I cannot for the life of me figure out how to reinstall Dorico pro on a new computer replacing a laptop that was terminally damaged.
I have no access to the old machine, and have tried multiple different ways to engage all of my old activation codes with the old e-licenser system and the newer download assistant to no avail.
Do I really have to buy Dorico Pro again in addition to the cost of replacing the laptop?
With Dorico Pro one gets three installs, and you can log onto your Steinberg User account and deactivate the instance on the failed computer.
Yes, I did that, thank you Derrek. I deactivated from the failed computer to make room for the new one.
What I cannot figure out is how to activate again – I have receipts from 2019, 2020, 2022, and 2024, and no configuration of any of the download codes in either of the two licensing platforms seems to work, and none of the results look like what I should be seeing in the tutorials/instructions (i.e. for the old licensor).
I will try to contact support but am just frustrated that none of this information is housed /accessible from my steinberg account. Presumably that is precisely what having an account with steinberg is for – as with Adobe, Microsoft, etc…??
You should just be able to go into the Steinberg Download Assistant and download it again. You don’t need another code.
Tim
Activate the new computer with the Steinberg Activation Manager app.
Yes, exactly: all you need do is install Steinberg Download Assistant on your new computer, sign in with your Steinberg ID account. Under My Product Downloads you should see Dorico Pro 5 (assuming that’s your current version), so select that: on the right-hand side, click Install All and wait for everything to be installed. Once all the progress bars have turned green, run Dorico 5: you’ll be prompted once more to sign in, this time by Steinberg Activation Manager, and that will be it.
I did this yesterday and it worked perfectly.
Thanks for the information Dspreadbury,
I was able to successfully take care of it. My question is whether it would kill Steinberg to actually provide some of this essential information in the “My Account” pages? When you click through to the “show Steingerg Licensing-based product” all you get is a listing of which version you have and what computer it is installed on. While there’s a dedicated box to help you deactivate unavailable computers, there is simply no instruction whatsoever on how to go about reinstall the products you own. The only positive action step toward that direction is the third button: Redeem Download Access Code.
As the only choice available, that is the road I pursued, and that is an hour lost retrieving all the receipts and trying every different possible combination to “activate” (reactivate) the license.
If you click through to “support” you do not get to the support page on the steinberg website that describes how to download software. Instead, you get to a generic contact page to send an email or make a phone call for support.
Is it really that obtuse to think that a person wanting to reinstall software would go to their own profile page in the organization through which they purchased their product?
JW
Jake, if you know, that you can use your Dorico license on up to three computers, there shouldn’t be further questions. It is a very generous and sensible way to deal with your customer.
People nowadays expect the worst and a robber round the next corner, think they will be done and cheated on. That’s the real problem! Expect that there are many, many people, most people actually, who are well minded and supportive.
K_B,
Yes, IF YOU KNOW that you can use your Dorico license on up to three computers, there shouldn’t be further questions.
My question for you, dear K_B, is WHERE IS THIS INFORMATION TO BE FOUND?
I uploaded a screenshot of what I see when I log in to my Steinberg account. Would you kindly direct me to where on that page, or on any of my purchase receipts where I can read about how many computers I can install Dorico on?
JW
Adding some further detail here, K_B,
Did you know that Steinberg.net website does not have a site search bar?
Here’s what you get in Support search:
The most useful article on the first page is: Steinberg Licensing: Installing software on a new or additional computer
Clicking through to that page doesn’t give the answer either. But way down at the bottom, there’s a link to another article titled: how to use a program / a software license on multiple computers.
There, finally, after comprehensive research knowing what I’m looking for, I found this arcane piece of information. In which universe would you consider that sensible?
I do not appreciate being told that I am the problem. I spent more than an hour in good faith trying to install Dorico on my computer last night using the website and the information I had at hand.
IT IS NOT MY FAULT that the Steinberg website is an impenetrable, UNSEARCHBLE web of disconnected information. It is not my fault that the Steinberg account interface gives not a glimmer of a hint at how to re-download licensed software. It is deep gaslighting to infer that I am at fault in not being able to intuit what you perceive to be an obvious solution when I used the information provided in the account interface to attempt to download my purchased software.
JW
I think this information is offered, when you buy the license. You will also get information about necessary computer “specs”. This all is pretty standard when purchasing computer software. And has always been, even when software has been bought 20 years ago.
Sorry, if this comes over brusque, but we are not dealing with rocket science here…
To answer your original thread title:
No, you didn’t lose anything, rather the opposite, you learnt that you can use your software on up to three computers!
Thanks for the feedback about how difficult you found this, @jakeysworld. This is a tricky one, because as a general principle we don’t include information about installation and activation in our Operation Manuals because in theory the process is more or less the same for every product (and of course people will often not know to look at the Operation Manual until they have the software up and running, at which point they find the link to it in the Help menu).
But we do have this article, which I found by typing “install on a new computer” into the search box on the support page:
I think it’s reasonably clear and easy to find – but it is not of course linked from the “products” page in your Steinberg ID account. I will talk to the support team about this.
Daniel, I was surprised to find so little information easily available on the Steinberg Dorico site comparing the various versions of Dorico which would mention the differences between them, among those the different number of installations allowed. I was initially inclined to think @jakeysworld had failed to perform “due diligence” before buying Dorico Pro, but after looking at the Dorico page on the Steinberg site, I think the Steinberg site let him down on this.
Indeed, we don’t talk specifically about licensing topics in our marketing materials. (I think for good reason!)
Hi Dspreadury,
I appreciate your patience in responding here and to other insufferable questions I pose in this forum.
I understand why you wouldn’t want to talk too much about licensing in the marketing materials. What I don’t understand is why there is so little direction to be found inside my Steinberg account - i.e. the screenshot I shared earlier in this thread? I successfully downloaded and installed Zotero, Microsoft office, Firefox, Zoom, Adobe Creative Suite, and several other programs easily and restored my accounts on my new laptop without any friction. I just don’t think I should have to turn to a user forum to get basic information about how to download and use Dorico. There is deeply ominous language about Download Assistant littered across the entire system, adding extra stress to what should be an easy process.
I’m just asking for Steinberg to make the process more transparent within the registered account system they have on their website.
JW
