Need to enter serial number after restarting PC

[EricW]

Everything was running fine until - my machine went into a reboot rather than the ((I thought) commanded shutdown; I then cut the reboot process short by using the lock screen power option, and the system shut down. After the next boot, I had to re-enter the code upon starting MA3.
Win 8 Pro, X64.

[philosopher]

Well, I'm sorry to hear that some of you have been having problems. In my case after making certain to install as admin I have no longer had a single instance of the key-code resetting. I've gone through multiple Windows updates and am still running Norton Internet Security.

[audio.bill]

Even though I had previously installed MA3 as administrator by right clicking on the .exe file and running it as the admin, since philosopher's post I uninstalled it again and re-installed following his procedure (by running a command prompt as admin and then running the .exe from that command prompt.) I'll report back after a while whether I continue to have to re-enter my key code. Keeping my fingers crossed...

[harris]

Jim, is anyone from Prolific looking into this issue?

[Jim Sachs]

There doesn't seem to be anywhere else to look. Edgar is unable to reproduce any problem if the program is installed in Administrator mode.

[patscarr]

The registry can get really messed up over time. Once every year or two, I back up all my stuff and reset my pc to factory settings. It fixes a lot of problems and it's like having a brand new computer again. As a last ditch effort you could try it.

[harris]

Originally posted by patscarr:

The registry can get really messed up over time. Once every year or two, I back up all my stuff and reset my pc to factory settings. It fixes a lot of problems and it's like having a brand new computer again. As a last ditch effort you could try it.  

For years and years and just about every version of MA3 never had this problem with Win98/XP. It was when I bought a new computer with windows 8.1 and installed MA3 that this problem started. So it can't be registry corruption, I even uninstalled MA3/deleted all folders/deleted all registry entries and reinstalled MA3 with the same results. I have always installed MA3 with administrative privileges by right-clicking the installer and choosing that option before installation.

It does seem to be a common issue with many users. I am currently copy/pasting my registration code each time it happens so not a show stopper, but it is a little irritating.

Thanks for replying Jim and Patrick

[patscarr]

It has to be some other program interfering with something else that is screwing up MA3 or something really weird like that. Another shot in the dark is to "Try Re-installing Direct-X" as Cliff would say. It seems to cure most ails.

[fly911]

Just a reminder that some programs prefer the characters be typed in one-by-one rather than "copy/paste" method.

[Jav400]

Harris,

Don't negate the "over working the plumbing" idea. Just because earlier versions of windows worked, it does not automatically follow that every version of windows will work. After all those versions were before all this admin crap was stuffed into windows to alleviate all the concerns of DRM. All that wasn't in the older versions..............

[Jim Sachs]

Harris - installing using the right-click method is a Microsoft function and is not exactly the same as using the real installer. It's possible that the 'backup' location in the Registry is not being written by that method.

[harris]

Originally posted by Jim Sachs:

Harris - installing using the right-click method is a Microsoft function and is not exactly the same as using the real installer. It's possible that the 'backup' location in the Registry is not being written by that method.  

That's interesting and confusing at the same time . My login account is administrator, so I already have those privileges, right-clicking and choosing "install with administrator privileges" is redundant but is always done as a little bit of compatibility insurance with all the programs I install. I've never had this problem with any other programs that use registration/serial numbers.

If right-clicking is a Microsoft function and not the same as using the real installer, how do I (we) install using the real installer and get proper administrator privileges?

Thanks

[Jim Sachs]

I don't have Win8, and am no expert on the whole 'Administrator' thing, since I'm the only one who uses my computer.

Windows has always provided the 'Install' function when you right-click any file with an .scr extension. We don't really know the inner workings of this function, but long ago we noticed that when the Aquarium was installed that way, the program name would always disappear from the list of screensavers the first time a different one was chosen. I'm thinking there's a chance that this current problem is related to that.

[jimkraz]

I have windows 8 on three computers including a Surface Pro and don't have this problem now, though I did have it for a wee while early on after the Feathers were introduced but no problems now, so windows 8 aint the problem.

[audio.bill]

Originally posted by audio.bill:

Even though I had previously installed MA3 as administrator by right clicking on the .exe file and running it as the admin, since philosopher's post I uninstalled it again and re-installed following his procedure (by running a command prompt as admin and then running the .exe from that command prompt.) I'll report back after a while whether I continue to have to re-enter my key code. Keeping my fingers crossed...  

Alright, I'm finally throwing in the towel on this software. After numerous attempts at uninstalling and reinstalling this as administrator in all conceivable ways, it still requires the periodic reentry of the key code on my Windows 8.1 system. No other software I have exhibits this behavior. Sorry to say that this makes the use of this otherwise fine program a continual source of frustration which I find completely unacceptable.

[EricW]

After my last post here on August 9th, the re-enter code issue has happened twice, both times very early after that date and not again. Neither case seemed to be a result of an unusual event. Perhaps I am tempting Murphy by putting this in print, but.... so far so good.

I will also note that in the interim, there have been hundreds of megabytes of Microsoft updates to my Windows 8.1-64 bit.

[EricW]

Yep - spoke too soon. Had to enter code again today.

[fly911]

I'm still in awe at the lonesome feather sea anemone. He/she looks great standing there alone, by him/her self.

[Jim Sachs]

You never downloaded 3.3?

[fly911]

Nope. Never did.