EXPERT ADVICE needed to prepare BEFORE elicenser server shutdown

Cubase
1

I have a few URGENT questions about what to do FOR MY SPECIAL LONG TERM CUBASE “PRO” 9 SETUP, BEFORE the PERMANENT SHUTDOWN of the e-Licenser servers on May 20th 2025.

In the past weeks, I sent 3 emails to Steinberg support about this and received ZERO answers from Steinberg, or from Ed Doll (head of support) to which I had sent emails to a few times.

I’m in a VERY TRICKY SITUATION due to the permanent shutdown of the e-Licenser servers on May 20 2025, and I need EXPERT ADVICE to prepare BEFORE this permanent shutdown. I am thus asking in this forum as Steinberg does not seem to care if I judge from the lack of response to my emails in the past several weeks…

My tricky situation:

I have PROBLEMATIC VISION, as in VISUALLY IMPAIRED, and due to specific vision requirements in computer GUIs, I need to prepare a long term setup of Cubase Pro 9.5 on a Windows 10 computer since my problematic vision cannot work with the high contrasted colors of the GUIs in Cubase 10, 11, 12,13, and 14 (due also to the LACK of FULL COLOR CUSTOMIZATION in Cubase, to adjust its GUI to my problematic vision’s requirements.)

The low contrasted colors of the Cubase Pro 9.5 GUI is OK for my problematic vision’s requirements, and ALLOWS ME TO WORK, and so, I am preparing to keep a long term Cubase Pro 9 setup, with ALL INSTALLERS for a FUTURE installation on a Windows 10 computer (last supported OS for Cubase Pro 9), that is, a FUTURE installation AFTER THE MAY 20 e-LICENSER SERVER SHUTDOWN.

I currently have a working computer with Windows 10 and Cubase Pro 9.5, with my USB e-Licenser and all works fine there.

However I need to get all the installers for a FUTURE INSTALLATION of Cubase Pro 9.5 and all the relevant e-Licenser softwares, on a future Windows 10 computer. (a much more powerful computer than my current one that is.)

This FUTURE installations on a Windows 10 computer needs to be done successfully WITHOUT the e-Licenser servers since the servers are shutting down FOREVER on May 20th 2025.

I am thus desperately calling for the experts in this forum since Steinberg support did not answer my repeated emails in the past several weeks regarding this ultimate preparation. After the e-Licenser server shutdown on May 20th 2025, I wont be able to fix anything that requires these servers.

So, for my FUTURE Cubase Pro 9.5 installation on a Windows 10 computer, using my USB e-Licenser, but WITHOUT access to the e-Licenser servers, WHAT DO I NEED, and WHAT DO I NEED TO DO BEFORE the permanent server shutdown?

What are all the installers I need if, in the future (POST e-LICENSER SERVER SHUTDOWN), I have to RE-INSTALL Cubase 9.5 and the e-Licenser software in a new Windows 10 computer?

Do I need just these:

I also have Steinberg instruments that are more recent than Cubase Pro 9.5 that I will need to re-install too, like the Verve felt Piano, and the X-Stream synth.

If I remember correctly those require a more recent HALion “player” version than the one that comes with Cubase 9.5, and I don’t know if the e-Licenser needs to be prepared IN ADVANCE (BEFORE the server shutdown).

So which installer****s do I need for all that FUTURE Windows 10 / Cubase Pro 9.5 setup?

I n what order should I install all these installers?

Again, I use the USB e-Licenser to run my Cubase Pro 9.5 setup.

And, ANYTHING SPECIAL I need to know (AND PREPARE FOR BEFORE the PERMANENT SERVER SHUTDOWN of MAY 20****th 2025) for this future RE-installations of my long term Cubase Pro 9.5 setup on a Windows 10 computer?

Thanks for any advice that will help me and my problematic vision to KEEP WORKING with CUBASE PRO 9.5 on WINDOWS 10 FOR YEARS TO COME, using my current USB e-Licenser, AFTER the e-Licenser PERMANENT SERVER SHUTDOWN.

2

You should make sure that you’ve registered the eLicenser in your Steinberg online account:

I would expect them to leave all of the old downloads up, so there is probably no urgent need to download the installers, but it is still a good idea.

If you have any licenses on a soft eLicenser on your computer instead of on your USB eLicenser, you will likely want to move them to the USB eLicenser by the deadline date. That way those licenses would remain portable to other computers.

3

Make sure the usb licencer is up to date. After shut down you just need the usb licencer and installers. The installers can still be downloaded from steinberg.

You have always been able to install Cubase and it will run as long as you plug in the usb licencer

4

Order doesn’t matter, but I always install the licence software first, the Cubase, then the plugins.
Do a maintenance check on the dongle.
HALion Sonic 7 does work with Cubase 9.5.
Don’t trust Steinberg to always have the installers on their website. Old stuff does disappear. So keep your installers safely backed up. Twice! (I keep mine on a 1 terabyte usb stick.)

5

Just an FYI…I have Cubase 5,6,7,8,9 installed on the current Windows 11 Pro build (as of May 16 2025) and all work flawlessly day after day, year after year on Win11. . As also does even-older sx etc. Alongside non-dongled Cubendo 14.

“Last-supported os” is a fairly irrelevant term imo. For Windows+Cubendo users that is.

Of course, you do fully realize that when your elicenser eventually breaks/fails/lost…that’s the end of the road for you and I using Cubase 9 in any way/shape/form (or my fav 6.5). :slight_smile: