Total Nightmare Installing - Please help

I have had a long history of using Cubase from the very early versions years ago. I taught music technology for some years using cubase and experienced the same issues I am having now. I then stopped using it because though I like the programme I got absolutely fed up with crashes, hangs, dongle issues, constant updates which made things worse and a host of other problems. I had heard recently that with Cubase 5 onwards, the programme was more stable and the new eLicense system was easier.

So yesterday I purchased a DVD edition of Cubase 6 Elements from my local music shop. I have a new and clean Windows 7 on an i7 system with 16 gigs of RAM, more than adequate.

I’ve just gone through hell trying to install this product. First the DVD installer quits halfway through with an error message: “Files on this DVD are corrupt. Installer will now quit”. So I copied the DVD files to hard disk thinking it was my DVD drive. No difference. I cleaned the DVD, Still no luck. I then tried installing the Elicenser. It crashed immediately. So I downloaded the newest version. It crashed immediately. I cannot install the product. I cannot install the licence. Without the licence I cannot activate so cannot post on the Cubase 6 forum.

There is no telephone support number in the UK. I am not prepared to phone Germany and wait, at my own expense, for support to answer. I will of course take the DVD back for a replacement. Where is Steinberg’s quality control of their DVD manufacturing? Why can I not post in the forum of my choice? This is appalling service, and it seems things have not improved since the old days.

What I would like please is for a Steinberg support person to contact me, and offer an alternative way of downloading the product, at no cost to myself, install it and licence it with a decent licence method which works. I have the software activation card, proof of purchase, a receipt and any info you require. Please contact me at your earliest convenience so that I might recover some respect for Steinberg. Thank you.

Addendum: I suspect that Elicenser might be crashing because I don’t have .Net framework 2, 3 or 3.5 installed. But wait! I have .Net framework 4 installed. It is part of windows 7 operating system and includes, as far as I know, all the requirements in versions 2,3 and 3.5. Furthermore, what on earth is Steinberg doing requiring earlier versions of .NET framework which are designed not for Windows 7, but are years out of date and suitable for Win XP or Vista at best, even though I am installing Cubase 6 which REQUIRES Windows 7?

Also, does Steinberg want me to install the FULL .Net framework, which is a ludicrous 200+ Megabytes (just to run a little activation app!!!), or the bootstrap part, or just the client application. The elicense website gives no indication.

I note that on the elicenser website there is no support info, no guidance, no notes, no documents, no detail, nothing except the download. No explanations about what to do if it won’t work.

Again, sorry Steinberg, this is very very poor service. Still waiting for support from Steinberg staff.

FYI I also only have NET.Framework 4 installed and don´t have problems with the elicenser. Some could think, your more than adequate PC seems to have a problem somehow - of course they´re all wrong though. :wink:
But it is really great, how some people make assumptions they don´t really seem to have prove of, and then complain about it. But as usually probably also in this case, the one who screams loudest wins…

Again FYI this is a user forum in the first place. So if you want someone from the official support come back to you, you should maybe at least try the online support request form.

Well, if you also had a DVD which had corrupt installer files (confirmed through now trying it on an external DVD drive, a laptop drive and another desktop drive) on top of the elicenser issue, maybe you would understand the frustration! This is the first DVD I’ve ever purchased that is duff.

I HAVE already posted a support message. I stand by the original post.

Found this and other threads to be very helpful so thanks for posting input.

But I have to say, this elicenser is a pretty convoluted way to protect licenses. I got a CD with CubaseLE5 on it with my new Zoom H4n. Did not need the extra editing features of Cubase but figured what the heck and installed it. Took me a good 20 minutes including researching how elicense works and all. That is a VERY long time for someone as experienced as I am in IT to spend loading a PCclient type of application. It is right up there with Microsoft’s game of pain.
Thankfully these types of user boards exist, because in my humble opinion, when a software maker has to start producing videos just to show you how to install their product, and other users dedicate time to producing even more videos on youtube to help people through the installation and registration process, something has gone haywire in the loss control department.
Pretty wild, not impossible or difficult to get this installed, but surprising and unexpected experience.
Thanks again for everyone taking the time to post!

Can’t these files be downloaded like the trials?

Actually, yeah.

Download the trial. If you have the license for the non-trial version, it’ll act like a full version.

With all the carry on about included plugins if the trial version works irrespective of the actual license then great!