MathCad 15 permanent Product Codes no longer verified by PTC.

[LD_6527618]

I'm hoping someone might have a quick workaround.  Some years ago we purchased 25 permanent academic student licenses of MathCad 15 from PTC.  I understand that PTC no longer supports MathCad 15 and I've read the FAQs related to the changes.  While the FAQs warn against the risks of continuing to use these licenses, it does say that permanent licenses will still work.  Unfortunately when I now try to verify the Product Code through the MathCad License Setup Wizard and use the usual "acquire a license via the Internet" and then enter the Student educational Product Code along with my account login, an "Unexpected Error" window pops up pointing out that "The trial program software you are requesting is no longer available."  It then points me to the website to purchase the latest version. 

The PTC licensing management team is aware of the issue and suggests that they are looking into recreating a permanent tool that will allow those of us with Product Codes to verify the codes similar to the way we did in past.  The short term solution they offered is to track down the 25 Host IDs we want associated with our product codes and they will manually assign them.  I do not have IT people to track down the 25 Host IDs but I can certainly do a few.  I gave the license management team four IDs to start with.  That was ten days ago and I still have no timeline from them on when they will do the temporary associations.  The new academic year has started and it's already messing up my curriculum. Anyway, if anyone knows of a workaround, I would be most grateful.  Thank you.

[VladimirN]

 Hi,

Please write a direct message to - Andrew McGough: https://community.ptc.com/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/233456 

[LD_6527618]

Will do. Thanks.

[amcgough · Accepted solution]

Hi Liam,

Thank you for reaching out, I'm sorry you are experiencing this issue. I have responded to your direct message.

Many thanks,

Andy.

[regcurry]

This has affected me also.  I responded to Mitch G. and fully explained my situation.  He provided NO HELP.  Just sent me to a website that was no help.

My 10 year-old PC is showing signs of failing.

I still have my original Product Code and MED-60602-CD-150_M050.zip file, as well as the unzipped files, plus my sales receipt indicating my license is perpetual for my academic version of MATHCAD 15.

Apparently, MATHCAD 15 cannot be re-installed with the original Product Code and the original zip installation files without having to contact PTC; it will this be another painful process?

I have been using MATHCAD since well before PTC took over.  I think I started with MATHCAD 3, definitely before MATHCAD 6.  After PTC took over MATHCAD, the licensing and installation were the most painful, convoluted processes I have ever encountered with newly purchased software.

I am only interested in MATHCAD 15, not Prime.

[amcgough]

Hi Reg,

I'm sorry you are having these difficulties. Mitch contacted me last week and asked me to help him with your issue. I've passed on details on how we can resolve this for you, but I'll reach out to you via direct message with more information.

Many thanks,

Andy.

[JeffereySorrell]

I have the exact same issue. I started with Mathcad 8, upgraded to Mathcad 15, but my 11 year old machine just went kaput and I am trying to  install from my old zip file to my new machine, and it gets bogged down with the license management issues you mentioned.  I have been using Mathcad for 26 years and as a math teacher, I swear by the software. It is too bad that the company is more interested in group licenses and selling thousand-dollar packages instead of basic customer service. I literally have hundreds of Mathcad 15 files, and I do not want to start again with new software and I cannot afford Prime for $750 per year. If you find a solution, would you mind emailing me at scottiesorrell@gmail.com ? Many thanks!

[JensNørmølleRas]

I have the same issue, please keep me in the loop

Thanks

\\\Jens

[JeffereySorrell]

Hi Jens,

I just got back up and running with my Mathcad 15 license. The PTC representative mentioned above, Andrew (Andy) McGough, configured my old product code with my new computer to be a perpetual license.  It is working again, and he was very helpful in the last week.  I withdraw my previous complaint about PTC and group licenses. They have people at PTC that do care about customer service and Andy went the extra mile to make sure my machine could use Mathcad 15.  It might be a good idea for you to reach out to him.  Best,  Jefferey Sorrell

[regcurry]

Jefferey, Thanks for the info.  Kudos to Andy.

Now I sort of wish my PC had crashed.🤣🤣

Reg

[regcurry]

This is not a true solution, but it is my plan if my computer crashes.

