Author Topic: Unable to use licensed software when not on internet?  (Read 4327 times)

EarlMcLean

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Unable to use licensed software when not on internet?
on: February 14, 2023, 04:21:17 PM
I've written a request for support regarding this incident already. I'm posting this mostly to see if anyone else is experiencing the same issue.

I recently purchased an M2 Ipad Pro so I could paint on the go and showcase work to clients. After researching the best digital painting program for IOS I found that many of the serious artists all recommended the same program, ArtStudio Pro. So a few days ago I bit the bullet and bought the lifetime license. Since then I have had my iPad at home on wifi and had been training myself with the interface and doing a few practice paintings. This morning I had a meeting with a prospective client. He laid out what he had in mind via email and I spent several hours last night doing a mock-up that would hopefully land me the gig. I saved my artwork but left it open as I wanted it to be the first thing that came up upon unlocking the screen, then plugged the system into the charger so it'd be full for the following day.
I drove to our meeting, got seated and opened the cover on my iPad. It unlocked but instead of being greeted by the mock-up artwork, I instead got a pop-up stating the software needed to be licensed in order to save. Behind the pop-up wasn't the mock-up art I had saved previously, but instead was one of practice paintings I had done before buying a license for the software. I apologized profusely and explained that I did in fact own a license for the program. I tried searching the iPad for the mock-up so I could at least salvage the meeting but it was nowhere to be found. I just kept getting the pop-up about needing to license the software in order to save.

I haven't been back home yet today to test if the software will work as intended once I'm back on the network. This experience however was horrible. Has anyone else had anything like this happen? With as high a praise as this program received I'm having a hard time believing it's intended to not work when it doesn't have an active internet connection.

Lucky Clan

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Re: Unable to use licensed software when not on internet?
Reply #1 on: February 14, 2023, 05:05:49 PM
Do you use version 5.1 or 5.11?
It should work there even without Internet connection.

EarlMcLean

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Re: Unable to use licensed software when not on internet?
Reply #2 on: February 14, 2023, 05:22:14 PM
I just got home about 30 minutes ago. I had the iPad in airplane mode as I approached the house to see if the program would still throw the licensing error pop-up if it couldn't see my wifi, it did. As soon as I took it out of airplane mode and it could see my network, the prompt went away. In between my initial post and getting home I did some searching online to see if anyone else was having a similar issue and someone was. They mentioned updating the program fixed the issue, so I checked, and there was indeed an update. Before updating, the sample image I had initially practiced on was still loaded on the active canvas and saved. The mock-up art was still MIA and not saved anywhere even though I had saved it locally the night before and made sure it was there safe and sound. So I update the software. I decided to test the licensing prompt again by disconnecting the iPad from the wireless manually and shutting down the iPad from the system menu option. Once fully shut down I waited about 60 seconds, then turned the system on. I loaded the software, and initially, for like 2 seconds, it showed the practice painting I had done on the active canvas. The program then skipped out to the "local save" selection browser where I could see that painting saved icon before it simply blinked away, and it was gone. I checked the "recently deleted" folder, and it wasn't there. It's like it never existed, the same as the mock-up art piece I'd prepared for my meeting earlier today.

To answer your question, I'm now on version 5.1.1(906). In going to pull that version number for you, I still hadn't reconnected to the wifi and was met with the "You Are In Read-Only Mode" prompt again and it's still asking me to license the software.
Last Edit: February 14, 2023, 05:26:21 PM by EarlMcLean

Lucky Clan

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Re: Unable to use licensed software when not on internet?
Reply #3 on: February 14, 2023, 05:55:57 PM
I will analyze the situation first thing tomorrow and try to fix it asap. Sorry for the problems.

EarlMcLean

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Re: Unable to use licensed software when not on internet?
Reply #4 on: February 14, 2023, 06:58:54 PM
Thank you. I truly appreciate that. I want to start creating but am concerned about spending any more time doing so with artworks randomly popping out of existence.
Last Edit: February 15, 2023, 08:16:46 PM by EarlMcLean

Lucky Clan

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Re: Unable to use licensed software when not on internet?
Reply #5 on: February 15, 2023, 08:21:36 AM
I have just tried to reproduce it. I removed app from iPad, installed the most recent version (5.1.1) from the App Store, launch it. Then turned on "Airplane mode", and everything was working fine.

They I tried many other scenarios, like rebooting, installing again. I was testing with Airplane mode enabled almost all the time (except when i was downloading the app). I tested on both iOS 15 and 16, and both iPad and iPhone.

