[Tihiy]

35 Donators have received license key for StartIsBack. Please check your mail and spam folders, contact me if you have troubles.
StartIsBack license key is verified online and tied to your PC. License key allows limited amount of PCs you can activate. PCs are distinguished by HDD physical serial number your OS is installed to (that's likely gonna change for 1.0 final)
StartIsBack activation does not collect information about your hardware or software nor does it "phone home".

Those who donated $1 have received license key for 1 PC; $5 - 5PCs; $10 - 10PCs, you get it.
Donation offer is no longer in action. You should be able to buy StartIsBack in a few days, if RC testing goes well. Proper website is coming too.

If you have received license key, please help me test all users activation scenario - does activating program installed for all users work.

StartIsBack intended final pricing: $5 for a license key for 5 PCs. $3 for a license key for 2 PCs.

Feel free to comment if it's the right price, but please don't turn this thread into mess.

This post has been edited by Tihiy: 06 November 2012 - 05:31 AM

[Tihiy]

Translators required for StartIsBack!

Download and translate this file: http://startisback.com/langs/RU-RU.txt
(sample - Russian translation)
Put translated file alongside StartIsBackCfg.exe to test the translation; name it with your language code (DE-DE.txt, IT-IT.txt, etc.)

Translators will be gifted license keys. Please send me email to make me account you on translation (so i won't assign many guys on same language); don't post here.
Please don't start translating unless you sure you would be a good translator and will be responsible for your translation.

Completed translations: English, Russian, Brazilian Portuguese, European Portuguese, French, Danish, Greek, Italian, Turkish, Spanish, German, Polish, Czech, Croatian, Slovak, Finnish, Korean, Dutch, Norwegian, Serbian, Slovenian, Bangla, Hungarian, Swedish, Simplified Chinese, Indonesian
(to be updated)

This post has been edited by Tihiy: 27 March 2013 - 04:58 AM

[mlauzon]

mlauzon, on 03 November 2012 - 11:59 AM, said:

I just found out about this app recently and joined the forums because of that, I haven't had the chance to install Windows 8 yet. I don't want to read through 25 pages just to see if this has been answered, so I am asking it anyway, even if it has been asked before.

Can you still use the Windows' login screen if you want to password protect your desktop?

2 days, and no answer....

[Tihiy]

mlauzon, on 05 November 2012 - 03:35 PM, said:

2 days, and no answer....

Sorry, but this question is too easy to answer. Of course login screen is not affected by StartIsBack at all.

[mkbu95]

I'm currently translating the program to Portuguese (both European and Brazilian). What enconding should I use: ANSI/UTF-8/UTF-8 without BOM ?

[Escorpiom]

Tihiy, I would like to do the Spanish translation. Could not find your email but will send you a message as soon as possible.

Cheers.

[Tihiy]

mkbu95, on 05 November 2012 - 03:49 PM, said:

I'm currently translating the program to Portuguese (both European and Brazilian). What enconding should I use: ANSI/UTF-8/UTF-8 without BOM ?

UTF-16 as original file is. I've updated txt to mention it. Please use mail or PM to not pollute this thread.

Quote

Tihiy, I would like to do the Spanish translation. Could not find your email but will send you a message as soon as possible.

You're in haste, there's no need to. Read txt at the end.

This post has been edited by Tihiy: 05 November 2012 - 04:02 PM

[ISOHaven]

ERROR: INVALID LICENSE KEY - Reloading the system to see if there's an upgrade issue. The local admin was already auto activated. But the other user created on the system wasn't activated and wouldn't. It kept spitting out this error.

Thanks for making the "check for updates" configurable! My users can't install software anyway so those popups are annoying for them.

[Tihiy]

ISOHaven, on 05 November 2012 - 03:58 PM, said:

ERROR: INVALID LICENSE KEY - Reloading the system to see if there's an upgrade issue. The local admin was already auto activated. But the other user created on the system wasn't activated and wouldn't. It kept spitting out this error.

