Ableton Forum

Why is it so damn hard to get installation support from Ableton?
They gave me the wrong key file - but I can't contact them!

...

I have recently revived my old Audio/Music PC.
It is an old 32-bit 2.8 GHz Pentium 4 running Windows XP 32-bit.
It works fine, and has 4G RAM + 256GB HDD + som legacy pro video boards.
No office, no browser, no facebook - perfect as a Music Machine.

I used to use Steinberg CX as DAW, but want to give Live a try, as it has evolved much since 2005.
I have a Live Lite license that came with the Behringer UCA200 that I am using with the machine.
The version on the CD is 4.x, but I wanted to try out v8.x which is the last 32-bit XP version that seems to match my system specs.

As the PC is Windows XP, it is a stand-alone PC not connected to the Internet for security.
I therefore tried the "authorize off-line" process as described on Ableton.com.
The key provided on the cover of the original installation CD didn't work, as it was "associated with different email address".
Strange - I don't remember ever installing the software, I am quite sure I never created an Ableton account.

Ableton won't allow me to contact tech support, as I do not have a full-version license.
Erh... what?

Only option was to ask for a replacement license key sent to me, by prooving I owned the HW.
To do so, I needed to select type of HW, then attach a picture of the HW (+ the CD). So I did.
I couldn't select the Behringer UCA200 as the HW type. Not sure if thay makes any difference.

Ableton did authorised a new license for me on my account page, and I have a new key from there.
But this doesn't work either, neither in 4.x or 8.x
Dragging the authorization file to the application gives me "No valid license found in server response".
Looking on my account page, I can see the license is for 64-bit v10 on a Mac, and I have a 32-bit XP on a PC.
I don't have a Mac, and I couldn't even use v10 on the machine, as it's a 32-bit CPU!

I can't contact support to tell them to send me a proper license.
And I can't re-request a replacement key, as I ableton.com says "I have already done this."

I know it's Live Lite, and they appently don't provide teach support for this anymore.
But it's more a principle thing. How on earth do I contact Ableton to tell them that they sent me the wrong license?
Mail pigeons? Telepathy?

(It might soon be right back to Steinberg again...)

Just reach out to support@ableton.com, I'm sure they'd be willing to help you.

Ah! An email address... not easily discovered on the web-site.
But - I shall try this now, then.

Thanks for the info.

Support gave you a Live Lite 10 license right?

Your experience confirms my speculation that Live 10 license won't on Live 9, 8, etc.

A Live 4 license definitely won't work in Live 8.

Live licenses are not Mac-only or Windows-only, that "MacOS 64-bit" box is a drop-down menu, just to select download version.

But Live 10's minimum requirements are Windows 7 64-bit and 4 GB of ram.

Live licenses can have more than one serial attached. For example, my Live license was upgraded from Live 9 Intro to Live 9 Standard to Live 10 Suite, the 3 separate serial numbers for each appear when I click "+ View Serial Numbers" (a blue link, should be visible in your account).

So maybe the Live 4 license is there (bit unlikely though).

But you say you want to test Live because it evolved since 2005, even if you manage to install it, Live 4 will still be the same Live 4 Lite that didn't impress you back then, and Live 10 simply doesn't run in WinXP 32-bit.

> Support gave you a Live Lite 10 license right?

Yes.
Filling in the web-site form there was no way of communicating that I needed a non-10 version.
I was expecting some sort of interaction through the account-site, but nothing appeared but a 10-license.

> Your experience confirms my speculation that Live 10 license won't on Live 9, 8, etc.

Yes, I think I also found that stated somewhere else on the forum.

> A Live 4 license definitely won't work in Live 8.

Probably, but the ableton site states that the 8 will work with all earlier versions...
This may be true, but TBH I am only looking to find *anything* that works.
If 4, then that's it, but if 8, then probably more to learn from it.

> Live licenses are not Mac-only or Windows-only, that "MacOS 64-bit" box is a drop-down menu, just to select download version.
>
> But Live 10's minimum requirements are Windows 7 64-bit and 4 GB of ram.

Yes, but my license list clearly states that I've been appropriated a "Live 10 Mac license".
I don't have a Mac, I can't run 10.
Hmmmm.

> So maybe the Live 4 license is there (bit unlikely though).

No, the Live 4 license cannot be validated. When submitting, I am told that "ths is assigne to other account". Really strange, I've had this thing since 15 years ago...

> But you say you want to test Live because it evolved since 2005, even if you manage to install it, Live 4 will still be the same Live 4 Lite that didn't impress you back then, and Live 10 simply doesn't run in WinXP 32-bit.

I don't want to exerience Live 4 specifically, I want ot experience "recent-Live-that-works-on-my-hardware".
So if Live-8 is the thing, then that's what I would try.

sten_l wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 26, 2020 8:02 pm

Yes, but my license list clearly states that I've been appropriated a "Live 10 Mac license".

As has already been said, the license list has a pull-down menu in a grey box. I’ve accessed it on both Mac and PC and it always has “Mac OS64 bit” showing. Click on it and it offers the Windows 64 bit download. For older licenses for long superseded versions emailing support@ableton.com might be your best option.

As for Live 8, I’d be surprised if Ableton still offered that for sale. Most software companies don’t sell outdated versions of their software, only the most recent version. You might be able to get a copy if someone is selling their license, but you do need to be certain it’s a legitimate copy, not pirated.

@sten_l

If it is Live Lite 8 you want to try, I have one Live Lite license that was upgraded from Live 7 to Live 8 to Live 10, it should work to authorize Live Lite 8 (I have authorized Live 7 here on my Win10 laptop with no problems). I sent you a PM about it.