Computers Dying

[astronomynut]

I am wondering just how you can use your version of BYEOS that happens to be specific to the computer you first put it on, on another computer.  In my case, I have had bad luck with computers.  They end up crashing for no reason I can discover.  I have resurrected the initial computer, but it eventually went 10 toes up.  Now I have my copy of BYEOS on a backup drive and the License, but I cannot use it because of it being only for the original computer.  

Can you tell me if you have allowances for this type of situation, or do you charge an additional fee to get the program working on your new computer.  That computer has never been put on the internet, and never will because i think my computer problems are due to intrusive programs.  So I have to download the program and the key onto a thumb drive on my internet computer, then go out to the observatory to upload it onto the new computer.

I've been out of circulation for several years due to health problems, so my version is 3.03.  Just what would I need to pay to upgrade to the current version, and would that entail another key?  The reason I think I might need to upgrade is that I currently have a Canon 7D mkII.

Anyway, I am hoping to resume my AP sometime this weekend.  I need to get my computer and its software coupled to my equipment, and make sure everything is in working order.

[astroman133]

The End User License Agreement (EULA) for BYE or BYN allows you to install the software on multiple computers as long as you only use it on one computer at a time.

So if you have a purchased license for BYE 3.1.x and that computer crashes you only need to download BYE to your replacement PC and validate the same license on the new PC.

If your license is older than 3.1.x then you need to upgrade that license by following the Upgrade instructions on this web site. If you read the upgrade instructions, some upgrades are free and others cost a small amount.

So to summarize, you can use your BYE 3.0.X license to get a free 3.1.x license, download the latest BYE software and validate the new license key and your username on your new version of BYE.

You should also know that the new licensing scheme keeps your license key on the web site. Once you complete the upgrade process your new license key will be available whenever you log onto this web site using the username that was used when you upgraded the license. Just look in the "My Purchases" area of your user profile. So you only need to remember your username and password, but you can reset your password if you need to by using your email address.

[astronomynut]

astroman133,  Thanks.  I  looked, and apparently I downloaded a version of 3.1x  There is a license key with the cost of $50, with a notation of $0 paid.  So I must have downloaded the software, and just never got back to doing anything with it.  Probably because that was around the time I started having my physical problems, hernia, kidney problems, intestinal growth, cancer, and the latest, failing heart valve.  I sure hope all of this is behind me, and I can enjoy all the hard work I did building my observatory.

I'll have to figure out how to download the software latest version, and then just purchase the license.  I'm sure what is on the page of purchases you mentioned is probably not applicable anymore.

One thing I hope is not required is that the computer is required to be hooked up to the internet  to activate the purchase key.  

There are two reasons why I do not want my astronomy computer hooked to the internet.  I do not want the anti-virus software slowing things down, and I don't want any updates from Microsoft.  Both actually clutter and slow down the computer.  As long as the software I purchase is virus free, I shouldn't have any problems.

[astroman133]

If My Purchases shows a free license then it is either a 30-day Trial license which is likely expired, or a free license upgrade from a 3.0.x license to a 3.1.x license. If your profile shows that you have purchased a BYE license then I guarantee that it is still active.  A free Trial license DOES require an Internet connection to re-validate the license each time BYE is started up. This is not needed with a purchased Classic or Premium license.

The license key is a long string and it is easy to make a mistake while manually typing the string to transfer it from one computer to another. This can make it challenging to correctly enter the license string to validate the license on a computer that is not connected to the internet. However, you can use copy/paste to create a text file containing the license key and move the text file onto your observatory computer via a thumb drive.

I have never had a problem with anti-virus software causing issues on my observatory computer nor does it cause clutter on the system, in my experience. I have the Pro version of Windows 10 so that I can exercise some degree of control over when the updates occur. Updates are a necessary part of computer ownership and are more likely to bring enhancements, fixes, and improvements than they are to bring issues and clutter.  In any case file storage is ridiculously inexpensive, so I can tolerate any clutter that may occur. System crashes are also a part of computer ownership, but thankfully are rare occurrences. I have never experienced one in over 40 years of computer ownership going back to my first Apple II computer in 1979. Still I plan for how to easily recover from a crash on every computer that I own (desktop, laptop, tablet, and phone). I use the network connection to do this. I also control my observatory remotely which I could not do if the laptop were not connected to my home network and the internet. I guess that we can agree to disagree regarding the wisdom of not connecting a computer to the Internet.

[admin]

If you have version 3.0.x you need to upgrade your key.

The instructions are on the store product page, scroll down and hit the upgrade tab, then select the instructions for upgrading to 3.1.x.