Scrapebox won't validate license after VPS restart

I'm new to the whole VPS thing.

I restarted my VPS after having installed a really light PDF reader, and since the restart of the VPS, scrapebox has stopped working. It tells me "Validating License" and then ... all the buttons are grayed out.

I emailed both the VPS and SB. The VPS said talk to SB. SB said I reinstalled windows on my server, but I did not.

Have any of you experienced this? A simple restart and SB stops working? I've googled the hell out of this, but I'm stuck. Chances are I'm going to have to pay SB for another license, even though I'm using the same VPS and respecting their once a month transfer rules. I was kinda hoping that this transfer would be my last.

Anyway, I'm new to this whole VPS thing, so if anyone has any ideas at all, please write them and I'll try them! Seems like a waste of cash to pay SB every time I want to restart my VPS, and I'm always learning anyway so any help at all is very much appreciated!

Thanks!

Just email SB again and ask them to reset your license, you get 1 license reset a month with them. That should fix your licensing problem.

Contact them man?

Theodore said:

Just email SB again and ask them to reset your license, you get 1 license reset a month with them. That should fix your licensing problem.

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That's the thing is I already have, on Aug. 1st. My next license transfer reset takes place on Sept. 1st, too long a time-frame from now, so I may just have to buy another license. But I didn't change computers, VPSes, or anything. All I did was restart my VPS.

I found the server's Windows product ID and the "Configuration for server" after SB stopped working. Is there anywhere where they are logged (all the Win product IDs you've ever used on this particular server)? This would help!

Just so you know you can buy an additional license transfer for $10 so you don't have to buy another copy of SB

http://www.scrapebox.com/additional-license-transfer

Have you explained to them that you definitely didn't reinstall Windows? If so, I would hope that they'd be interested in investigating that to make sure this doesn't happen to other users by mistake...

Most likely what happened was when you restarted your VPS you lost your license because someone else activated your license on their VPS on that same server. I've had it happen once to me and arguing with Sweetfunny is futile.

Now I own dedis sliced into VPSs and seen it first hand where licenses are floating across VPSs on the same server. It is a bug with SB.

I recently fired up a VPS for a fellow jrvip and gave him one of my SB licenses. After he downloaded and installed SB he never had a chance to install my credentials. SB licensed his new installation of SB under another member's license that is on that same server. Because I lease the VPSs I know who is on what server so I know what happened. So now two guys are running on that one license UNTIL one of them shuts down their SB and tries to restart it. That person will be locked out, even if he's the legitimate owner until the month is up.

I guarantee you that someone else leasing a VPS on the same dedi that you are on is running your license. When you rebooted you lost your license until the month expires and you get to reclaim it. SB only checks licensing when it starts. You can leave a license open and running, move it (if your 30 days is up) and license it on another computer. Your first copy will run until you close it. Someone else on that dedi is enjoying your license.

Evening all. So here's the rest of the story for anyone who was wondering:

I made it very clear to SB that I had re-started (and not re-installed Windows on) my VPS. Their response was somewhat unconvinced, but they said that I should contact my VPS to see if they're changing their hardware upon restarts.

I contacted the VPS, a couple of days went by with no response before I closed my ticket. In the meantime, I read kvmcable's reply which made a lot of sense to me. And according to the big G, there are other software programs too which have the same problem.

To anyone starting out with VPSes: don't make my mistake. I suggest you install all the programs/updates/etc that require you to restart Windows before you transfer SB to your VPS. Once you do transfer SB, don't restart your VPS until the 1st of each month has gone by so you can renew your license for free in case this happens. Chances are small (I gather) that SB won't renew your license, but the chance is there.

I took HelloInsomnia's advice and bought a new license transfer, and now everything's working fine. Scrapebox is still imo one of the sexiest programs out there. As loopline says, it really is a Swiss army knife. Just gotta cut yourself a coupla times before you get the hang of it. Hopefully this post will prevent some of those cuts

I've not had much use for them but the few times I have I've always found SB support very helpful and understanding, must be an ANZAC thing

Wow. Just wow idk what to say.

gdoss said:

Wow. Just wow idk what to say.

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how about saying "I'm trying to increase my post count"?

ScrapeBox has a nice little tool that will clean the server. Had to use it once when my copy came up under another license. Tell SB that the license shown is not your license and provide your details.