Home Forums Discussions Problems Cannot Upgrade to 9.3

Since I'm on call this weekend, I figure it's a great opportunity to upgrade AC to 9.3. Nope. When I try, I get a message that says "An active support license is required to install Amazing Charts software updates..." and is asking for an activation code.

Yet, when I start AC it says I have a valid license and that I am subscribed for maintenance and support. When I go to my client portal at amazingcharts.com, it says I have Guardian Angel Support and Maintenance. My support and maintenance contract will auto-renew at the end of February, but it's still valid today.

Does AC limit upgrades if your support contract is expiring soon? My understanding of the contract/licensing agreement with AC is that all upgrades are included with a support contract. And since my support contract is still in effect, I should be able to upgrade to the latest version. What am I missing?

Are you installing it on a new machine. One that has never had SQL installed? If so, you can't. You need an activation code. People used to make a big deal about that. Me as well. If you email AC, support will send you one as soon as they get your email. If you can't get it, let me know. I will make sure you get it.

If it is the case that you are upgrading to a new machine, you want to alert support in advance.

My understanding is that AC is looking to make getting a Key will become a self-service feature of the client portal.

Since our client practices enjoy having the upgrades and/or server moves done during nights and weekends, this 'feature' is now a hardship for practices that don't want to have to close early so that the upgrade can be done during AC support hours.

Hopefully this will be rectified soon.

The only time it is problematic is when you need to upgrade immediately to a new machine. Otherwise, if you are using computer A as your main computer, and you are thinking of computer B down the road, go ahead and install the app with SQL way ahead of time. In fact, you could do that with all of them.

I agree with you it is rather silly. And, I still think it is for pirating.

I'm not installing to a new machine. I am upgrading my current server machine and all clients. I'm getting this message right after the install program identifies the path to my AC installation.

I've tried calling support, but of course it's the weekend and they only deal with support problems that impact patient care on the weekends. And since I'm on the west coast, I'll get a call sometime tomorrow, while I'm in the middle of my clinic.

The joys, and irritation, of running a small practice.

There is a thread on a related subject here:
http://amazingcharts.com/ub/ubbthreads.php/topics/70667/Re:_New_Security_Measure_Probl#Post70667

Basically, I would not attempt an upgrade unless you had pre-arranged an appointment with AC to be of assistance at the same time.

I don't think my problem is a "security measure". I think that AC is trying to block me from upgrading when I have less than a month left on my "guardian angel" support and maintenance contract.

I've never had a problem with upgrades in the past. They are easy to do and have always gone off without a hitch (but I have had problems with the upgrade being buggy).

I'm not going to schedule a meeting with support just to perform an upgrade. They're on the east coast, I'm on the west, making it near impossible to correlate at time, as they don't like to perform support outside of business hours. And the same applies since I perform my upgrades on the weekends so I have plenty of time to ensure things go smoothly, and so I can test the installation for a couple of hours before I have to use the software for real work.

Of all the things it could be, I can't imagine it would be that you have one month left on your guardian support. Wouldn't matter if it were one day. Plus, they would just think you were going to renew. Why would they think otherwise. If anything, if someone were going to let their support expire, they wouldn't want to risk going to another version. Basically, that would be illegal.

Have you made any hardware changes since your last version. HDD to SSD? More RAM, etc.

Just to beat this dead horse I have the same problem tried to upgrade to 9.3 from 9.2 got that inane message about active support license yet I am good for 6 more weeks, then to make it more aggravating now when click on AC 9.2 I get...Error startup pause in SECC version so can't open 9.2 and I'm working this weekend. Support nowhere to be found.

I got that error message over and over. See if you can install 8.2.4 with SQL. After, use Revo to uninstall SQL only. Then, install 9.2 over 8.2.4. Worked for me.

thanks something to do during the game tonight, can't hurt have unusable AC now as it is

The key once it is fu'd is to get completely installed. Right now 9.2 or 9.2 probably have their uninstaller as well at 50 other things in x86 and Program Data, etc.

The best thing you can do -- I had to do this -- is to install damned near every program AC, lol. If you can get an older version on without its saying there is a newer version on, hence installing the whole shebang, i.e. SQL, then uninstalling with Revo or Uninstaller, so that all of the registry entries are uninstalled. Generally, you have to go through to the end and get another error message and do it again.

getting 8.3.0 to install now will see if get permission to load 9.2 later

Make sure you uninstall it or at least uninstall SQL with Revo before trying to install 9.2.

I'm at the office doing unit testing, so let me know if you get stuck and need a hand.

Thanks Indy decided to go nuclear and do a clean install/upgrade to Win 10 will have AC support do the AC install DB conversion/authentication tomorrow.

Help me out. From what OS to what OS?

8.1 to 10, couldn't get AC 8.3 to fully load had a SQL error so decided wipe the hard drive and start with a clean machine

Probably faster, less go-forward risk by wipe and reinstall.

Sadly, an example of why we regularly image an instance before we upgrade anymore. NO ONE likes surprises.

relying on .enc for backup now looks problematical; AC support hasn't been able to get the last .enc backup into reloaded AC 9.2 the .enc doesn't have all the ?info needed to verify it on this machine?

So was 9.2 on ??? OS on main computer and 9.3 wouldn't install over it?

yep apparently the 9.3 installer may have a bug where clients accounts are read as out of date

Lovely. If that is the what can be expected with some regularly, that becomes a show-stopper.

Koby - have they tried restoring from the unencrypted .bak file?

yes they are doing it as we type, turns out they needed the SystemSetting.xml file that was wiped when I reformatted and loaded Windows 10, luckily i had my old laptop that was a client to the other and it had the SystemSettings.xml folder on it

I should have asked about that - with 9.2, we make a copy of the systemssettings.xml, it often gets blanked (0 bytes) when AC "shoots a crap", and then you have to over-write, run a repair, and that will often fix it.

Once they get 9.2 and the .enc folder up and running will see if they can get 9.3 to run on it, even if I like 9.3 on the laptop which is used in the Nursing Home and Assisted living facility think I won't be touching my main office server for a bit

think I better learn about that copy of Acronis TrueImage I own

I've used Acronis on and off for ~ 14 years, they have some nice virtualization tools & imaging tools

actually they are restoring from the .enc now that SystemSettings.xml was found

Took support almost 3 hrs to do restore of 9.2 then convert to 9.31 but done thanks Chris T

Thankfully you are back up. We've felt the same pain recently.

After you've had some time using it I would appreciate if you can share your opinion of 9.3/9.3.1? Is the ROI good?