RSLogix product activation disks

Just read an article about Dell Computer's plans to drop the floppy as standard equipment on one of its Dimension desktops.

Dell ready to flip the floppy

I have also seen some of the new laptops coming out, some with no drive A and some with a drive A which connects via a USB connection.

Any comments from anyone on whether this will affect installing Rockwell software products which use software activations installed from drive A.

If the past is any guide, AB will deal with this issue in 5-10 years.

There are USB floppies out there.

I just bought a new Gateway and had to order one with a serial port. It has a removable floppy to swap with the cd.

Just saw a USB floppy at CompUSA for $19. I was thinking, I just built an new computer. Floppy is $8. Loaded everything up and never used the floppy.

Rick makes Dell's point well; that $11 difference is big to a consumer PC maker.

I have not tried running EVMOVE to a pen drive or CompactFlash card personally, but I have done it to a USB floppy (one off a Macintosh !) and it worked.

Many large plants I've been in lately require their maintenance guys to log onto the Company file servers to load the current copy of a PLC program and get their activation file before they head out to work on a controller. It's a little inconvenient, but they all nod knowingly when I ask if they are more comfortable knowing the master copies of their control process programs are backed up daily.

I had the same problem with an associates laptop (no floppy). You can conect to your network and attach to a shared floppy on another computer to add the activation.

Hi Everyone,

I’m at a job site where a SLC 500 was decommissioned. I offered to buy it and their copy of RSLogix500 software. Now I need to remove the license from their laptop so I can use it. I’ll look in the manual today, but I thought maybe one of the experts could give me some helpful hints. I will have to remove it on Friday so I have a small window of opportunity to make it happen.

Thanks,
Andy

The utility program to move the activation is called emove and should be installed where their RSL500 is installed. It is also found on the master disk.

Be sure you get the master disk from them. If they don't have it, I would only offer a reduced price. In case of emergency, the master disk can be used as a temporary activation by placing it in the A drive (even when the activation has been moved off the master).

Andy,

I would suggest that you confirm whether they are providing the master disk for the RSLogix 500 software. If they are then it is simply the task of running the evmove utility and moving the activation from the hard drive (c, d, e, etc) to the floppy.

If for some reason you don't have the master disk I'd rethink the purchase. You won't be able to have a backup activation by using the master as a key disk. You also won't be able to reset the activation if your activation file becomes corrupt. Regardless, if you don't have the master disk you can still move the file from the laptop to your pc's hard drive. You will have to network the machines and map a hard drive on your pc to the hard drive on the laptop that contains the activation file. Then run the evmove utility and move the activation file from the mapped hard drive to your pc's hard drive.

For detailed instructions on how to do this the help file for the evmove utility should have all you need.

Hope this helps.

grs

You need their master disk. On the disk there is a program called evmove.exe. If you run that you can move the activation off the hard drive. This can only be done with the master disk.

Thanks everyone,

I'm off to give it a try!

Andy

Just tried using emove to move activation to a compact flash card in the PCMCIA slot on my laptop and it doesn't work. The error message says that you cannot move the activation to a non-master removable disk on Windows NT (Note I am running Win 2000 sp2).

So there you go.

a word to the wise

it would be a good idea to have the registered "owner" of the software (seller) give you a brief note on their company letterhead stating that they are transferring their ownership of the software package to you - be sure that the note includes the serial number - and YES you need to get that master disk -

unless you REALLY trust this company, it might also be a good idea to call Rockwell Software with the serial number BEFORE you lay the money down - we've seen people "sell" hot merchandise which they didn't really own - plus if the software is "out of support" there might be an additional "hidden" charge required to get it back on the Rockwell roll-books - ask about the current support status -

then once everything has been done at your end - contact your local distributor and have them transfer the official "records of ownership" over into your name - that's where the letterhead note comes in real handy -

think of it as buying a used car - you need the car - you need the keys - you need the title - you need the title transferred into your name - and as always: let the buyer beware -

WARNING!!

I just got a new laptop, and moved my RS Logix activation.

To make a long story short, the master disk was write-protected. Instead of pointing this out, Emove "copied" the activation to the floppy, then deleted it from the hard drive, blissfully unaware anything was amiss.

Poof! No more activation!

I got on the web, got the disk restored, and am back up now. But it sure would have been nice if A-B had just let me know the disk was protected before moving the #%$%%^ file!

TM

Ken, Who do I holler at?

Ken, can you give me the name of someone at A-B corporate or Rockwell Software to harass about this kind of thing? I realize it is totally futile, but it might make me feel better. The way I see it:

1) Most of A-B's customers are honest and are buying the RS-Logix. A-B's archaic protection scheme costs these honest customers thousands of hours each year cumulatively screwing around with key disks, network authorizations, moving authorizations, etc. etc. (We just had a laptop stolen with the RSLogix on it - care to guess how much time that is going to cost me?)

2) The crooks are getting it for nothing anyway.

3) They should give that sofware away or make it so cheap it is on the desk of every control engineer in the world - that might do wonders for equipment sales, don't you think?

4) With the current copy protection system, every time I have to screw around and waste my time or my staff's time it ****es me off and I cuss out A-B. Do the Rockwell Software guys really think that helps sales?