License server is down - Again!!!!!!!

[nmarriott]

Hi,

It would appear that the license server is down again and has been now for several days.

Initial checks indicate that there is a certificate failure causing that dreaded proxy server request dialog.

Once again I am left asking why PTC continue with this license arrangement. If they are not prepared to support it then for gods sake just get rid of it.

The product is ideal for hobbyists and a well supported product (free or not) is the key to getting customer loyalty, something which PTC fails at terribly.

I use Creo, Windchill & ThingWorx (yes I know) professionally and am sad to say support there is also not good. 

In the meantime, PTC ( if you are listening) is there any chance you will fix this? I am sure all it will take is a certificate renewal.

Here's hoping------

[FriedhelmK]

You are writing about Modeling Express, aren't you?
Strange,
I have just requested and received a 72-hour license.

Best regards

Friedhelm

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[nmarriott]

Indeed I'm talking about Creo Elements Direct 8.0 express.

72 hour license works, but no online license authorisation. There have also been instances where 72 hour licensing does not work and that is a dead stop.

This is a common problem with this product and PTC.. I fail to understand why a FREE product needs licensing of any type.

A much better option I think is a reasonable charge for a perpetual license or a removal of the licensing altogether.

When I use a product I may not always be able to guarantee internet connectivity, but I understand that some companies would like to monitor its use which (given that its free) is fair enough. But to disable the product because of a connection problem ( be it mine or theirs ) will demand support and puts users who wish to work on a project at a massive inconvenience. 

Further, if a company implements a license server strategy then surely they should provide support for it (which they don't).

As I have said before, a product (especially software) will live or die on its support. While the forum here offers great support to other members it means nothing if you can't actually start the software.

Once again I ask PTC to take notice of its user base. Many complain of this and seldom is anything done. I wonder how many have just given up and gone elsewhere. I am currently going through the tutorials for FreeCAD in an effort to get away because I do not trust PTC to fix issues and I cannot have my work rendered useless by an inaccessible product. Re-doing my work will take time but it has to be done to ensure that I can continue to access it for as long as I need.

Regards

[BenLoosli]

Since you are riding on a free product, what incentive does PTC have to continue that support at all?

We use Windchill, MathCAD and Creo here and our annual subscription bill is over $150K. We get support because we pay for it.

[FriedhelmK]

"for several days" seems to be relative.
This started around September 12th and you only noticed it recently ! ?

Besides, it's not really a problem at the moment, it's just a bit annoying.

Also, I don't think you'll impress PTC by threatening to switch to another CAD. You won't even make them smile.

Express was introduced by CoCreate and continued after the acquisition. by PTC.
Express 8 is an advertisement and the free trial version for their purchasable program "Creo Elements Direct Modeling 20.3"
Express 6 was the same for "Creo Elements Direct Modeling 18"
But PTC's attitude towards Express should be clear.

First comes everything else that brings money, the rest afterwards and when someone feels like it.

No offense,  but "don't look a gift horse in the mouth"

Friedhelm

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[rtrski]

More than several days. I'd say about 2 months at least, now.

Prior years this has happened it was for a week or two at most....

[FriedhelmK]

Hello folks
first of all, I also find it more convenient to start Express without having to request this 72 hour license, but this is only the luxury solution.
This is offered by an additional server that probably does not belong to PTC and is currently not working.
You can only wait until this is fixed.
But at least we still have the possibility to work with the program.
If you would like to go to the download page.
https://www.ptc.com/en/products/creo/elements-direct/modeling-express
There you can see under System requirements:
*Internet: Active Internet connection required to run software every 72 hours
Below in the link
https://www.ptc.com/en/products/creo/elements-direct/modeling-express/system-requirements
Internet requirements: Active Internet connection required for product activation.
Note: Product reactivation is required every three days.

That's all we were promised and that's the case at the moment.
Nothing more.

A real problem will only arise if the 72-hour server fails.
Incidentally, you can also access it to check whether it is working without starting Modeling.
https://www.ptc.com/appserver/securePeModeling/peManualLic.jsp

And if users only want to leave the program and switch to another one because of a maximum of five minutes of inconvenience per 72 hours, well, then that's what they have to do.
Have a nice day.

Friedhelm

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[rtrski]

So, something that worked, aside from a few brief outages for YEARS is now a "luxury".  Are you one of those who hopes we all learn to live off bugs with no luxury electricity, too?

Yes, the 72 hour license can be obtained. Most of the time. So far. 

We should trust the inability (or lack of caring) to fix a server that has worked for YEARS is not a signal that the 72 hour checkout is also likely to just kinda sorta expire?

Yes, we're using a free product, that is pretty old.  (Windows itself could 'break' it with updates.)  I personally would be willing to pay a reasonably small annual fee to extend the offline checkout period to a year or something, and am on the record with that befor.  Right now though, with ZERO reply from PTC themselves about the issue, only apologists -- well, one wonders if now is the time to start migrating all my saved .pkg files however I can...

Dress it up all you want. It used to work a certain way and no longer does. People do take note. That's not "entitlement" that's "reasonable expectation based on prior performance".