Seriously, it drives me potty. By the time I need an update if I have had the foresight to write it down somewhere I have inevitably lost it and it requires getting to my printer which I cannot do if I'm not at home.
The fact that you require the serial number for software that property and only works on your printer is absolute madness in the first place. But why does it need re-registering EVERY SINGLE UPDATE. It makes no sense and drives me up the wall.
It's not Z-Suite itself, it has to be something with your Windows (Registry). If you won't be able to solve it by yourself - I've made a *.REG file - download it, open using notepad and type your serial number between " ". Double click it after update so you won't have to put it manually.
Marcin, you missed it completely.
He is talking about the fact that on the Zortrax Downloads section on the main site you have to input the printers serial number to get any software. I too find this a mild annoyance. If I did not own a Zortrax and I wanted to get the FW or SW I could just ask a friend for their SN. The barrier is so low that is it only there to annoy those who have to step over it to get at the goods.
This is just another innovative thing Zortrax has done. Lets make sure no one gets at our precious software, otherwise they might make our machine look bad!
Marcin -
When you start up Zortrax and it detect an update it will ask if you want to download, if you say yes you then get directed to the site to put in your serial number EVERY SINGLE DAMN TIME.
How hard would it be to have a system that downloads directly. How simple it would be to not put your software behind a serial check when it is entirely pointless.
If anyone nefarious wanted to get their hands on your software it would be a trivial affair, the serial number check does nothing but piss off your actual customers, it is nonsensical.
Oh, my bad guys. I misread it.
It's not my call by any means, it won't change. However stupid it sounds, saving your SN to notepad file and located it on desktop so you can copy/paste it every time you download Z-Suite.
There are links in the forum about alternative download locations, even Marcin posted some.
Install an older Z-Suite version, start it and let it update itself. No serial needed up to that.
Because of this is working like that, no need to ask for a serial # at download by Z also. But that's a question of how far the mind of decision makers reach...
Not sure I was really expecting it to change, nice to have a rant however.
Please feel free to let them know how bone headed it is Marcin.
Please feel free to let them know how bone headed it is Marcin.
+1
FWIW, I just pasted my own S/N label on my M200. It's located next to the PC that Z-Suite is on and downloaded to, so easy to see when the need arises.
Another alternative is to install an autocomplete override browser plugin and add zortax.com to the list.
Also if you're comfortable with cmd line, can just type
reg query hkcu\software\zortrax
or
reg query hkcu /v serialnumber /s
Not sure I was really expecting it to change, nice to have a rant however.
Please feel free to let them know how bone headed it is Marcin.
I'm fully aware how does it looks like but I believe that should limit availability to download Z-Suite to Zortrax owners only. I know that S/N could be shared easily, but still..
I'm fully aware how does it looks like but I believe that should limit availability to download Z-Suite to Zortrax owners only. I know that S/N could be shared easily, but still..
If you don't have a Zortrax printer, Z-Suite is utterly useless.
If for some reason you wanted to do nefarious things with Z-Suite like crack the software and make it produce g-code, getting hold of a copy would be trivial. It's stopping no-one.
Literally the only people that the serial number check affects are genuine Zortrax owners. There are plenty of scenarios where a genuine owner might want to download the software and not have the S/N at hand, this is bad for owners. Scenarios where a non-owner wants to download the software are basically non-existent.
TBH Marcin it sounds like you are perfectly aware of how stupid it is to ask for the serial number every time (or even once), but you work in a company where you have had to resign yourself to accepting other peoples highly questionable decisions. An attitude of frustrated resignation permeates this forum when it comes to decisions made by Zortrax.
Actually just realized a convenient way to store the serial number for zortrax forum members is to register it in the profile to get the z-members tag. Then will always have it, just a login and click.
3710
Actually just realized a convenient way to store the serial number for zortrax forum members is to register it in the profile to get the z-members tag. Then will always have it, just a login and click.
