License Validation Error

[maddenkeving]

Hello.  I downloaded the trial version on BYN 2.1.2 March 15th.  Yesterday, I attempted to connect my D5300 and D610 to the program without success.  BYN crashed, and when I attempted to restart it I got the License Validation Error message.  What should I do now?

By the way, my D610 works tethered to Lightroom without any problems, and the D5300 was recognized by Windows 10 and allowed me to download photos from the SD card in camera to the PC.

 

Thanks you,

Kevin

[astroman133]

The cameras need to be recognized by Windows as Imaging devices, not as file storage devices.

When Windows first recognizes the camera it may prompt you to ask how you want to use the device. You should choose "Take No Action" to use it with BYN.

Please provide details of how "BYN crashed" when you attempted to connect to your cameras. What error message did you see or hear. Even if BYN fails to connect, it should not crash.

You also need to ensure that no other programs are connected with the camera.

[maddenkeving]

Thanks for the reply.  I was on a new Dell Laptop that I purchased specifically to run Windows programs for astrophotography.  There is no photo software installed.  I did get the prompt with the "Take No Action" choice - I am not sure how I responded (there was an information box in BYN when I tried to connect the camera but no mention of "Take no action"...) I probably used the wrong term - the program "hung" - spinning wheel for 20 minutes - that's when I force quit.

I would like the option to start over.  I now know that "Take no action" is required and I have downloaded the firmware updates for the D5300 (the camera I would like to use primarily for astro work.)  As you know, I am entering my correct license# and user name and getting Invalid License as a result.

Thanks again for your assistance

[astroman133]

Sorry for not being more specific.

Before you launch BYN, plug the USB cable into both PC and the camera then turn the camera on. Windows should quickly recognize the new device and ask you how you want to use the camera. The notification says something like "Click select to choose what happens with this device". Clicking on the notification displays a menu of options. Take No Action is the bottommost option.

When you said that you had no problem reading the camera's memory card from Lightroom that meant to me that you had selected to download files from the camera. This will prevent BYE from connecting to it because Windows is treating it as a storage device rather than an imaging device.

[maddenkeving]

Thanks again.

1) When I plug the camera into the PC there is no dialog box - it is now not a new device.  How do I change the setting for the D5300 to imaging device or whatever it needs to be. (I checked preferences for the D5300 and couldn't find anything germane.)

2) I cannot open BYN - I get a message "License validation error! License Fault Error! (s:INACTIVE/-1) - the key provided has expired, been deactivated, or has not been activated yet.Please contact us."

3) Am I in the right place? I seem to recall that when I was trying to connect the camera to BYN there was a statement to the effect that if I was unsuccessful I should "start a ticket."  The only link I saw for support on O'Telescope was this forum.

Thanks for your patience

PS LR is on my MacBook Pro.  I only mentioned it to show that the USB cables are working (they can be very finicky in the Nikon world.)  That is also why I downloaded the photos from the D5300 onto the PC (to demonstrate that the cable was functioning.)

[astroman133]

1) As far as I know there is no persistent setting about how to use a camera. My Canon T5i behaves the same every time I power it on when connected to my Windows 10 PC. How the camera is identified to the PC is a Windows level issue, not a BYN issue. BYN can only connect to those cameras that the Nikon SDK has discovered and identified.

2) So you can open BYN far enough to get a License Fault Error. That should give you a chance to revalidate your license/identifier.

3) Yes, this is the only place to request support for BYN.

I cannot help with how to make BYN work on a Mac Book. I do know that many have been able to make different Windows VM's work with BYE and BYN. The most difficult issue seems to be how to make the USB ports on the Mac to be accessible on Windows. Also they should not time out or power down after some period of use or lack thereof.

[maddenkeving]

I am afraid we are going around in circles...

1) The Dell Laptop running Windows 10 recognizes the camera - it shows up in the sidebar. You told me the Windows setting (file storage v imaging) was wrong but gave me no guidance. BYN is written for Windows, if I am correct.

2) How do I revalidate my license/identifier???

3) I am NOT trying to run BYN on the Mac...

4) Am I speaking with the developer? I was very excited about trying BYN after viewing the 2-hour video, and it was the first program I downloaded onto the PC.  But I have to say that after the opaque advice that I am receiving, and dealing again with PC/Windows world (maybe I need to edit the ConfigSys file...) I see an intervalometer in my future.

[astroman133]

1) The guidance that I gave was that if you are able to access the camera's SD card from Windows then BYN will not be able to connect with the camera. In this case you would need to unplug the camera from the PC, wait a minute and reconnect. When prompted for how to use the camera select "Take No Action". If you do not get such a prompt I would unplug the camera from the PC and re-boot the PC and when the PC is totally back up, plug the cable back in. I hope that this is clear enough. This did not used to be necessary, but Microsoft has changed how Windows 10 behaves. This forces users to react to continue to use BYN.

2) To re-validate your license, re-enter your license key and identifier per the onscreen instructions. Copy your license key from the My Purchases | Orders menu at the top of this page. Then Paste it into the license key field of the validation dialog and type in the Identifier (your case-sensitive O'Telescope username). Again, if any of these instructions are unclear please let us know what is confusing.

3) OK, I understand. You mentioned using the camera with a Mac and that confused me.

4) I am not one of the BYN developers. Guylain is one of the developers. His posts are labeled as "admin". I am a user just like you but I have been using BYE and helping users on this community-supported forum for 10 years. I am sorry that you do not understand the advice that I am trying to provide. If you don't understand my advice, then tell the group what is unclear and I or someone else will try to clear up the confusion..

Sometimes I use BYE and sometimes I use an intervalometer. To me they are two different tools in my toolbox. I have not had to edit a config.sys file in 20 years.

Best of luck.

[admin]

I'm the developer.

I just tried your activation key, and it worked just fine here.  

Are you using Avast anti-virus by any chance? 

[admin]

Ok, I just cancelled that key ending with 42593, please go ahead and add a trial in your cart again and proceed to check out to get another key.

Keep us posted please.

<thinking out loud>
There has been a few reports of trial keys not validating and from what I'm seeing they are all from this past Monday.  There was an upgrade on the side this Monday and the site was down for about 3-4 hours.  I wonder if this is somewhat related.  I will probably never know, I just can't help to think if this is a coincidence or not.
</thinking out loud>