Bob's Track Builder and Windows 7

[Martin Weare]

I notice the original thread has been closed.
I feel betrayed that Brendon wont support windows 7. I now find that I cant work on my track (Coffs Harbour) at all The license used to activate most of the time, then some of the time. Now never. Windows 7 is the Standard OS and has been now for almost a year.

Brendon, if you wont or cant support you product, then set it free by making it free. Anyone paying for it now will only be ripped off.

ps. Delete this thread if you like but the truth needs to be said by somebody.

 

[chub_pearson]

I understand your frustration, but I'd have to vote No.

It was made very clear from the early days of Vista that BTB was designed for XP and that Vista [and by extension Windows7] would not be supported. Because you've changed your operating system doesn't alter the situation under which you bought it. It's essentially a risk you've taken [or had to take if you buy ready made computers]. I don't see that it puts any obligation on Brendon.

I feel betrayed that Brendon wont support windows 7.

But to have betrayed you he'd have had to promised you something he didn't give you, which is not the case.

If I had your problems I'd run a dual boot system with BTB on a nice clean XP partition.

 

[R Soul]

I also vote No for the same reasons as chub. And from what I read from the v0.9 beta testers, the license system for that version seemed to be much better with the later OSs. Then, as you may know, Brendon got a computer virus and lost that work. Then he went very quiet, and until we know why I think it would be best to reserve judgment.

 

[jim deo]

Ok,so being new to btb...If I want to buy a license (my btb free just ran out) I should install it on another drive with xp and not on my current win 7 drive?
Will I be able to import my files from my win 7 drive without any problems?
Glad I spotted this just about dropped the hammer a few min. ago.
Thanks

 

[RT1971]

I also don't agree, its very clear what operating system is supported, you took a gamble and it worked long enough for you to produce 1 of the best tracks to be released using BTB. I have many programs I use for my 3D work that won't work on 7 including some that cost me alot more than the small price of BTB, I can't see those large program makers making a patch just so I can run their earlier stuff on a newer operating system, I will have to pay to upgrade.

 

[Sub]

No for me as well. Though, for me it's not only that I agree with the last few posts, but that it works fine on my win7 machine. Maybe it's because I turned UAC off - maybe it's because I installed it in XP compat mode with administrator privileges, I don't know. All I know is, i've successfully built and released the beta version of a track under win7.

 

[Davesta]

I have to also say no. I'm a Windows 7 user and BTB works absolutely fine for me.

I find the best way to go about it is to:
- Check you have no external hard drives or USB memory sticks plugged into your computer, or any USB devices which aren't going to be permanently plugged in.
- Generate a HardwareID file.
- Restart your computer.
- Generate another HID file, check that it is the same as the previous one.
- Submit HID file for a 1 month license.
- Repeat in 1 month.

If your license expires early, check for any USB devices you may have plugged in/unplugged and restart your computer.

For some reason sometimes plugging in USB drives appears to change your Hardware ID, so that may be the problem. Occasionally my computer seems to just change it for no reason anyway, but it goes back to normal after I restart my computer. If your license is still expired after restarting, then at least you only have to wait a maximum of a month before you can use BTB again (unlikely anyway as you have two licenses to use up).

Hope that helps.

 

[Raido]

If your license expires early, check for any USB devices you may have plugged in/unplugged and restart your computer.
For some reason sometimes plugging in USB drives appears to change your Hardware ID, so that may be the problem.

...And this is utterly, utterly ridiculous. No programmer should *ever* make his users go through hoops like this. Period.

 

[R Soul]

Comments like that don't help. The hardware ID feature/bug comes with the latest two versions of Windows.

 

[Raido]

While that may be true, application programmers have *no* business having their programs ask for hardware IDs anyway. Ditto for having to renew licenses via the Internet, btw - bought/unlocked is bought/unlocked and stays bought/unlocked, even if the server goes down forever. Which it will do, eventually, for certain - always.

 

[Davesta]

Complaining about it won't do you any good.

Brendon hasn't been online for a very long time and it looks doubtful we will see him in the near future. While I agree that it is a lot to go through, there's nothing you can do about it. If you don't like it, then don't use it. Simple as that.

 

[Mikec87]

I have been fortunate enough to be with BTB from fairly early days and even built some objects in the Eastern Creek laser track. Windows XP is dirt cheap, so are hard drives. I have Windows 7 64bit and XP Home on a seperate hard drive. If I am biulding a track, I boot into XP and it works a treat as some other track building software I have is XP happy, Win7 sad. Last week my licence expired, and I renewed it without a hitch. I may be worth considering. A Western Digital 500gb HDD is $49.00. A copy XP Home is still available for $100.00. Easy.

 

[Lasercutter]

I've been with BTB since the early days too and also did some bits for the Eastern Creek track, however after losing the ability to use BTB for nearly 6 months because I decided to upgrade my nvidia mobo and graphic drivers (while using xp) and the total lack of support from Brendan when I emailed requesting a new license I feel it's time to ditch the stupid licensing system and just sell the program without it, it's already been cracked and a license free version is floating around various torrent sites so it seems pointless putting paying customers through all this aggro. I was always encouraging people to buy BTB until Brendan decided that it was no longer viable to support the product. I was just fortunate that I could still use my laptop but it was a poor substitute for my main pc.

 

[Paul Minnaar]

I have no qualms with the product, its great in fact, all I want is for Brendon to pop his head in sometime.

How can we help get him interested again, package the product? get some coders on board so he does not have to worry? Sell the product to a big firm that can get behind it? What is the answer? because this bickering will not help the cause and I'd like to help.

 

[mianiak]

I know what to do!! We can all go and stand out the front of Brendon's house and sing xmas carols and not let him past the front gate until he brings v9.0 out with him!

We could do it in shifts that way we could keep a 24 hour carol thingy going and we will need someone who has a harmonica incase we start singing out of key.

so,,, who's with me?

 

[martinez]

I've never been in Australia, would be happy to go there!

 

[R Soul]

I'll get my passport

 

[Paul Minnaar]

I know what to do!! We can all go and stand out the front of Brendon's house and sing xmas carols and not let him past the front gate until he brings v9.0 out with him!

We could do it in shifts that way we could keep a 24 hour carol thingy going and we will need someone who has a harmonica incase we start singing out of key.

so,,, who's with me?

Well on a serious note - does anyone on this forum have direct contact with him in Australia ? Any feedback from him would be delightful.

I see he is on LinkedIn but doubt he'd accept a wanderer's request to chat.

 

[martinez]

I saw Brendon's profile also on Facebook.