Greetings,
I’m a veteran professional Finale user of over 30 years. I was invited to try switching to Dorico 5.
I have repeatedly tried using the “Steinberg Download Assistant” but it fails completely.
I’m using a Mac with Apple M1 processor, running Sonoma 14.6
The “assistant” software gets downloaded successfully, and I am able to start the downloaded app, but after it gets thru the approve/accept process, it simply stops there - no further windows, questions, buttons… nothing.
I‘ve tried several times, including running the uninstall app and starting over - same result every time.
HELP!!
Welcome, @kb11 . Sorry you’re having trouble. Can you drag a screenshot showing what’s going on here?
If I remember the process, the SDA should link into your account on the Steinberg website, to activate the licence. Has that happened? Is the SDA the front-most app?
Here’s a video that shows what you should see during the download, installation, and activation process:
Where do things diverge?
I steer clear of the installation queries as I have no idea. So, are there common installation/activation issues that could be pinned somewhere for new users?
(I ask because you’ve posted the same video in consecutive threads)
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Er, if there were, do you not think we’d have that info already…? 
You’ve pinned lots of threads in the past, and with the percentage of threads about activation (sometimes multiple times within a thread) I was a little surprised that there wasn’t already a some sort of dedicated one. At least to keep some of the same queries in the same place.
Anyway, I was just asking and apologise if I offended.
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Hi, I have a simple question: it seems that once the computer is in proxy mode, steinberg download assistant will fail to launch(error info: can't establish connection with Download server), is that true? (I use windows 11)
Maybe adding a proxy setting is a better solution, because in some area, we need to use VPN to get connected to the Internet.
I’m not sure whether this is true, @Ayaka, but I will ask the Steinberg Download Assistant team whether it is expected that it should be possible to use with a proxy server.
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Responding to benwiggy:
I tried including the links and some images, but this messge system allows me no links and limits me to one image. I’ll do my best…
I’m starting from an email message from the producers of Finale (music notation software) announcing,
- development and support for Finale have been terminated
- they recommend migrating to Dorico
- a special introductory price for Dorico to Finale users, providing a link to steinberg dot net /dorico/
There I find a ‘button’ labelled Try For Free. I never heard of Dorico before, so of course I’d like to become acquainted with it before purchasing.
That button links to a page with text offering a 60-day trial offer for Dorico Pro 5. The accompanying button links to a Steinberg login page which in turn takes me to a page which includes this (see attached screenshot).
The “download for Mac” triggers an automatic download of a ‘disk image’ of:
“Steinberg_Download_Assistant_1.35.0_Installer_mac.dmg”
Executing this brings me to a license agreement form.
When I select “I accept the agreement” the “Install” button is activated. Clicking this causes some processes to take place, landing on a page which I will include in my next Reply here (to be continued…)
…continuing my previous reply to benwiggy:
Having arrived at the following,
…clicking on the “OK” button makes that window disappear. After that… nothing. The top menu bar shows me that Firefox is the foreground app.
The active app bar shows that an app called “Steinberg Download Assistant” is active, but clicking that icon does not cause anything to happen. Firefox remains the foreground app.
Checking the Force Quit function, I get a window listing active apps, and there Steinberg Download Ass’t shows it “not responding”. Force Quit is the only way to get it to quit, as it offers no commands oor other menu items.
I’ve followed this same process repeatedly, including executing “Uninstall Steinberg Download Assistant.app” before performing a fresh download, etc…
KB
So SDA launches, but presents no windows? Does Activity Monitor.app show whether it’s not responding?
Again, replying to benwiggy:
Thanks.
I had never heard of Activity Monitor, but I have now!
It took me a while to find but, but I did. I launched it, and then launched Steinberg Download Assistant.
I don’t know how to interpret what Activity Monitor shows us, but here it is:
Again, altho’ SDA is launched, selecting it in the appp toolbar does not cause anything to happen. Whatever app is active before I do this, whether Finder, a browser (like right now) or whatever else, when I select SDA, the upper toolbar does not change, the active app does not change, I cannot quit SDA except via the Force Quit action.
If it’s red, that means it’s “Not responding”. You can kill it by selecting it and clicking the X button.
See if it will relaunch correctly. If not, there must be some reason why it’s hanging on your machine.
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I have the same persisting problem since a long time, only way to install is by the downloadable files or to switch to a different, freshly installed user account: then SDA works fine and I can install everything for all users.
replying to benwiggy:
Killing it when it’s not responding is not the problem.
I’ve done this many times now.
The problem is getting it to run at all. It starts, but nothing happens, except that immediately after I launch it, “Force Quit” shows it to be “not responding”.
replying to ymu
I can’t see how creating another user account would change the results I’m getting, but I gave it a try anyway.
Created new account, went thru the whole process of downloading the “Steinberg_Download_Assistant_1.35.0_Installer_mac.dmg” and running it.
Same result. it installed Steinberg Download Assistant.app, but executing that app results in a piece of software “not responding”, requiring me to force quit to get it off the “dock”.
I don’t recall ever seeing this problem before, but I will ask our support team if they have seen it, and know what to do.
Sorry it didn’t work for you (my „new“ account had admin-privileges, maybe that helps).
If I read this topic correctly, you have set Firefox to be the default browser? May I ask you to try a different browser as the default? Safari, Chrome (if installed as well), etc.?
In the System Settings, click Desktop & Dock in the sidebar. Then scroll down on the right and choose a web browser from the “Default web browser” menu.
If a different browser does not help, please reach out to support directly.
Contact support – Steinberg Support
BTW, all files required to use Dorico Pro 5 are available on our regular download pages as well: Dorico Pro 5 Updates and Downloads | Steinberg
Thanks.
I tried with Safari - same (non) results…