That is OK but when I try to enter any of my 3 Zortrax serial numbers they all get rejected.
3711
If you don't have a Zortrax printer, Z-Suite is utterly useless.
If for some reason you wanted to do nefarious things with Z-Suite like crack the software and make it produce g-code, getting hold of a copy would be trivial. It's stopping no-one.
Literally the only people that the serial number check affects are genuine Zortrax owners. There are plenty of scenarios where a genuine owner might want to download the software and not have the S/N at hand, this is bad for owners. Scenarios where a non-owner wants to download the software are basically non-existent.
TBH Marcin it sounds like you are perfectly aware of how stupid it is to ask for the serial number every time (or even once), but you work in a company where you have had to resign yourself to accepting other peoples highly questionable decisions. An attitude of frustrated resignation permeates this forum when it comes to decisions made by Zortrax.
I think that you are exaggerating that 'issue'. Z-Suite is released no more than once a month. Is it really that hard to copy/paste SN once a month?
I think that you are exaggerating that 'issue'. Z-Suite is released no more than once a month. Is it really that hard to copy/paste SN once a month?
There is a point to your comment and I do agree, however to show both sides let me explain how I handle this.
I have 3 computers that I work on all the time, on none of them do I store the Serial number of my unit. I am far too lazy to do this because I would have to sort it somewhere deep into my system (for organizing). So to counter this I have a USB stick I carry with me everywhere, It never leaves my side. This USB stick holds info like my Zortrax SN and a bunch of other handy tools. A simple solution to a simple problem.
I still believe that it is a bit odd we need access to a SN to get updates being that it is a closed source system.
Actually the attitude shown in this "only customers are allowed to download" was one of the things that nearly drove me away from Zortrax.
Especially as the demo version is nearly completely pointless and doesn't allow a full evaluation of Z-Suite.
I kinda suppose the serial thing is another paranoid attempt to avoid Chinese copycats but as with all the other things that Zortrax tries in this regard, it's missing the point.
There is no need for the Chinese copycats to copy the firmware as there is so much Open Source firmware.
And there is no point in reverse engineering Z-Suite for a copycat as it only works with the Zortrax firmware and there are enough open/free slicers.
Actually, most people would consider an open source firmware/slicer superior to a closed source solution, so why would any copycat bother to clone something else than the mechanics and/or electronics?
Besides, the checksum algorithm for the serial number is pathetic (and makes you wonder if the person who implemented it fully understood the arithmetic used there), I needed like two hours to write a keygen for it.
And my only reason to do so was to test the newest version of the real software instead of the crippled demo. So they kinda forced me to create that keygen just because they would refuse to let future customers fully check their closed source software. This is not only pointless, this is simply stupid.
BTW: even though I own an m200 now, I'm too lazy to look up the serial number, so I always use a generated serial that is much easier to remember.
I needed like two hours to write a keygen for it.
Wouldn't make for a particularly impressive scene release given how sophisticated it ain't. You plan on releasing it?
Post-it note....... next!
Wouldn't make for a particularly impressive scene release given how sophisticated it ain't. You plan on releasing it?
As stated before, I wrote it just for myself. Besides, releasing it would be kinda pointless since the whole idea of this serial number is pointless.
It would just help people to evaluate the actual slicer instead of the crippled demo, but if Zortrax decides to scare away customers by this weird attitude, who am I to meddle with this?
Anyway, I didn't even release my ZCode tool to the public for months, so I guess that shows that I'm not willing to anger Zortrax for questionable fame.
My take on it is there really isn't an issue. I have a lot of professional software where to get it I have to 1. login 2. download, 3 enter a serial key during install. All Zortrax has done is used the serial in place of the login. In some aspects, it's simpler this way as one doesn't need to setup an account. The serial is easy to store in accessible places already mentioned, like you would for any software with a key.
Also, maybe other reasons for the machine serial key, such as earliest known in-service date for warranty tracking, sw fw adoptions rates, machine use lifecycle etc.