Maybe you did use beta key?

Quote

My users can't install software anyway so those popups are annoying for them.

Version notify is completely unobtrusive.

This post has been edited by Tihiy: 05 November 2012 - 04:03 PM

[ISOHaven]

Tihiy, on 05 November 2012 - 04:01 PM, said:

ISOHaven, on 05 November 2012 - 03:58 PM, said:

ERROR: INVALID LICENSE KEY - Reloading the system to see if there's an upgrade issue. The local admin was already auto activated. But the other user created on the system wasn't activated and wouldn't. It kept spitting out this error.

Maybe you did use beta key?

Oh, there's new keys? I didn't get an email, I figured you were talking about new donators.

In that case...RC will activate if upgraded from Beta4 without inputting a new key. But only for the original installed user. Other users on the system are SoL.

Quote

Version notify is completely unobtrusive.

Good to know either way!

This post has been edited by ISOHaven: 05 November 2012 - 04:07 PM

[mlauzon]

Tihiy, on 05 November 2012 - 03:41 PM, said:

mlauzon, on 05 November 2012 - 03:35 PM, said:

2 days, and no answer....

Sorry, but this question is too easy to answer. Of course login screen is not affected by StartIsBack at all.

I was supposed to know this how, and if it was too easy to answer, then how come it took two days..?!

This post has been edited by mlauzon: 05 November 2012 - 04:25 PM

[Shane]

Tying it to a hard disk's serial number isn't a particularly great idea in my opinion, it means every time you do a format followed by a clean install it will assume you're activating on a new computer. As much as I like this project, I'm afraid I cannot in good reason commit to buying until a more reasonable way to manage licenses is found, given how often I reinstall it won't take me long to eat up my "new PC" quota.

[Coluwyvurne]

Tihiy, on 05 November 2012 - 03:24 PM, said:

StartIsBack license key is verified online and tied to your PC. License key allows limited amount of PCs you can activate. PCs are distinguished by HDD serial number your OS is installed to.

Shane, on 05 November 2012 - 05:24 PM, said:

Tying it to a hard disk's serial number isn't a particularly great idea in my opinion, it means every time you do a format followed by a clean install it will assume you're activating on a new computer. As much as I like this project, I'm afraid I cannot in good reason commit to buying until a more reasonable way to manage licenses is found, given how often I reinstall it won't take me long to eat up my "new PC" quota.

I would have to agree with Shane.
I was very excited about this project and was prepared to buy it, but upon discovering how you intend to restrict license keys to a PC, I forsee many problems in my future.

Just this past month, I've had to replace my SSD 3 times due to problems present in drives based off the Sandforce controller, before picking up a Crucial/Micron one which seems to be stable so far. I've also had to deal with S.M.A.R.T. and other HDD failures on old mechanical drives.
This has always resulted in the reinstallation of Windows, or reimaging from a backup actually, to the new drive.

If you intend to lock a license down to a PC, I believe there should be a better hardware identifier you can tie it down to than something that commonly fails, or is upgraded.

[Tripredacus]

Coluwyvurne, on 05 November 2012 - 06:04 PM, said:

If you intend to lock a license down to a PC, I believe there should be a better hardware identifier you can tie it down to than something that commonly fails, or is upgraded.

The UUID of the motherboard can be used.

[roirraW "edor" ehT]

mlauzon, on 05 November 2012 - 04:24 PM, said:

Tihiy, on 05 November 2012 - 03:41 PM, said:

mlauzon, on 05 November 2012 - 03:35 PM, said:

2 days, and no answer....

Sorry, but this question is too easy to answer. Of course login screen is not affected by StartIsBack at all.

I was supposed to know this how, and if it was too easy to answer, then how come it took two days..?!

You could've easily installed the program and try it and uninstall it if you didn't like within 5 minutes.

I don't know why you would even expect a replacement Start Menu program to affect Windows login screen anyway.

