word, I get the following error message:
The RoboHelp template "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Templates"\RoboHELP.doc cannot be located. Please re-install RoboHelp.
I uninstalled and reinstalled the software and updates as well as replaced the executables and still get the error message.
Have I missed something or done something in the wrong order?
Anne
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Linda / Silkie12,
I am getting ready to install the X501 patch and then the X502 patch on my laptop.
I am assuming that they are both for RoboHelp Office, and not just RoboHelp for Word or RoboHelp HTML. This is because I specifically selected and downloaded the X501 patch labeled for RoboHelp Office (and not the one labeled for RoboHelp Word), and the X502 patch does not differentiate between "for Word" and "HTML."
I need to know the correct directory where I should copy these patches so that they work.
Thank you,
Marjorie
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They apply to both so just install them. Double click the downloads in order and they will perform their magic.
See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips
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Peter,
I did like you said, and clicked the links for the patches (RH X5.0.1 and RH X5.0.2) mentioned on that TechNote, which directs you to this website. I just chose to Run the files instead of Saving them to my hard drive this time.
NOTE: you Run X501 instead of Saving the file; for X502, you open the WinZip file, select the executable, and click Open to Run it.
I just wanted to know where to copy these patch files so I could run them locally myself, because I anticipate in the future that this workaround TechNote from Adobe could go away (?), leaving those of us who want to install and use X5 stranded without an activation code or its workaround.
Peter, may I request that you amend Snippet 100 on your site to indicate how to locate the patch X501 on the download page?
Thank you. This will save someone else the hassle of thinking it is MIA.
Marjorie
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The link in Snippet 100 takes you to the page on Adobe's site that describes the process to get X5 running again. That page has links to both patches plus the replacement files you need. Thus you have everything you need so I am not following what needs to be amended in the Snippet, unless it is simply that 5.01 is under Word 2003 Support Update and you can only see it is 5.01 if you hover over the links, is that it?
You say
NOTE: you Run X501 instead of Saving the file; for X502, you open the WinZip file, select the executable, and click Open to Run it.
followed by
I just wanted to know where to copy these patch files so I could run them locally myself, because I anticipate in the future that this workaround TechNote from Adobe could go away (?),
If I may correct one point, you chose to run 5.01 rather than saving it and then running it. You don't have to as implied in your statement. Your options are browser dependent and Firefox will not give you the option to run either.
My recommendation is in my Snippet, save them. Why? Mostly because you can decide where to save them for future use putting it in your control, which is what you want. Given there are still downloads for versions back to RH2000, it is unlikely to they will get pulled but you might have the hassle of locating them.
As to exactly where you save them, it's a bit like "where can I park my tank?" Anywhere you darned well please.
My recommendation would be to burn the patches and the replacement exes to a CD and keep that with the X5 installation CD. Then all you want is in one place. Plus a txt file with the links and the instructions.
See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips
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Peter,
The answer to your first paragraph is Yes.
As for where to Save the X501 and X502 patch files on my hard drive, and/or IF to Save them before running them, I am aware that I can put the saved copies wherever my little heart desires, and also that I could either run these Saved copies, or simply run the patches directly from the website, without saving them. However, I noted that someone else ran into trouble when not placing the RoboHelp.exe and RoboHTML.exe files in the right folders to replace the originals from the RH X5 Office install. I (rightly? wrongly?) guessed that this "place-them-correctly-before-running-or-else" would also hold true for my saved copies of the patch files X501 and X502. I wanted them to run properly from my Saved downloads, so I assumed that I must copy them into the correct folder before running them.
Well, because my supervisor and I both wanted a resolution sooner rather than later, instead of using the Saved copies, I went back to the downloads page and just clicked Run instead of Save. That way worked. I did not try running my saved copies, well, because I already fixed it, so why do it again?
I guess I'm just envisioning a future years down the road from today, wherein I will need to reinstall RH X5 one more time, and my pessimistic self is saying, "You'd better keep a copy of all those files you used to solve the activation codes problem, and you'd also better find out how to run them all properly so you can do it for yourself someday if you are forced to."
Since you are telling me to create my own CD and keep it with my RH X5 CDs, I take it that I should be able to run both patches X501 and X502 from whatever folder I so choose, without difficulty? That would be very good news.
Thanks again!
Marjorie
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Gotya.
I will amend the Snippet to help with identifying the link that is to 5.01.
The patches can be run from wherever and will install the necessary files in the correct location.
The two exes to avoid Activation are replacements, so after installing X5 and applying the patches, you locate the old exe files and replace them. You could get one of your developers to create a simple batch file to install them for you.
See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips