Was Object Desktop just a rental?

You can contact Support and they should be able to give you links to those programs that you are trying to redownload.  Then I would suggest that you archieve the programs.  That way if you have a hicup you can just grab them from your archieve.

Yeah that happend to me too....

But support will help you out mate!!!

Also sorry to say this but you won't get the latest updates of all the sofware.....

but the latest of what they have in the link they give you.....

SO to anyone who's reading this, In your last month you must archieve all the software you would like to KEEP!!!!!

Or you loose it!!!!

Ok. Thanks guys. Looking back I know I should of gotten things archived but I had been trying to get things setup on a Win7 installation and kinda let things get behind. Having about 30GBs to DL from Impulse and about 40GBs from Steam I've been a downloading fool for the last few days.

That'd be about 6 months of my download limit....;p

I ALWAYS make sure anything downloaded does NOT need to be redownloaded.....by archiving somewhere...preferably to a secondary drive, too .....;)

IIRC Your in Australia Jafo. Most of my online Demigod and L4D playing is with a friend there so I've heard plenty about your guy's limits. I might not have the fastest connection(DSL 5000/768) but I am glad it's unlimited.

I have an extra 320GB HD that does even have another copy of my steamapps folder on it, but for some reason I can't get this version of Windows to boot with it plugged in. It's an older IDE drive, so that might have something to do with it. as Slave the BIOS won't even show(jumpers are correct) and as Master it shows up fine in BIOS but Windows restarts the PC before booting all the way. I just have to get off my lazy butt and stick it in my backup PC and see if I can trouble shoot the issue or at least extract all the data off of it.

If there's the option for CS [cable select] give that a go...as your primary HD may also be set as CS, not 'Master' ...;)

I don't know how to tell you this but.... ALL software is rented. Even your OS if you read the licensing.

It's not fun, it just is. Even hardware is problematic. I have to trash a pefectly good scanner because the company will not make a 64 bit driver for it. So in reality, NOTHING is forever.

@HoodyCrow, renting and licensing aren't the same.

Jafo or another Stardockian can certainly correct me if necessary, but the license terms for ODNT that I had indicated I would have access to the software version that was current at the time of the annual expiry.  It may be that there is a technical hurdle to overcome in having that access streamlined through the Impulse Client, but that's a tech challenge for Stardock to manage and doesn't change the license terms.

So you can choose where to archive? Didn't know that. 

Yes, yes, and yes....maybe one more...lost track...;)

[email protected] will be your likely port of call....;)

Blue button at the top left of Impulse -> Preferences -> Folders. You can update a few different settings from here, too!

Mike

Thanks, Mike!

No problem

Mike

Stardock will no longer be providing archives for expired Object Desktop subscriptions.  I would suggest making the archives before your subscription expires.

Yikes

I get the whole renting and licensing thing everyone is talking about here. But if I buy software (be it a game or a program) I can install it as many times as I want for however many years go by. I understand I may not get the updates or upgrades of the software but I can still install them none the less. If Impulse's concept is for you to have digital software that can be installed thru Impulse without the need for CDs, I don't understand why after a year they would restrict you from using Impulse to install it and instead you are provided a link to download an .EXE version of the program? It's interesting how these things work.

Shirley-

I'm thinking that after a person's subscription expires he/she is only entitled to the last full release version, not any subsequent beta's, right?  So if a person lets their subscription expire and needs to re-install, they would install Impulse (and Stardock Central for any ancient stuff maybe if there's not an Impulse archive for it), and then would they be able to restore their most recent beta archive or would they need to go back to a full release version?  I'm wondering if the full release versions should be kept, I can see where a person would be tempted not to keep those archives after newer beta's came out.  Thanks.

This only applies to Object Desktop, as it's really a subscription, not a purchase.  If you were to purchase the apps separately, or games, those are good indefinitely.

You can restore any archives made before the subscription lapsed, beta or full release.

It's not a bad idea to make an archive of both.  I wouldn't rely on beta releases for backup copies.

If that's the case, how many people really know about archiving and how to do it? Impulse should give some kind of prompt with this statement and instructions on how to archive and restore to remind users so they don't lose products they've paid for.

This policy change - and afaik, license change - needs a corresponding Impulse UI change. If you're making a distinction between Object Desktop and every other piece of software available through Impulse by limiting access to only one year, then you need to have the corresponding UI to support such limitations and distinctions.  Reminder nags don't cut it in this regard, since the end result is that the customer can permanently lose access to the product if they don't understand the archiving requirements.  And given my earlier response - and Jafo's affirmative support of my response - a strong case can be made that since Stardockians don't have a complete handle on this, that it's a sure bet some of your customers do not either.

One possible implementation is for OD apps to auto-archive at the end of the year.  A better implementation is for a field in the customer <-->license table be used to track the last licensed version of a piece of software that each customer is entitled to.  But if you're dead set against that, auto-archiving is another option.  And there are other ways of handling this, but I have to say I'm surprised you're now making an arbitrary distinction for this one package.  Any other bit of software I obtain through Stardock and Impulse is supposed to be available out to some undefined future date.

"If that's the case, how many people really know about archiving and how to do it? Impulse should give some kind of prompt with this statement and instructions on how to archive and restore to remind users so they don't lose products they've paid for." --Reply #19 (For some reason the "quote" function isn't working for me)

I agree. How do we archive? My sub doesn't run out for quite some time (I got the special 2-for-1 deal back in early Fall), but it would definitely be nice to know how to keep an archive in case something goes kaput.

To archive, open Impulse, then click on the upper left button with the arrow. A dialog box opens; click on Preferences, and then, in the next box, click on Archive and Install, and your options are available there. It would be a good idea to back up your archives elsewhere if it's true that you won't be able to get old versions once your subscription expires.

Also, to immediately archive an application that you already have installed, go into the "My Software" tab and right click on the application's icon.  Then on the popup menu select "Archive Application".  That will create an archive from your drive.

To download and archive an application that you don't have installed and don't want to install right now, right click on that application's icon and select "Download and Archive".  That will download the application and create an archive for it without installing it.

Hm. I have to agree with Aesir on this one. Essentially cutting people off from their apps because they failed to archive without at least providing some kind of substantial warning (by this I mean a colorful pop-up box at a minimum, not an EULA) seems like shabby customer service.

Now that is just plain silly, especially since you don't provide physical media. It isn't like you've wiped these versions from your archival systems. There should at least be a set time period that people have access to what they paid for.