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Aerosoft installer and Launcher


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  • Aerosoft

There have been a lot of comments and discussions about our new installer, protection and activation process. Think it is good to explain it one more time in as simple words as possible.

Installation

Our installation process is almost the same as before. It will ask you for your email address and the serial key we sent you. After the files are installed you might need to activate the product. This is done in the Aerosoft Launcher (that will automatically open after the installation is completed).

Product Activation

The activation process gathers information on your hardware (the same as for example Windows does) and creates a "hardware key". This hardware key is stored on our server and will allow the activation to continue. If you are installing the product again, the hardware key is generated on your system again and compared to the one stored on our system. If it is the same the activation proceeds normally.

The installation/activation process will allow you to install the software on three different machines you personally own (if you need more registrations, just talk to us). It also allows three changes in hardware before the activation is no longer automatic. If the hardware key does not change you can install as many times as you want. We guarantee that you can always use the software you paid for.

What is sent to Aerosoft servers?

When you install a new product the activation system sends the hardware key, your email address, serial number and the product number. Nothing more.

When the Launcher checks if there are updates available, it RECEIVES information from the server and checks on the users system what is installed. It does NOT send any information on what is installed. There was confusion about that, sorry. I repeat, the Launcher does not send any information on what is installed.

What do you do with the data sent to your systems?

Well, of course we do know your email address, what you bought and the serial key, that's rather obvious. The hardware key generated on your system is just a number; we cannot decode that to see what brand of CPU you've got. Of course for all data we adhere to the strictest guidelines and will never share the information with anybody.

What if my machine is not connected to the internet?

The launcher has an offline option where some data is send to our support staff via email. If your machine is not connected at all copy the data to another system and send it from there.

Why are we using the activation system?

Rather simple and predictable, to protect our copyrights and the copyrights of our developers. Piracy has reached such levels at this moment it seriously hurts. The system we use is more or less the same as the Operating System you are using to run FS, so we figured that if that's acceptable for our users, the new activation system will also be acceptable.

What if I've got a problem, can't install anymore etc.

Write to support@aerosoft.com and we'll sort it out. Fast, smooth, without problems. We pride ourselves on our customer support and dedication to customers and this has not changed.

Will this be used for boxed releases as well?

Perhaps.

Is this complex?

No. Takes a few seconds and only when you change your hardware very often or want to install on many systems you will notice the new system. In these cases we'll assist you.

Will the activation be used for all products?

No, it is something we will use for the products created internally and a service we offer to developers who use us as publisher.

Will this be used for products already released?

If there are big changes in a product we might use it, but that seems not very likely.

What if Aerosoft goes out of business?

Won't happen, but in the worst possible case we can just make an unlock application available.

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  • Deputy Sheriffs

Thanks for your detailed statements, Mathijs.

Just to make some things a little bit clearer:

After the files are installed you might need to activate the product.

I think this refers to:

Will the activation be used for all products?

No, it is something we will use for the products created internally and a service we offer to developers who use us as publisher.

About the hardware key: How are changes defined? New graphic card, additional harddisk, additional RAM, just formatting a drive...? Or percentage of change?

BTW: I just checked my Aerosoft installations and nowhere I could find an EULA.

Thanks,

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Very nice sounding system but if I might make one suggestion it would be that rather than have three activations allowed, that it could be changed to three applications be allowed per year. This would save quite a few users who update their hardware fairly often from constantly having to contact Aerosoft for re-activations.

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There have been a lot of comments and discussions about our new installer, protection and activation process. Think it is good to explain it one more time in as simple words as possible.

We pride ourselves on our customer support and dedication to customers and this has not changed.

Congratulations. You've passed.

In case you didn't work it out, I have been testing a few theories here at Aerosoft. I'd like to draw your attention to the second line I quoted from Mathijs' post. You should be proud, very proud indeed. I've posted stuff on these forums lately that in reality I would've been banned for on other forums. But not here. The debate was left to run it's course, an in depth description of the process has been thought out and posted. The process is very clear, straight forward, and hopefully will protect your copyrights and software. It doesn't seem to be too intrusive, and I think the idea of "watermarking" certain files may help to track down pirate software and the persons responsible, good on ya.

One point I'd like to raise though, just because it might not have been thought of. I do this, whether it's illegal or not I don't know. The "Panel.cfg" file. Sometimes it's gets edited, with new gauges for the VC say, or pop up windows etc. I have, and still do "share" this file because it's easier to send a complete file to paste, than snippets of text from the file. Especially when helping someone not so computer literate. Would this effect your new process at all? Because if it does, then I'll have to send the snippets of text with instructions on where to paste them with instructions on what to delete etc. etc. etc. Could make the whole editing of the cfg file a bit of a nightmare for those people. Just a thought, not a major thing, just nice to know so one doesn't fall foul of the process and get in trouble.

