-524 invalid activation code

[Tony Wylie]

Hi,

 

I am using Retrospect to back up a small network of 6 Macs (using Mac OS X 10.5.4) to a firewire drive.

 

I'm trying to add clients to Retrospect (6.1.126), but I keep getting an error message

 

-524 invalid activator code

 

can't seem to find any information on it at all. Anyone any ideas what might be causing this?

[Mayoff]

Try to uninstall and reinstall the client.

[macparamedic]

I'm having the same problem. I've uninstalled and reinstalled the client software repeatedly.

 

Other clients are working fine.

 

Client Specs

iMac

OS 10.4.11

Intel Core 2 Duo 2.16 GHZ

Client SW 6.2.29

 

Server Specs

Retrospect Server 6.1.3.8

Mac OS Server 10.3.9

 

The error is delivered when I try to login the client.

 

If I try to add by address, I get a window asking for an activator code.

 

I have no idea why the client software is asking for an activator code.

[Mayoff]

The version listed for the client and server are not valid version numbers. What is your actual versions? 6.1.230 server is required for use with the 6.2 client.

[macparamedic]

I think I just solved it by installing a previous client version (that I had on a older volume - I didn't find it on the support site).

 

The version number for the server is 6.1.138

 

The client version that seems to be working now is 6.1.130

 

thanks for the prompt support. Much appreciated...

 

L

[wonfuji]

I just had to reinstall Retro on an OS X 10.3.9 600 mHz iMac 768 MB Ram. Ran fine for years on this box but box started having some issues and required a fresh reinstall of everything. Installed 6.0.193 - unable to update as the 6.1 installer hangs (5 attempts).

I can see 14 clients but can only log in to 11 of them. The other 3 throw a "Can't Log In, error 524 (invalid activator code)". I have removed and reinstalled the 6.2.234 clients on all three machines but to no avail (one of them is Leopard, other two are Tiger). it is worth noting that everything worked fine with all machines prior to this incident.

[twickland]

it is worth noting that everything worked fine with all machines prior to this incident.

Are you sure you are using the exact same versions of both the Retrospect app and client software as you were before? The problem you're experiencing can come from using a client version that's too new for the Retrospect version in use. In particular, as Robin notes, the 6.2.234 client requires Retrospect 6.1.230.

 

Retrospect 6.1.230 should run just fine on Panther. I'd try downloading the installer again in case there's something wrong with the .dmg file.

[CallMeDave]

it is worth noting that everything worked fine with all machines prior to this incident

 

Well, yes, the fact that you are unable to successfully run a Vise installer that merely puts a few different files in a few different locations suggests you either have a corrupted Vise installer (Twickland suggests trying a freshly downloaded file) or, "box started having some issues" means that box is still having issues.

 

I'd suggest reviewing exactly what the problem was with box, and what was done to address the problem, with an eye towards the theory that it wasn't an adequate response.

 

 

Dave

[wonfuji]

The iMac was totally refreshed - erased to the bones then Panther reinstalled then updated to 10.3.9. Drive Genius, Techtool Pro and DiskUtility report all systems nominal.

The server install was from disk and put on 6.0.193.

The client installer on that disk is version 8.2 which installs 6.0.108. Interestingly I used that disk installer to uninstall the Retro client on one of the "problem" machines then did the 6.0.108 install but found it was still 6.2.234.

 

 

[CallMeDave]

The server install was from disk and put on 6.0.193.

The client installer on that disk is version 8.2 which installs 6.0.108.

 

What exactly does "from disk" mean? Is it a commercial boxed CD of Retrospect?

 

And what about the previous comment:

unable to update as the 6.1 installer hangs...

 

If you had a 6.1 installer, why did you install 6.0.x at all (there are no update installers for Retrospect, only full application installers (with included un-install scripts).

 

I would proceed as if the inability to successfully run the 6.1 installer points to a problem that needs to be addressed before moving on to your communication issues.

 

Interestingly I used that disk installer to uninstall the Retro client on one of the "problem" machines then did the 6.0.108 install but found it was still 6.2.234.

 

It's quite likely that given the changes in the 6.2.x client, the un-install routines provided in the 6.0.x software won't be able to successfully uninstall all components (just as I wouldn't expect Adobe's Creative Suite 3 uninstaller application to be able to uninstall Creative Suite 4).

 

As suggested, I'd download the current versions of the software (that you have licenses for) and try those to install/uninstall/use.

[wonfuji]

I am going to set this up on a different computer as the current one is a bit suspect - even after it was sanitized. So it will go onto a G4 800 running 10.4.11. I will download the most current version for Mac - I have been using the CD that came with Retrospect when we bought it - in a box. I will update all the clients using the most current version from the website. I will then see what happens. ;-)

[wonfuji]

Also, not that it will help me now, but how do I move the schedules and other data from one machine to another? Would the Migration Assistant moves this data? Or, can it be located and transferred?

[CallMeDave]

how do I move the schedules and other data from one machine to another?

All that information, as well as your license number, is contained in the Preference file:

 

/Library/Preferences/Retrospect/Retro.Config (6.0)

[wonfuji]

Beauty! Thanks a bunch.

[rhwalker]

Stephen,

 

There is a section in the Retrospect User's Guide entitled "Moving Retrospect" that discusses exactly how to do what you want to do.

 

Russ