Lost Licence Issues

tithepit · Post by **tithepit** » 25 Feb 2010 17:42

After several years of happily using Family Historian and migrating from V2 series via V3 to V4 last year, I have taken the bold step of building a new computer. I'm now in the process of migrating my software and data etc over. Next on the list today was Family Historian 4.02 for which I'd still got the V4 upgrade pack on my old machine, carefully backed up on stand alone drive, and even stored on an internet file server for full disaster backup. I'd also got a copy of the older V3-V4 upgrade pack on disc.
Unfortunately I could not put my hand on a copy of the V3 CD or any other Family Historian CD so I downloaded V4.0 from the Calico website. Then I found a copy of the V4.0 licence key from the email sent at the time of purchase but this is not accepted by the application.

Reading around the FHUG forums it now appears to me that I may have made a fatal error if in fact I have thrown out the old V3 FH CD. It seems that my licence key will only work if I am upgrading from V3, and therefore need to find an old V3 licence key as well as the CD. Thinking back a year or more to when we last cleared out the cupboards I fear that these may have been thrown out on the grounds that these were at least 4 versions out of date and over 4 years old and therefore unlikely ever to be of use again.

I'll keep looking just in case it turns up but does anyone know if the is an alternative way of getting V4 up and running on my new machine. Is it for example possible to 'trade in' my V4 upgrade licence key and to purchase a V4 full licence key?

If the only answer is to buy a new copy of the full (not upgrade) V4 licence then I shall be a little upset by the thought that users are apparently expected to keep old versions of FH more or less indefinitely to get around this problem, and to have to install a series of older versions simply to transfer FH software over to a new machine.

ID:4372

YouTube · Post by **Jane** » 25 Feb 2010 17:50

The upgrade purchase screen does make it clear that V4 upgrade requires V3 installed.

I would suggest you contact support at family-historian.co.uk to see if they can help.

tithepit · Post by **tithepit** » 25 Feb 2010 19:08

Thanks Jane, I'll try that route...

Before reading your reply I'd had a brain wave of my own and checked around - it is still possible to purchase FH V3.0 and at a discounted price so perhaps that would be a fall back.

tithepit · Post by **tithepit** » 26 Feb 2010 10:00

For the benefit of people in a similar situation to my own I thought it was reporting the outcome of my communication with support at Family Historian. I'm pleased to be able to say that they were able to solve my problem by providing a credit coupon to the value of my upgrade against the purchase of a full V4 license.

I've used this to order a new V4 full licence key which was emailed out immediately and is now installed and working with the downloaded V4 software (which actually includes the V4.02 upgrade). Although this did cost money it has the benefit that I'm now armed with a full V4 key for use in case of any future issues. Also I have no longer to rely upon keeping old CD and licence keys around or going through a series of installations in order to get to V4.02.

All in all a very successful outcome in my view.

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