This whole problem continues to leave a bad taste in my mouth.  I am an octogenarian from a different time and place.  I used to do my own automotive repairs; now I am too old.  I still do my appliance repairs. It’s even easier now, thanks to instructions on the internet.  I believe when I purchase something, it is mine in perpetuity.  I don’t use any software that requires a periodic subscription and fee; in my opinion, it is a scam invented by the young tech companies.  It works for them because most people are not smart enough or don’t have enough time to find alternatives.  We old people do!  So, here is my plan.

1. First, I will say that a couple of PTC support staff originally sent me private emails indicating they would help me get a new licensed copy on a new computer.  However, my computer continues to limp along and company personnel can change, so the future of this offer is uncertain.  Also, I have not seen any solution from PTC.  As per these posts, they are working on a solution, but I have not seen one since my original post last June.
   
   
2. I assume that reinstalling MATHCAD 15 on an existing computer checks the MAC address and compares with the license code to prevent installing on another computer.  It is important to note that I do make rigorous backups of my computer.  If my computer crashes before I do, I plan to do the following.
   1. Check to see if it is the power supply or disk drive.  I have replaced those myself before.  If you don’t feel like doing that, there are usually local shops that will do that for you.  If you are not replacing the CPU, the MAC address will be unchanged and MATHCAD 15 should install with your existing license code.  I assume someone on this forum will inform us if that is not the case.
   2. If its more than that and I am forced to purchase a new computer, I will then try an approach that used to be on this thread but has now mysteriously disappeared.  This approach is to create a virtual machine and run MATHCAD 15 on that by giving the virtual machine the original MAC address.  I did that once for MATHCAD 6 to run on Windows 7.  I would have to research that again on the internet due to my failing memory.  The cyber police will try to tell you this is illegal.  I claim selling me something with a promised perpetual license is illegal.  When I mentioned I might report that to the FTC is when I got the offer of help from PTC.  We old people have a lot of time to fight the establishment.
      
      
3. Finally, it is noted that I primarily use MATHCAD 15 to develop models to keep dementia at bay.  I have built COVID-19 models and global warming models to check on fake news, which is rampant.  I have also built extensive models of the physics of the MANHATTAN PROJECT.  The only thing that is truly critical to me is my income tax models to tell me how much to withhold from my RMDs each year. 
   
   
4. There is an alternative to MATHCAD; it is SMATH and it’s free.  It is developed and maintained by individuals in Russia, plus contributions from other.  Their forum is also very helpful, like this forum.  Some are the same people.  It is fairly easy to use for things like my income tax.  For more sophisticated things like my MANHATTAN PROJECT models, it is more difficult to use; there is a significant learning curve for the more sophisticate stuff.  However, it is workable, but very time consuming if you want to convert many MATHCAD 15 models to SMATH.  Also, its plotting capabilities are a nice as MATHCAD 15, but neither is MATHCAD PRIME.

Anyway, this is my plan if my computer crashes before I do, which is certainly not a given.

[regcurry]

Oops.

I meant: Also, its plotting capabilities are not as nice as MATHCAD 15, but neither is MATHCAD PRIME.

[JeffereySorrell]

Thank you for your thoughtful reply. It seems like you have really maximized Mathcad 15's capabilities with the models. We have a few people in the math department that do biomathematical models, and one researcher's model was used for the COVID-19 virus, and I think it received some national exposure. Mathcad is super at doing lots of things.

I downloaded the trial version of Prime that turns into Express after 30 days and I read that it can be used without a license, but with the caveat that not all features are functional. I, like you, bought a license and it should be good in perpetuity. I simply prefer Mathcad 15 because I have so many years of experience with it, and I really do not want to learn a new system, even though I realize that Prime is more powerful. I played around with it for 15 minutes, and it is not easier to use and that is the tradeoff.

That being said, a PTC staff member, Andrew M. (Andy), sent me an email saying they are working on a fix for the legacy software, and I received an email shortly thereafter from PTC with a new license. But the license they sent me was not for Mathcad 15, so I think that was a simple error that can be fixed.

I will keep you, and the forum, informed if/when my issue is resolved. In the meantime, keep up the good work on the models!

Scott Sorrell

Senior Instructor

Math Department

University of Louisiana at Lafayette

[LucMeekes]

Hi Reg,

As far as I remember, (real) Mathcad 6 was delivered with a license code that does not tie to any (PC) machine property. You can install it on any windows 7 or before, enter the code, and it runs properly on any windows XP or before. On Windows 7, Mathcad 6 will not allow you to save a Mathcad file...

Luc