Please can anyone help an idiot like me?
I’ve purchased the Dorico 5 upgrade. At first, the installer sent my browser round in an endless loop, until I remembered (distantly) from doing the Dorico 4 upgrade that I had to change my browser from Firefox to Chrome (much against my better judgement).
Now the installer has downloaded everything and installed it. I’ve even got a Dorico 5 icon on my desktop!
When I try to run Dorico 5, I get taken to the Activation Manager, which refuses to show Dorico 5 as one of my products. Pressing “relaunch” does absolutely nothing (that I can see).
Fortunately, unlike when I did the Dorico 4 upgrade, I still have access to the previous version.
I know it’s got be down to some idiocy on my part but, for the life of me, I can’t remember how I got round this at the last upgrade (or the upgrade before).
I’ve sent in two tickets to “Support” with no response whatever.
Please, if anyone can help, I’d be very grateful.
Les.
P.S. I would like to have included a screenshot of the Activation Manager but I can’t find any way of adding it to this message.
Hi. Don’t call yourself an idiot. After all, you’ve chosen Dorico, so you’re not an idiot!
One thing I don’t understand : why don’t you use the Steinberg Download Assistant? There (top left corner), you paste your own code (received by email), which will directly pass the information to the Steinberg Activation Manager. And you can install everything from the SDA (that’s its job). No browser issues there. My 2 c.
Les, as Marc says, hopefully the only step you’re missing is that you need to enter the Download Access Code you’ve received in the email receipt you got from the Steinberg online shop into either Steinberg Download Assistant, or on our web site here.
I guess that’s what I may have done while bumbling around trying to work out what bits and pieces do what to which and where, although I don’t actually remember a specific event. I know I got an “Activation Code” but I don’t remember getting a “Download Code”. Are they the same thing? If so, why not choose one single name instead of two?
After hours of frustration, I turned my machine off and, when I turned it back on, Lo and Behold! Dorico 5 was apparently working.
It seems to me that there’s a lot of faffing around with this updating lark. I don’t ever seem to get a clear picture of what I’m supposed to do - you know, like a step by step, unambiguous “installation for dummies” thing. In the good old bad old days, you just downloaded an updater, applied it with a single key stroke and Bob’s yer flip. Dorico is the only program I have that requires me to change my browser from Firefox to Chrome just to get the process going. I really hate that - and the fact that I had to work that out for myself.
Anyhoo, thanks for those who responded.
I’m up and running now, so I can start investigating the “advantages” of what I’ve bought (not immediately obvious right now).
Les.
there you have it! Some E-Mails after purchase still use(d) that term, which sometimes leads to misunderstandings. This distinction you make is also exactly the one (technically) to be made between Steinberg’s older (and sooner or later to be abandoned…) “eLicenser” licensing system, versus the new (since early 2022) ID based licensing system named “Steinberg Licensing”:
those eLicenser key codes were / are named “Activation Code(s)” and use 32 digits (alpha-numeric, 8 groups of 4).
Whereas the new Steinberg Licensing uses the 25 digit (alpha-numeric, 5 groups of 5) “Download Access Code” (or in short: “DAC”).
I saw a code on the web confirmation of my purchase. (Access code? Account Code?) So I copied it, suspecting what it was. I was able to type that into the SDA without waiting for the email, and it worked. I then downloaded the Dorico Pro 5 program materials from the same SDA.
Not sure whether I even had to mess with the SAM. I know I bought the software license using Firefox: no problem there either.
Sorry if others had more difficulty. I recall upgrading to D4 from the old licenser was a bit more complicated, perhaps because it was the first time at both ends of the process.
Well, I don’t know what’s been going on but I’ve sent two unanswered tickets to “Support” and posted one (unpublished) to the Forum.
But “Whoa!”, suddenly D5 has started working!
It seems that one has to wait up to two days between purchase and activation. The Activation Manager was totally useless in this process - I couldn’t even see D5, despite having the icon on my desktop. Nevertheless, now D5 opens!
I really don’t understand the “update” process - except that I now know NOT to use Firefox as my browser during the process (Chrome works, but Edge gives me endless hassle and wants me to sign up for stuff that I DEFINITELY do not want).