[roirraW "edor" ehT]

roirraW"edor" ehT, on 04 November 2012 - 07:43 PM, said:

I think I found a bug. If I search for a file in the Start Menu's search field, for example, "Integrator", I find "Windows Download Integrator_2.9r.rar". If I then LEFT or RIGHT-click the file and drag it to the taskbar to pop-up an already open (but not in front) window of say File Explorer, and then attempt to drop the file anywhere in this window, it'll never drop no matter where you try. The icon (and associated text) keep following the mouse pointer until you just move down to the taskbar. From that point on the icon and text are gone.

Now if the File Explorer or other file management GUI window is already in front and I drag with either left or right-click the file from the Start Menu's search to this already in front window, then it works perfectly.

Is this StartIsBack's bug or Windows 8's?

I still notice this issue with the Release Candidate. Any comments anyone, and anyone reproduce? Thanks so much, by the way, for the separate configuration of the top and bottom right corners!

Also, with the Release Candidate, a new problem (for me, anyway). I tried to load the custom Start Button Orb I've been using ever since StartIsBack allowed changing this (Beta 2 or 3?) (Start Button Orb attached), and it no longer shows up even though it worked fine before now.

Two other observations about the Release Candidate. Since an uninstall was necessary before reinstalling for All Users, it would be a nice touch if the uninstall process could be started from that screen in the StartIsBack installation. Also after I uninstalled SiB through Programs and Features, and then installed it for All Users, all of the sudden and I *think* without warning, my account was logged off, I presume by the installation process. If it did warn me I didn't notice it, but a prompt first would be nice, too.

[Chris123NT]

When you say that it ties to the HDD Serial number do you mean it ties to the physical drive serial or the volume ID of the drive?

And is there an effective way to backup an activation for re-installs etc...?

This post has been edited by Chris123NT: 05 November 2012 - 08:11 PM

[MakeMeBad]

roirraW "edor" ehT,

You are right no longer seems too add custom Start Button Orbs for some reason like previous versions ????


UPDATE;

Just reinstalled SIB , in "Just Me Install" mode & it seems to add custom start orbs in png format, just doesn't work in "All User Install" mode... if that makes any sense!?

This post has been edited by MakeMeBad: 05 November 2012 - 11:41 PM

[Tihiy]

Quote

I still notice this issue with the Release Candidate. Any comments anyone, and anyone reproduce?

I reproduce this. Also in Windows 7 too

Quote

When you say that it ties to the HDD Serial number do you mean it ties to the physical drive serial or the volume ID of the drive?

It's physical drive serial number ofc.

Quote

And is there an effective way to backup an activation for re-installs etc...

Yes, you can just backup SOFTWARE\StartIsBack\License.

Quote

You are right no longer seems too add custom Start Button Orbs

I can't reproduce this.

Quote

just doesn't work in "All User Install" mode

Aha. I guess i need to set a security on Orbs folder. Thanks for reporting.

Quote

upon discovering how you intend to restrict license keys to a PC, I forsee many problems in my future.

I'll try to resolve this issue.

This post has been edited by Tihiy: 05 November 2012 - 11:40 PM

[ISOHaven]

Coluwyvurne, on 05 November 2012 - 06:04 PM, said:

Just this past month, I've had to replace my SSD 3 times due to problems present in drives based off the Sandforce controller, before picking up a Crucial/Micron one which seems to be stable so far. I've also had to deal with S.M.A.R.T. and other HDD failures on old mechanical drives.

I can see that being a problem. In the past 1.5 years I've gone through 5 drives. 3 SSD's and 2 PCIe drives. I have a newer PCIe drive in the mail that I plan to upgrade to so that makes 6.

What are you planing for your Pro version? As it stands, I couldn't use this in a business environment at all. If you think over 300 machines is bad...just imagine going through a massive swap from HDD to SSD. You think a flood wiped out the market? Nah, that was me!