I don’t think Cubase itself will be relevant here - it sounds like the License Engine (the background process that either SAM or Cubase talk to) won’t run for some reason. I just can’t work out why that might be.
same here… 
I was using cb11, logic pro x & luna fine before the update …i haven’t installed anything except for cb12 …I’ve turned off NORDVPN …I do have a partitioned drive with Mojave on it with cb11 but I’ve also unmounted that and re-ran the procedures but no joy
thank you for trying to help…another point is cb11 isn’t having it either …
thanks again
Oh, it’s interesting that Cubase 11 doesn’t work either. I wonder if there could be a problem with the eLicenser installation - SAM does sometimes communicate with the eLicenser in order to allow old-style (eLicenser) vstsound content to be loaded by new-style (Steinberg Licensing) plugins. Does eLCC run correctly?
One other thing that might be worth trying… Quit SAM and anything that might be trying to use it (e.g. Dorico/Cubase), then have a look in /tmp. If there’s anything left in there whose name starts with silk (e.g. silk.service, silk.gui.service…) then try deleting it. Those are just temporary files so it shouldn’t do any harm to delete them if SAM/License Engine isn’t running, but it’s possible that the files might be locked in some way which is preventing things from working.
ok …will let you know …
Yes, same here, this new feature from Steinberg/Yamaha is garbage and it is the only new feature for 12 probably. Doesn’t work on my laptop and I spent hours on it… I can still use 11 but what was the point to upgrade and pay for this new @#$? Steinberg/Yamaha, put your ducks in a row and provide reliable software…you are making your clients very unhappy. I purchased this to play not to troubleshoot my computer for days. Or give me my money back! You know where to find me as you have all my info.
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I’m sorry to hear that - what is the specific problem you’re experiencing?
Ben,
I fixed the issue. The version 12 cannot be activated if Mozilla is your primary browser (but that was fine with 11 as that version did not require automatic connection to your website). Mozilla was asking me to provide confirmation and select the application 12 had to connect so it would activate…but 12 does not say what application or connection is required. I had to remove Mozilla and when I went through the same loop and selected Edge it connected and activated the software successfully. Now 12 is using Edge to connect to your website (I assume), and it works fine. I’ve reinstalled Mozilla Firefox and use it as before as my main browser.
Again, I am not an IT person, so I found this 2 days of tryouts very, very unpleasant, and disappointing. Cubase is fine, and that is why I’m using it, but it always has bugs and issues and that is not fine. Yesterday I composed a song (midi 5 keyboards and rack synths) and at the end I’ve created an analogue soundtrack to record the song coming back from Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 as it was mixing the tones from synths. I spent two hours on 12 with no success of recording the song. I’ve done this same recording hundreds of times before, but this time (or because is 12) the software just did not take in the outputs from Scarlett. Similar on 12 the Icon QCON Pro GE surface installation and settings has been difficult and time consuming. The Icon is made for Cubase so should install in less than a minute. I did not have the same issue on 11, but again Cubase is sometimes difficult and it should not be. If you want a good example of good software, take Focusrite as an example, friendly, reliable, and predictable…
Last thing, on the website in my account it shows that I still have Artist 11 unupgradable, although I have registered the upgrade to 12. Things like these cannot make consumers happy, and unfortunately it never stops when using Cubase, there are always other things waste our time… which is very frustrating. I would like to focus on my music and not on the issues with the software I’m using. I really think that Cubase is a necessary evil, and could be more friendly and predictable.
Regards,
Alex
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can you please help me
I just updated my primary DAW from NUENDO V11 to V12 and had the same issue with the Activation Manager. When Double Clicking on the AM Icon the main window appears but then only sits there and never enters the actual manager profile window even though it says it is working on it.
Try RIGHT Clicking on the desktop Icon and RUN as Administrator. Every time I have done that it has launched within a few seconds. If that works for you then UN-Install the Activation Manager from your system. Re-Boot and then download and install it again directly from Steinberg’s Downloads Section.
Since doing so Activation Manager has work as expected by just double clicking on the icon but if ever in this situation with any desktop Icon for that matter always try Right Clicking and Running as Administrator. There is also a way to reprogram this so you don’t have to do that each time but then again I’m not a programmer, getting older every day, and this is something that Steinberg needs to address quickly themselves. That’s why they get paid the BIG BUCKS.
I’m also now having a problem with NUENDO V12 not wanting to shut down and I have to invoke Task Manager and End Task in order to get it to shut down. GO FIGURE! Have never had that issue before since V1 - V11. This not my first Rodeo with Steinberg either!
Hope this helps you and others as well.
Respectfully,
Jim A. Haydon - Pres.
Complex One Digital Post
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I found the Activation Manager in the Task Manager and ended the task. It worked after I did this. It seems that sometimes the back end of the Activation Manager doesn’t shut down so it can’t open it. That’s what’s going on on my computer anyway.
Peace,
Stephen
Indeed. I have made the same observation
Perhaps not 100% related to the original issue, but i’ve had Cubase 12.0.70 crash multiple times, if it happens two three times in a short time, the SAM also seems to crash, then Cubase doesnt load. A case of ending the processes in the background. Couple of times, I’ve had to restart the computer. On Win 10.
I think SAM needs a bit of work to be more stable if Cubase has a problem, crashing, forced quit etc.
Activation manager opened once, earlier, then wouldn’t open again. Following all these ‘solutions’ still didn’t work, uninstalled it, reinstalled it, and it still wouldn’t open.
I again naively hoped to get some recording done but ended up spending hours on this nonsense instead, this on top of the hours spent trying to get Halionsonic7 to do something useful, like play sounds when I press the keys.
Download assistant, Activation manager, Library manager… what will their engineers get their customers to download to contend with next? The fun never ends.
The Steinberg experience, no one else can deliver an infuriating waste of time quite like it.
Sorry to hear that @JefferyWright - to reset Steinberg Activation Manager completely, delete the following folders:
On Windows:
%APPDATA%\Steinberg\Activation Manager
On macOS:
/Users/yourusername/Application Support/Steinberg/Activation Manager
Hopefully that should reset it completely and it will run again.
If you have time, before you delete it, you could zip up that folder and PM it to me so we can look at what’s causing SAM from not starting up and try to resolve it.
change your default browser to edge, then try again. That worked for me.
In Windows 10, Settings | Apps | Default Apps…