Again, Congratulations and stay proud. You deserve it.

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  • Aerosoft

Thanks for your detailed statements, Mathijs.

Just to make some things a little bit clearer:

I think this refers to:

About the hardware key: How are changes defined? New graphic card, additional harddisk, additional RAM, just formatting a drive...? Or percentage of change?

BTW: I just checked my Aerosoft installations and nowhere I could find an EULA.

Thanks,

Think it is motherboard, hard disk and graphics card. But keep in mind you can insert three new graphics cards before the automatic activation stops. It's not with every change (and not with formatting a disk). A quick email and we'll reset it.

The Licence Agreement is always shown when you install the products and is in the zip with the setup.exe. I got them on my desktop so let me just attach them.

Licence agreement Aerosoft DE.txt

Licence agreement Aerosoft EN.txt

Licence agreement Aerosoft FR.txt

Licence agreement Aerosoft SP.txt

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  • Aerosoft

One point I'd like to raise though, just because it might not have been thought of. I do this, whether it's illegal or not I don't know. The "Panel.cfg" file. Sometimes it's gets edited, with new gauges for the VC say, or pop up windows etc. I have, and still do "share" this file because it's easier to send a complete file to paste, than snippets of text from the file. Especially when helping someone not so computer literate. Would this effect your new process at all? Because if it does, then I'll have to send the snippets of text with instructions on where to paste them with instructions on what to delete etc. etc. etc. Could make the whole editing of the cfg file a bit of a nightmare for those people. Just a thought, not a major thing, just nice to know so one doesn't fall foul of the process and get in trouble.

Editing a file will not matter at all. Unless you start to use editors that change the raw BGL files etc. But nobody does that these days.

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Mr. Kok,

Over the summer, I had to re-setup a few new systems and my entire FSX System(s); I haven't installed any of Aerosoft's add-on products as of yet. I have organized all my software for the major re-install. I plan on doing this over the Christmas break; can you kindly re-set all my products purchase registration activations as I will be re-installing everything from scratch.

This post clears up most of my confusion, but I do not know if I might have questions later as I begin the entire reinstall process.

PS: Also sent email to support@aerosoft.com

Merci!

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  • Aerosoft

Mr. Kok,

Over the summer, I had to re-setup a few new systems and my entire FSX System(s); I haven't installed any of Aerosoft's add-on products as of yet. I have organized all my software for the major re-install. I plan on doing this over the Christmas break; can you kindly re-set all my products purchase registration activations as I will be re-installing everything from scratch.

This post clears up most of my confusion, but I do not know if I might have questions later as I begin the entire reinstall process.

PS: Also sent email to support@aerosoft.com

Merci!

There is nothing to reset, you should just be able to install everything as you done the first time. Only Weeze X is at this moment using the new system.

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Mathijs, thank you for your generous explanation.

Just checking a possibility here: I have few dozens of aerosoft products and I am checking for their updates from time to time. Not all the times I have catched the article about an update so for me it involves going into the support web page and check the products one by one. Is it possible to make a support application that will be available just for the ones wants it, which will scan ALL my aerosoft products for available updates and just raise a flag?

That can be very helpfull, and if it is a quick modification of your new installer it can be a pretty much streight forward support application to implement as well.

Appreciate your answer

Moshe

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Mr. Kok,

Thank you for explaining that... And, I was also hoping for the following feature (requested above); might we expect to see that with newer products at least?

...

Just checking a possibility here: I have few dozens of aerosoft products and I am checking for their updates from time to time. Not all the times I have catched the article about an update so for me it involves going into the support web page and check the products one by one. Is it possible to make a support application that will be available just for the ones wants it, which will scan ALL my aerosoft products for available updates and just raise a flag?

That can be very helpfull, and if it is a quick modification of your new installer it can be a pretty much streight forward support application to implement as well....

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  • Aerosoft

Mathijs, thank you for your generous explanation.

Just checking a possibility here: I have few dozens of aerosoft products and I am checking for their updates from time to time. Not all the times I have catched the article about an update so for me it involves going into the support web page and check the products one by one. Is it possible to make a support application that will be available just for the ones wants it, which will scan ALL my aerosoft products for available updates and just raise a flag?

That can be very helpfull, and if it is a quick modification of your new installer it can be a pretty much streight forward support application to implement as well.

Appreciate your answer

Moshe

It is a planned feature.

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Personally I reckon it's a really good idea - Saves having to look through the version numbers (if found) of every Aerosoft product that is installed

when it comes to get an update. Of course comapnies have to protect their investments and to have a system that actually adds something as well is a bonus.

I know it's only Weeze at the moment, which I bought btw lol, that has the new installer but the tiny bit of info that's sent is of no concern as the info is given when purchasing the items.

