I recieved Poser 5 a few days ago, and it installed and registered beautifully within a matter of seconds - but since I decided to install Linux and Windows XP, I had to reformat - so my second installation is going pretty badly right now...Every time I try to register online, I get this error message: Error: Bad Product Code Given: The product code supplied was missing or bad, please close this window and return to the registration dialog of the application. If you continue to get this message, contact Curious Labs Support at the link above.... So I guess I'm off to techsupport - I'm just curious though, has anyone had any trouble reinstalling it a second time, or am I the first :) ? Not that I'm bashing Poser 5 - it's a great product from what I was able to see - although I can't wait for the patch :) .

hmmm, I know that they will be giving you a new code, different then the first if you reformated your hard drive...maybe that is wrong..Sharen

Ack - I just wrote to Technical Support through e-mail, and they said it could take five days....Good gravy. Do they have a phone number perhaps? Or a faster way of getting help?

did you try putting in your P4 serial # when you re registered, I noticed that becouse I don't have P4 on my brand new computer the registration doesn't ask for the P4 serial #, Just the P5 one I didn't even notice this as I rushed through the new registration and got the same message when I put the P4 one in. when I put in my P5 # it worked fine.

Nope. I made sure I put in my Poser 5 serial number :)

We have seen this problem on occasion and QA is aware of it. I don't know what the answer is but will continue following up.

I hope I don't have to wait too long to re-install it :(

That's kind of funny. Not making jokes at you kind of funny. I had P5 installed and then monkeyed around with some other prog and screwed up my harddrive. I had to do the reformat thing (total reformat and clean install of 2K) and also reinstall P5. I used the first set of numbers as I did in the original install of P5 and it was running again. No need the second time around to contact CL.

At a rough guess the reason for that is that Interlok, (the protection plugin CL are using) stores it's key to the MBR, which a format won't touch, but overwritting to dual boot Linux will... Could be wrong, but I think Interlok writes directly to the disk, (doesn't go through the OS) so usually if you re-install it will be able to find the secret key for the old install, so your old challenge/response will work, but if you flatten the MBR, and regenerate, then CL will flunk you becuase your new challenge doesn't meet the one they have on record. later jb

Aye - I did have to tweak the MBR. If that's where the code is stored, then that's what did it. This isn't very good for me then - I was planning on trying out a lot of the Linux distros - there's over 500 of them. If I have to go through this every time I want a new distro, or every time I reformat (I reformat VERY often), then it's just not going to be worth it ;'(

thanks praxis, that tells me that unless i really screw up my hd i have no troubles with the CL code thing which also tells me that my three tries are an extended thing. All I have to do is make sure my boot disk stays healthy and I can reformat as many times as I want. Too bad all my programs aren't that easy.

Kagato, I've been told there are at least two fully functional cracks out there if you know where to look. (I dont'.) They by-pass the reg process so you can reformat as often as you like. As it should be.

So much for the "uncrackable" protection racket...

Ironbear: I don't think anything out on the market right now is "uncrackable" and I think it will be a looooong time before anyone can come up with something to stump hackers.

A-Yup. ;] A reference to some of the previous statements on the authorization code....

I don't think the cracks are Poser specific, I think they're just generic Interlok disablers, this is an addon, not a bit of homebrew code. As I've opined elsewhere I think this is an issue of time, the "hackers" simply have more of it to waste and do it as a challenge and out of intellectual curiosity. The harder it gets, the more interesting it is. Like I said, when you see eliptic stream encryption ciphers being used in serial number generators, then you know you're outgunned... later jb