I didn't encounter this issue. It could happen in version 5.0.1 or older, but then it was fixed in 5.0.2.

Can anybody test that as well?

EarlMcLean

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Re: Unable to use licensed software when not on internet?
Reply #6 on: February 15, 2023, 10:18:56 AM
When I get home this evening I'll record footage and upload it for you.

EarlMcLean

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Re: Unable to use licensed software when not on internet?
Reply #7 on: February 15, 2023, 05:49:32 PM
Link to video showing licensing issue.

My apologies for fumbling with the IOS interface. I recently purchased the iPad, and I'm still getting used to it.

The video shows the issue I'm having with the licensing; However, it seems intermittent. I powered down with the wifi disabled and rebooted after shooting this to film it a second time and that time the program stayed licensed like it was supposed to. I want to keep testing it, but I have several projects due I need to get completed and will have to test more when time permits. (Hopefully later tonight.)

UPDATE: It's 2 hours later and I had time between projects to test. I had left it on with the wifi off, it remained licensed upon starting the software. I shut the wifi off then closed the program fully before shutting down the iPad from the system command. I waited a few minutes, turned on the system, checked to ensure wifi was indeed still off and then ran the program. I got the licensing error.

Here's a video of me doing this.

Sorry again about the fumbling with the interface on IOS. I intended to spend a lot more time with it as I used this program more and more frequently but with it deleting my stuff and not being able to be used outside my home network, I haven't gotten any use out of it.
Last Edit: February 15, 2023, 08:05:18 PM by EarlMcLean

EarlMcLean

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Re: Unable to use licensed software when not on internet?
Reply #8 on: February 15, 2023, 08:39:53 PM
So I realized both videos I provided start after I've already rebooted the iPad to show the licensing error so I made a 3rd video for you. This one shows the software fully licensed and the version number. I then go turn off the wifi, turn off the iPad, wait about 20 - 30 seconds and turn the iPad back on. I verify the wifi is still off and then start the software which gives the unlicensed prompt. I did talk through this video just so there wouldn't be lots of dead air while waiting on the shutdown and restart of the iPad.

Click here to view the 3rd video.

Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated. If this isn't something that can be solved, I would like a refund please. I honestly have no use for this program if I can't reliably use it offline.

Lucky Clan

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Re: Unable to use licensed software when not on internet?
Reply #9 on: February 16, 2023, 04:25:00 AM
Thanks for your videos and explanations. We are working on this now.

Lucky Clan

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Re: Unable to use licensed software when not on internet?
Reply #10 on: February 16, 2023, 06:54:10 AM
update: We fixed that, probably. We are not 100% sure because we cannot test it in App Store environment, but we are almost sure it will work fine. New version will be released asap, update has been submitted and is waiting for review on the App Store.
Last Edit: February 16, 2023, 08:05:20 AM by Lucky Clan

Lucky Clan

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Re: Unable to use licensed software when not on internet?
Reply #11 on: February 16, 2023, 03:11:53 PM
Version 5.1 is available now! Could you check if it fixes the issue on your iPad?

EarlMcLean

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Re: Unable to use licensed software when not on internet?
Reply #12 on: February 16, 2023, 04:29:09 PM
Will do, as soon as I get home this evening. 👍

Lucky Clan

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Re: Unable to use licensed software when not on internet?
Reply #13 on: February 17, 2023, 02:31:01 AM
May i ask if you found time to test it? Can i treat this issue as solved?

Will do, as soon as I get home this evening. 👍

EarlMcLean

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Re: Unable to use licensed software when not on internet?
Reply #14 on: February 17, 2023, 06:34:56 AM
It was a busy night but I did finally get around to testing the newest version right before bed and it seems to have resolved the issue. I ran it through three cycles with various pause lengths while off network and the software stayed licensed the entire time. Thank you for addressing this so quickly. It doesn't bring back the lost art that popped out of existence but at least I have confidence that the software is going to stay useable.

While I have you, the art disappearing thing may be something to look into. I assume it's a result of the license flip-flopping and with that resolved, it may not be much of an issue. However, if projects getting deleted from system storage are tied to the license reading properly and something happens with a future update that toggles the license state, loads of folks could potentially lose saved works.
 
t may have something to do with leaving the artwork open (although it was definitely saved in local storage). It hearkened with two different pieces as I mentioned previously and other than them both being saved locally, they were both open on the active canvas area during a license toggle before simply popping out of existence.

Thanks again!
Last Edit: February 17, 2023, 06:40:25 AM by EarlMcLean