Is it just me? (iLok eLicenser)

P

Paj

Well-known member
Is it just me or does the iLok eLicenser software drive you crazy because, over and over again, a "...component is missing..." error message appears and you have to reinstall the eLicenser software. The reinstall is frustratingly stupid because you check the website for the latest version, and then you MUST uninstall the extant software and reboot, then install and reboot again. This is lovely crap when you're in the creative zone and your whole workflow is SNAFUed. Before I go on a rant with the software vendors that are using it and PACE itself, I gotta know: "Is it just me?"

Paj
8^?
 
I can't say it is just you, but I have never had any issues with ilok myself. 12 licenses and not one case of weirdness.

Bummer you have issues. :(

I have to wonder if it is system related. I have gone through many of those types of issues though not related to the ilok.
 
I had this exact problem a couple of times. What I found out by searching online is that the service isn't running in the background anymore. Fortunately, it's easy to remedy:

Open Control Panel... System and Security... Administrative Tools... Services... PACE License Services... Start.

I'm not sure why it gets turned off; mine was off again when I just checked (it may have been off for a few days now), so I restarted it.
 
SeaGtGruff said:
I had this exact problem a couple of times. What I found out by searching online is that the service isn't running in the background anymore. Fortunately, it's easy to remedy:

Open Control Panel... System and Security... Administrative Tools... Services... PACE License Services... Start.

I'm not sure why it gets turned off; mine was off again when I just checked (it may have been off for a few days now), so I restarted it.
Click to expand...

One of those things that pisses off one user that doesn't happen to others.

Thanks SeaGtGruff for the post! :)
 
SeaGtGruff: You're a sanity saver! Beats me why this info isn't an explicit part of the eLincenser trouble-shooter FAQ on their website.

Thanks again,
Paj
8^)
 
Yeah, I don't know why this is happening, but one theory I read is that it could be caused by OS updates-- and I believe the first time it happened to me was after a major Windows 10 update got installed. The crazy thing is that when I checked on the service after finding a post about the issue, the service is set to start up automatically, so it should be starting up whenever I reboot the computer, but it seems that it doesn't always do that-- which may suggest that there's another service it depends on which isn't running when it tries to start up, or maybe that the PACE login information got cleared and needs to be reentered in the service's properties? Anyway, the first time it happened to me I followed the advice about reinstalling the manager, but it was already the latest version and uninstalling/reinstalling didn't do squat, so I had to search further before I found someone's post about the service.
 
Would this only apply to on line DAW's?
I've only one set of plugs w/ ilok, but not on line.. Hmm so no 'OS updates too :D
 
I don't know why it happens or what situations/configurations it applies to. I do have a couple of DAWs that use iLok, but I don't use them much. On the other hand, I have several soft synths that use iLok, which I do use more regularly. I just got home after being away for a few days, and turned on my desktop computer which I'd shut down completely and unplugged-- when I checked it, the PACE service had started automatically as it's supposed to. But when I checked my laptop the other day, it had stopped. I hadn't actually shut down my laptop, just let it "hibernate" while I was driving to my sister's for Christmas, so maybe the service is getting stopped when the computer hibernates, then isn't getting started automatically when the computer wakes up because it isn't actually booting up, just waking up? I don't know; I'll have to experiment with some scenarios and see if I can make it happen on demand, then that might point the way to a solution?
 
I've also experienced the post-update and post-hibernate iLok failures. Hopefully, thanks to SeaGtGruff, the next time I'll be able to use the control panel to restart the service. My new problem is getting all/any of my Waves plugins to start/run after updating to their new Waves Central. I'm already on my third uninstall/reinstall/move licenses with this one. Seems like Waves fell out of love with Reaper.

Paj
8^(
 
Paj said:
I've also experienced the post-update and post-hibernate iLok failures. Hopefully, thanks to SeaGtGruff, the next time I'll be able to use the control panel to restart the service. My new problem is getting all/any of my Waves plugins to start/run after updating to their new Waves Central. I'm already on my third uninstall/reinstall/move licenses with this one. Seems like Waves fell out of love with Reaper.

Paj
8^(
Click to expand...

I was having some strange issues with Waves and Cubase at one point on my desktop. My system is online when I choose, but I found just setting it up on a flash drive (offline setup) there are no issues at all for me. One USB2 port on a hub along with my Cubase dongle and Ilok. Free sailing whether internet enabled or not.
 
SeaGtGruff: So it's 1 week later and the iLok error appears again, I follow your instructions and Voila---I'm back in business in less than a minute. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

Paj
8^)
 
Strange, I haven't had any issues with my iLok2. It's survived an upgrade form Win7 to Win10, then to Win10 Pro. I think that I only have 1 or 2 licenses on it though.

As far as services go, if you consistently find that a service isn't running, make sure that the "startup type" is set to Automatic. Maybe some other process sets it to Manual or Disabled. In Services.msc, just double-click the service and select Automatic then click OK. If it's already set to Automatic and you're still finding it to be consistently stopped, then the process must be crashing. Open eventvwr.exe and scroll through the Windows Logs->Applications events and see if that process logs any errors when it goes down in flames next time. There may be some helpful information there, or it may just be indecipherable gobbledy gook. At very least it would be something to copy/paste and send to the iLok tech support fellas.
 
Tadpul,
The process IS set to automatic. I'm also going to follow your suggestions the next time it happens. I have been installing and authorizing a lot of different software packages (a hidden cost of holiday binge-buying). I have also noticed that Win10 or my latest version of Norton is keeping hard drive fragmentation to an unbelievably low or nonexistent level. I have had previous experiences with software that is expecting a certain block or sector to be in a certain state, so maybe . . . Who knows? For now, SeaGTGruff's steps are an absolute sanity saver.

Thanks,
Paj
8^)
 
I just wanted to comment that SeaGtGruff's procedure seems to have a more lasting result than an uninstall/reinstall and is being widely appreciated by those I share it with.

Paj
8^)
 
Thank you for the endorsement, Paj! :) I can't really take credit for it, though, since I was just passing along a solution I'd found online after it started happening to me and the recommended procedure of uninstalling-and-reinstalling didn't resolve it. So to whoever first discovered this "real" solution, thank you whoever you are! :)
 
BTW (and a DUH for me): I just realized that you can make a desktop shortcut to get to the Services page even quicker:

->Control Panel->System and Security->Administrative Tools->right-click on "Services" and select "Send to Desktop" from the dropdown menu. The icon will look like two, pale-blue, meshed gears.

Paj
8^}
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top