That's good advice, but it's not the whole story. SoFo has hidden "hacker-smackers" into the app. That means if your try more than 10 (I think) serial numbers in a straight sequence then the app will lock and start deleting files.

So MAKE SURE you only do nine or so (hmmmm...might have been 19) numbers in a straight sequence, then vary it for at least another three or four.

Obviously this can get messy, so write down the numbers you've tried.

And I think the number must be up to at least 35,000 by now, so I'd start there and work UP (not down!!!!!!).

Good luck ! This is how I got my app to work - I only had to try about a hundred or so numbers, but that was around the 18,000 mark....

Hey Spirit,
That's why I can't wait for Vegas 4.0 to come out. It'll be brand spanking new. How hard will it be to get the right number??
SoFo must think we have lives, and won't take the time it takes to get the right number. Hah!

M

That reminds me of when i bought my Chromega C760 enlarger for my darkroom decades ago. I had been reading all the prerelease hype in Pop-Photo mag for months, and preordered it from the largest photo distributor in New York City. It finally arrived and when i unpacked it i was surprised and delighted to see stamped into the metal near the power plug, "Serial # 0000001". Woooooooooooooo! Gonna be a collectors item some day :)

Seriously though chary, it's very easy to get a proper serial number. Just go here: http://www.sonicfoundry.com/shopping/item.asp?pid=24 and SonicFoundry will let you buy a serial number for only $479.99 (US). Very simple.

It always amazes me when I see someone publicly soliciting help to steal software. I guess there are some hacker sites out there that exist to deprive software manufacturers of their rightful due but software piracy is a crime that affects everyone. Telling people like chary1 how to to avoid paying for Vegas/Sound Forge/Acid Pro is not fair to the manufacturer nor to those who pay to support the product and subsequent upgrades and updates. Now that you have told him/her how to hack the program I can only hope he/she tries enough combinations to trigger the hacker protection that wipes out those two or three critical OS files needed to boot up any Windows operating system. Who knows, maybe having to reformat the hard drive and totally reinstall windows and all of his/her programs may be a good lesson.

Are you sure this guy didn't pay for the download? Maybe he didn't receive, or doesn't understand the serial number e-mail procedure.

jp

I guess it is possible but if he bought it esales sent one or two emails (we usually buy the boxed versions so not sure about downloads), one confirming the order and the second containing the serial number.

pb: i guess you didn't get the joke. Sorry about that.

chienworks: Actually did, just encouraging certain party to invest a few hours in typing strings of numbers.

Thanks for adding seasoning to my sauce, pb.

As far as the original post being about how to find/activate the serial number after a legit purchase... contact customer support if you're having problems. It is explained during the purchase process, but maybe he/she didn't understand the steps required.
What are the odds CS will be getting a call? Hmmm...

You know, I got a really good deal on a stereo the other day: I just ran out of the store with it when nobody was looking. I saved lots of money! Thank you guys for helping me realize how much money I've been wasting all these years!

Seriously, SoFo stock is down to 48 cents as of this morning. I would guess that assholes that steal from them are the major reason why this company with the most amazing software apps I've ever seen is having so much trouble! What's the difference between using pirated software and stealing a car? Mainly that the chances of getting caught are so slim that the thieves even are brazen enough to brag about it on a company BBS!

Laurence Kingston

Dear chary1,

don't pay attention to these schmucks, they really don't deserve it. I'm gonna tell you all about your serial number:

Just look at YOUR register number in this Forum (27190). No other will do !!!
Now, find the next 199 multiples of 3 *after* 27190 and the 163 multiples of 5 *before* 27190. You will have 362 numbers.
For each number you can compose one serial number like this: 3 times the first digit, slash, 4 times the second digit, slash, 5 times the third digit, slash, ...

For example, I calculate to you the first of these serials after 27190.
Number is: 27193
Serial number will be: 3*2 - 4*7 - 5*1 - 6*9 - 7*3
result: 6-28-5-54-21 this is one of your 362 serial numbers.

Start trying !!! One of these serials will work. Guaranteed :-)

Cheers

They are having fun with you. Sorry. They forget that people all over the world use Vegas and language is sometimes a problem. I assume that what you are doing is using Vegas as a trial. You do not need a serial number for that. There is a button for the Demo (demonstration/trail mode). That will allow you to see how the application works. It will not produce a finished product for you, but you can try the features and see if Vegas works for you.

If you like Vegas, then a serial number can be purchased on-line which will make Vegas fully functional.

If you purchased Vegas on-line and downloaded it, but did not see or print out the serial number (oops) then you can call Sonic Foundry's tech support by phone. They can assist you in recovering the correct serial number. Support for installation problems is free when you first purchase the product.

I hope this is more help.

K

You know, pirating software is not all bad. Don't get me wrong - it's mainly bad. If you steal Vegas, SoFo doesn't get any money - but they do get another user. That user then becomes a mouth that says "I use Vegas". If he's ever in a position where an employer asks him to get some video editing software - he'll chose Vegas.

I use a ripped off copy of After Effects. There's no way I'd pay 1500 clams for that. But, if I got a gig where I really needed all the plugins and the support, I'd buy it in a snap without looking at anything else.

Just another viewpoint.

LOL!! Perfect example of someone TRYING to justify his actions.

My staff of million monkeys may be able to help. Please contact me at 555-1212 so we can work out a price. They are currently overbooked, but if I feed them a little more, I'm sure they'll do some overtime.

also a perfect way to help sonic foundry ... by hurting adobe :)

So theigloo is a thief----actually a felon in some states-----Well thats cool----Why dont you post your picture and fingerprints if you have them.

I have to admit that I am saddened that everyone would jump to conclusion that this person is trying to pirate or steal the software. That must mean that many of you must do the same so that is the first thing that you think of. He is probably just having trouble with the demo mode.

K

"LOL!! Perfect example of someone TRYING to justify his actions"
But if he didn't steal it someone else would! :)

chary1 may be innocent, I can buy that.
but the fact is that he/she opened the thread and *never* posted again, to inform, negate or corroborate. You must buy that.

I was reacting to the igloo's claim that he stole After Effects----the other stuff is bizzare.

I wouldn't have either if I had received the kind of reception he did <g>.