Didn't even realise this was a subscription based service...

You pay once and have free updates for one year.

Begin your complete Windows customization experience

Access updates and betas for included software for one year.

^ Seems pretty clear to me.

It is all over these forums that if you go to the store, while your subscription is active, and download/archive your programs, you can always use them.

If your subscription dies, after a while, you lose access to your downloads page. Very well known info, if you follow the forums, which you should if you pay good money for a product.

I recommend archiving all your apps at least quarterly. This way, you have all the different versions that you are entitled to, because OSes change.

If you save them to your PC, you have them forever, even if you stop renewing. Just no more updates after a year.

Super simple.

But you have to activate the programs to work how do u activate a archived program that u just installed without a working activation key since the subscription has ended? cause wont it ask for the activation key if you install the program u archived and after the subscription ends the key is removed along with my download on the account right? 

Once you have the apps archived installing them and activating them is easy. When the app asks for your key all you have to do is click on activate with your account password. Enter that and you're good to go. All the apps that you have are good forever, not for the life of your machine but for the rest of your life. Renewing your subscription each year guarantees you get all the latest updates plus access to the betas. When it ends after one year you still have all the apps. 

ok so y

ok so i just use my account as the activation and it remembers my old purchase of the product? 

Yup

And see here: https://forums.wincustomize.com/479831/

very nice thanks for the info i would have responded sooner if it wasn't for the most dammed function on this forum that prevents a new account for doing so...

Sorry but that is just totally unreasonable. Firstly, I think it's highly debatable whether this is "very well known info". In my case, I found out about Fences somewhere on the internet and wanted to buy it. The Fences page does not list that you'll only get updates for a single year. Nor on its product page, nor when it's in your cart.

So, when you add it to your cart you'll get a popup to upgrade to Objects Desktop for a heavily discounted price, ok seems like a good deal. Your cart gets updated and still no mention of getting updates for only one year. You then click on the Object Desktop to see what other software is contained and for me, Multiplicity seemed useful since I was using a different program which I wasn't totally happy with. On this page, it does in fact state on the end of the first paragraph that you'll get: "... instant access to our award winning software applications and access to new product releases and updates for a year.". Ok, I didn't read the info on the Objects Desktop page, but this is because it's only a summary of all the applications it contains and you're better of reading the pages of all of those particular applications (which in turn do NOT mention anything regarding a single year of downloads and updates.

This stuff just needs to be clearly listed on the all product pages, which it isn't. It's almost like Stardock deliberately tries to make this as obscure as possible. Your statement seems to confirm this since "It is all over these forums...", and you even think that people need to follow the forums to find out about this. I don't think it would be all over these forums if it were actually clear in the first place that you'll only be able to download and update software within one year after purchase

Secondly, why would someone actually need to follow a forum for a product they bought in the first place? Most users buy stuff just to use it, and not to check the forums to find out how they might be allowed to use it and how long etc. You can't expect the user to search the forum to figure the stuff out which need to be clearly displayed on the product page! You might have time to read through the forums, but I for one don't want to read through the forums of all of the software I bought, it would be a day job for sure.

While I can respect Stardock limiting downloads and updates to a single year, it's their software and they need to make money off of it. But I don't respect that they don't make this clear enough when you order software from them. I was pretty annoyed to find out after I bought the software that it was limited to a single year. Granted, at first I didn't even know that you were allowed to continue using the software after the year expired, which is also something I think they could be more clear about. But this isn't the biggest issue since I'm relieved I can keep on using the software.

This actually is sensible advice, and I will surely do this for all of the Object Desktop software, now that I still have my licence.

Well actually I would think if anyone was going to purchase Object Desktop or any software they would look at the actual program page. 

So here is the page for Object Desktop. https://www.stardock.com/products/odnt/ 

Look at near the bottom of the page right above a button that says "Get it Now" It says this "Access updates and betas for included software for one year."

However so you know. If you save what your program(s) along with your license key you can use it as long as you want. You won't receive any updates after the year is up, but the software is your's forever provided you save it as you won't have access to it after the year if you don't renew.

No, it's not.  If a company closed shop there would be no access to its services.  If you had not downloaded and retained a copy of the product and serial etc you would have no access and would lose the program if you ever reinstalled your OS.  The onus is always on the customer to take care and responsibility for his own purchases.

With Object Desktop in particular, it is stated to be a subscription service which is actually a dictionary-defined concept:-

Each year I receive an email from Stardock, telling me that my subscription will expire in X no. of days, giving me details of renewal. I also agreed to Stardocks terms and conditions which include:

"The SOFTWARE is the property of Stardock Corporation
and is protected by copyright laws and international copyright treaties. The SOFTWARE is not sold, it is licensed."

 This licence allows you to use the product for life, you have purchased the licence, but it only includes updates for one year, after this you keep on using the product for as long as your machine supports it, but without any updates.

Also when you open Object Desktop manager you have 4 tabs at the top of the tile, one of which is SUBSCRIPTIONS,

this shows the products to which you have subscribed,the fact that you have updates for one year, your Key and the renewal dates.