I know, as Aerosoft do, that it wont stop any determined pirate but it does stop the "sharing" it with a few friends issues as is the case at the moment it would seem.

Anyway, enough rubbish, just get on with the fun stuff and Happy Chrimbo if not too early lol.

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  • Aerosoft

I know, as Aerosoft do, that it wont stop any determined pirate but it does stop the "sharing" it with a few friends issues as is the case at the moment it would seem.

True. And to be honest, we really don't mind a lot about that. But you better trust your friends very very much because as the files are watermarked and it ends up on the pirate bay we'll come to you!

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True. And to be honest, we really don't mind a lot about that. But you better trust your friends very very much because as the files are watermarked and it ends up on the pirate bay we'll come to you!

Ooh, can we feel the vehemence in how long you've wanted to say that! :D:goodluck_s:

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True. And to be honest, we really don't mind a lot about that. But you better trust your friends very very much because as the files are watermarked and it ends up on the pirate bay we'll come to you!

I really think you want to mind about sharing among friends. Today's friends are not the ones we had when we were young (the next door friends), lots of them are virtual and have other friends. In any case I think the developers would want to have the maximum income from their product, it is cut by the distributors anyway. So what I'm afraid of is that today's exception will become tomorrow's rutine and it will be well known that a product can be shared among close friends... if you can close this gap as well (permission per MAC Address, special requests via support?) this will be fair enough.

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Mathijs, any thoughts on making it 3 activations per year rather than just 3 activations?

Making 3 activations per year is in my opinion useless.

Last month i bought a new PC with 2 SSD drives in Raid0 but there were a lot of problems with it because of the Raid controller.

The computer was "hanging" several times a day.

After two weeks i did a re-install of windows and all my programs, but still the same problems.

Another re-install but now with the 2 SSD drives as seperate drives C and D.

Everything seems to be OK now but it should mean that my 3 activations of Aerosoft software has been used for coming 11 months.

A little change in the Bios, or a new graphic card etc. and you're in trouble.

So 3 activations a year isn't the solution.

My two cents,

Ad

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True. And to be honest, we really don't mind a lot about that. But you better trust your friends very very much because as the files are watermarked and it ends up on the pirate bay we'll come to you!

Oh dear Mathijs that was a comment, not a confession lol. I have NEVER passed any software on to anyone at all so you'll never find anything from me. I know it wasn''t meant personally anyway :rolleyes:

or at least I hope not lol. All the best from me in any case and I still think it's a damn good idea..

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its understandable why you are doing this but there is one looming problem with Fsx.

Fsx together with its addons is a cranky old beast at best. Everytime it gets SNAFU and needs a full reinstall the hour approaches when a significant portion of the flight sim market just gives up on wasting another week doing nothing but reinstalling fsx then acceleration - then all the aircraft - then all the scenery. Anything that lengthens this regular pain we go through runs the risk of being the straw that breaks the camels back for another user.

After going through 1 reinstall in the last 6 months and contemplating another now due to getting a new pc I have to admit that the charms of black shark shine very brightly when I contemplate the masochistic week I'll have to spend getting fsx back to where it was on the new pc

Crowbar

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its understandable why you are doing this but there is one looming problem with Fsx.

Fsx together with its addons is a cranky old beast at best. Everytime it gets SNAFU and needs a full reinstall the hour approaches when a significant portion of the flight sim market just gives up on wasting another week doing nothing but reinstalling fsx then acceleration - then all the aircraft - then all the scenery. Anything that lengthens this regular pain we go through runs the risk of being the straw that breaks the camels back for another user.

After going through 1 reinstall in the last 6 months and contemplating another now due to getting a new pc I have to admit that the charms of black shark shine very brightly when I contemplate the masochistic week I'll have to spend getting fsx back to where it was on the new pc

Crowbar

Maybe you want to try imaging your drives after installation, as an example, Acronis is a very good software for keeping you away from this mess (I do not work for them)

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Maybe you want to try imaging your drives after installation, as an example, Acronis is a very good software for keeping you away from this mess (I do not work for them)

Moshe has hit the nail right on the head. Use an Imaging program which allows incrimental changes to be made. Bobs your uncle, fannys your aunt no more worries with reauthenticating purchases. Or having to phone M$ up to unlock your FSX serial lol. As like you say, problematic harware forcing reinstalls can quite easily use your 3 strikes and waste many days. Of course if you significantly change your hardware you will end up doing a full reinstall, how ever unless you've money coming out of all orifices this wont be happening too often.

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  • Aerosoft

Oh dear Mathijs that was a comment, not a confession lol. I have NEVER passed any software on to anyone at all so you'll never find anything from me. I know it wasn''t meant personally anyway :rolleyes:

or at least I hope not lol. All the best from me in any case and I still think it's a damn good idea..

Hell no, sorry if it sounded that way! We more or less know that the pirates don't use forums a lot.

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