I just thought I’d share this experience with others who may be having the same struggles. I don’t doubt that the ‘professionals’ who use Dorico have no sweat over this kind of stuff, but us ‘amateurs’ are left struggling without ‘numpty-level’ help or support (seemingly).
Just my ten-cents worth (after spending 80-odd quid for a lot of hassle).
I look forward to seeing and hearing what D5 can do for me. I was unconvinced at the time of purchase but I thought “I really ought to upgrade”.
Message to Dorico: Please could you make the installation process better informed in future. I love the program but hate the process to get it and use it.
Les.
I’ve merged your separate post into this existing thread, Les. You definitely don’t need to wait a couple of days between purchase and use – but there are a couple of steps you need to follow. Please allow me to spell them out for you again here, and maybe you can save this post or take a copy of it so you can refer to it in future.
– Sign in to the Steinberg online shop.
– Purchase the required update.
– In the email receipt you receive from the shop, look for the Download Access Code (which may be labeled “activation code”).
– Copy that Download Access Code to the clipboard.
– Run Steinberg Download Assistant on your computer, and click Enter your Download Access Code at the top left-hand corner, then paste in the code. (Alternatively, you can enter your DAC directly into your account on our web site here.)
– Now run Steinberg Activation Manager on your computer, and click the “refresh” button in the top right-hand corner: you should see the license update (e.g. from Dorico Pro 4 to Dorico Pro 5).
Now you’re ready to run Dorico Pro 5 on your computer.
For what it’s worth, in the future it should be the case that buying the update (or indeed a new product) from our online shop should automatically add the appropriate license to your Steinberg ID account without needing to manually type in the Download Access Code. This requires that the Steinberg online shop be transitioned over to use the same Steinberg ID account as you use for e.g. this forum, and Steinberg Activation Manager, and so on. This project has been ongoing for a while, but eventually it will be complete and the accounts for the shop and for your licenses will be unified, which will eliminate at least some of the potential for confusion.
Well, that’s certainly a perfect explanation, for which I thank you sincerely.
Yes, it would be most welcome if the whole update process was ‘homogenised’. As I’ve said, I just got completely lost in it - but I DO love Dorico, and what you guys are doing is “immense” for the world of musical composition (both amateur and professional).
I am an amateur that almost anyone would regard (age-wise) as “senior”. Dorico has allowed me to fulfill a life-long ambition to compose for full orchestra and hear the result.
I find that NotePerformer (3) has been an amazing step beyond the in-built Dorico instruments and I hope that it might be possible for some kind of permanent symbiosis to be accomplished in the future.
Anyway, thanks to everyone who contributed to my understanding of the update process.
Les.
Ah, gotcha. So, this is the Steinberg Activation Manager. Dorico Pro 5 is activated. I never got the “Dorico Pro 4 to Dorico Pro 5 Update” to show up, even after a refresh.
Hi, I was looking to finally upgrade from Dorico 4 PRO to Dorico 5 Pro, but nowhere on the site do I see the option to go from D4PRO to D5PRO? It’s confusing to me, and I also was hoping to do the academic upgrade? Please help.
Hi. I find the upgrade from D4 very easy to find (now 99€, it was 25% cheaper until Jan 8th, the New Year’s sale), and AFAIK there’s never been an academic price on upgrades. Hope it helps!
Ok, that’s really strange because that option and price is NOT represented.
I’m signed in to Steinberg, paid for 4Pro…so I’m not sure why I dont see that option.
…I s t v a n P e t e r B ’ R a c z…
composer - keyboardist - performer - electronic musician - teacher - recordist
Hi, there is no pull down menu when I am in my account looking for this. I will clear the cache and try again later today. Maybe I shouldn’t be using Safari? So strange. Thank you folks for your help- I really appreciate it.
“Art is the lie that leads to the truth.”
-Picasso
I still have no idea how the upgrade should work in my case;
I have education licences (for 3.5, upgraded to 4)
That was semi-easy, I had control of all the licences, would register them on user’s machine with controlled e-mail in e-licencer
Now looks like I need to GIVE they key to the user, and at the same time totally lose control of the key, so user can input the key into their OWN account (that I do not control) and somehow they might the upgrade option.
Not to say that no user would be allowed to run Steinberg Downloader Assistant (because they are just users, with no admin rights on the machine)