Hi

I also have an issue with this. Someone said that once you purchase the apps and download them they will stay in the object desktop manager forever. Even after the subscription expires. You see I have ever only opened object desktop manager twice. One when I first got the apps to download them all and now I opened it the second time just now but all the apps that should be there aren't. It's empty. I have not changed computers or OS so they should be there but aren't. Can someone help me with this? Where can I download them without resubscribing? 

Edit: I also just noticed some of the apps are completely gone from my computer. As if they uninstalled themselves. 'Fences does not appear to be loaded. You may need to reinstall Fences.' Also right clicking on desktop and then on 'Configure DeskScapes' does nothing.

I'm pretty confident that nothing is silently uninstalled or disabled when your subscription runs out, Kiril_470.  You will probably need to submit a ticket to Stardock support, as more information will probably be needed to fully understand your situation.  Be sure to submit only once and wait for a reply - submitting another ticket or inquiry before an initial reply drops your ticket to the bottom of the queue.

It may be of little solace to you now, but all the apps included in the subscription are made available for download (the .exe's - so you'll always have them) while your subscription is active, on the MyDownloads tab of your Account page.  Once downloaded, they may be re-installed, installed on new machines and used on several at once, forever.  Updates will not be available without a subscription renewal.  I wasn't aware that you could download and store the apps via Object Desktop Manager (haven't used it in a long time) but if you did so using ODM, they should still be there somewhere.

Give Stardock a chance to look at your situation.  They work hard to support their customers and do the right thing.

This is an update for newer operation system kernels and file copyright security within the new OS systems. Obviously Stardock would have to completely revamp their programs to deal with the ugliness of Metro, and ugly washed out chalky flat color.

Of coarse you pay for it, it's a new program with the same purpose, to Make Windows Great Again!

Oops, I mean pretty again.

However, security patches and stability patches should be continued freely for at least three years after purchase, because the original purchased software should have had these fixes in the first place. Deliberately selling unstable software and charging for the fixes after one year is a poor way to maintain customer loyalty. It is interesting to think, I was about to buy the entire Object Desktop 2016 program, ... I make have to think about it now, perhaps wait to hear back from Stardock staff to get clarity on this.

Many problems were caused by the upgrade to Windows 10 and the subsequent Anniversary update, I lost programs and apps during these upgrades including some from Stardock, but it was not their fault, all of these programs worked fine in Windows 7 and 8, for which I purchased OD. Since Windows 10 Stardock  has revamped and relaunched many of these. Check on the Stardock website for those which are compatible with each Windows operating system.

When I renewed my subscription I received all of the latest versions and updates for my subscribed compatible OD products

Buy a years subscription, you get a year of updates included.

The thing is Stardock's software are not system altering one which have no haphazard issues once you patched your system from MS;they're simply complimentary tools can do without and you can opt out easily. To say Stardock "deliberately selling unstable software and charging for the fixes" is understatement and uncalled for a company has been in the market awhile. And not to mentioned MS has changed the Win10 selling method by providing patched very weeks for a software likes Stardock trying to catch the pace is really hard and exhausting. Over the years,I never have experienced system crash by Stardock's software,mostly their customized ones to say the least. on the security issues,you shouldn't worry as it is too small to being targeted as a gateway or the ilks.

There are no 'security' updates to Stardock apps as they pose no security risk to the OS.  The release products are by definition stable for the OS intended.  The only scenario in which they could become 'unstable' would be when the following are true:

1. The subscription for the SD app has expired.
2. MS makes an unanticipated change to the OS that affects the usability of the SD app.

Stardock are good, but they are not the Oracle of Delphi - no fix 'should have been there in the first place', or could have been.  The only way to get a 'stable' version of the app in the above scenario is to re-purchase the app or renew the OD subscription.  Even then, it may take some time for SD to modify the app in question to again function normally in the changed OS environment.

The only remaining option would be to revert to the OS version with which the SD app was compatible.

thanks, yes i agree, i can get a bit carried away; and, i feel a lot better about getting the full object desktop 2016 suite

Not offering downloads to whatever version you paid for after 1 year is pretty egregious IMO. If it was 5 years it would be less of a big deal, maybe. A new version of Windows seems to come out every 5 years.

I just bought the program 30 mins ago and would not have done so if I had known this would be an issue. Also, SD only gives you 75% of your money back if you ask for a refund.

Does FileHippo store old versions? I know they do this for a lot of software.

Think of it sort of like a magazine subscription: We give you a magazine (and updates!) for a year.  After the subscription is over you can  keep that magazine forever and read it whenever you want!  

If you can't figure out how to download and save the installers within a year, well...  that would be egregious.

As it happens a new version of Windows now comes out every 6-9 months.  Windows 10 is constantly changing and if they upped the version number we would be on Windows 12 at least by now.

As mentioned you can save the downloads yourself and I would always recommend doing so.  I have seen companies before where you get a x day window to download and have to pay an additional fee to get the download to remain downloadable for longer!