Quark 6 activation

[stevemoore]

Anyone found a way around the ridicularity if you need to re-install?

In the abscence of the long-awaited 6.1 update, I was wondering if anyone had found a way around the need to call Switzerland if you need to re-install.

 

[signal49]

I recently had to do this... In the Quark 6 app folder, there is a folder called Documents. Inside that, there is a pdf called Activation Form. You need to fill out page 10 for reactivation and either fax or email it to them.
Email address is: activation@quark.com
Fax number is: (303) 894-3761

I recommend that you express your aggravation at this process to reactivate your program in a blank section of the pdf. You can't even do this over the phone - I tried. If enough people complain, maybe they'll listen for once and change the system. I think we should at least be able to reactivate ONCE in case the computer crashes. The only plus side is that they do respond pretty quickly.

****Also, be sure to give them the INSTALLATION CODE not the Validation code. The installation code is the one you see when you launch Quark and click on Activate Over the Phone (which you can't do anyway).

Good luck and complain away!! ;-)

 

[Experts]

THE ONLY OPTION AFTER REINSTALLING IS CALL QUARK TECH. SUPPORT.

 

[stevemoore]

Yeah yeah, thanks for the usual.

Cheers signal though.

An update that might shed at least a little hope. We spoke to representatives from Quark at Mac Expo a few weeks ago. Everyone was talking about the activation problems and they promised an update before Christmas that would sort this and the other issues. Obviously they've failed to deliver, but at least they're thinking about it.

 

[Experts]

Activation is still there in the next update.

 

[signal49]

Experts,

This forum isn't to show off how much you know; it's to share it.

Snippy half sentences aren't much help to anyone in these forums.
"Activation is still there in the next update." Do you mean you still have to activate Quark when it's installed to get full functionality? Do you mean you still have to RE-activate it if you re-install Quark? How do you know this? Where did you hear it? Do you already have the update? How did you get it? Where should we (the people you're trying to help - since that's what this website is for) look for it? It seems to me that if you really knew this for a fact, your response would be a bit more detailed.

At least stevemoore and I, and pretty much everyone else who has posted on this site, explain why (we think) we know what we're posting is true. It may not always be exact and there may be better ways, but we offer suggestions. I went through the exact scenario stevemoore asked about last week and informed him of the steps I had to go through to resolve it. And to save him and others wasted time, I also looked up the email address and fax number that I personally had to use. Why would you reply "THE ONLY OPTION AFTER REINSTALLING IS CALL QUARK  TECH. SUPPORT" when I had already stated that calling them did not work? Did you read my post? You didn't even offer an explanation such as "Well, when I had to reactivate my version, I called Quark and they did it for me over the phone." Maybe other people could do it that way, too if we knew more about your situation.

So, all in all, please don't feel like you HAVE to post a reply to a question just because you have a little bit of related knowledge. If you have a solution or suggestion, post it in a way that will HELP the people who read it. Otherwise, keep your typing fingers still and think silently to yourself that you know more than everyone else.

 

[daanmuller]

I really dont see what all the fuss is about with the activation of Quark, in my opinion it's a minor inconvienance.
Of our 3 quarks I had to activate one initially by phone because for some reason activation over the internet didnt work, besides having to write down a large number no problem there.
I had to reinstall 2 copy's (thanks to 1 G5 motherboard frying itself and the other because of the fabulous 10.3.2 update from Apple), reactivation for 1 was merely a mather of a push on the activate button, for the other I had to fax the reactivation form (it's in the documents folder) and within 3 days (during those days the Quark still works, 5 days grace period) I got a new activationcode by email.

 

[Experts]

Signal49,
My apology for the confusion. BUT I know couple of people who received 6.1 pre-release build in which activation part is still there.
Also there are lot of issues with Quark 6 with activation. If you want reactivation then the only option is to call/e-mail quark tech support/customer service inorder to get activation code.
Adobe is alo going to start activation process. Infact in Australia activation process has already been started by Adobe for photoshop.
I hope this helps.

 

[stevemoore]

No good for disaster recovery planning though danmuller. We burn copies of all our Quarks and hold them off-site. They will not run on a network unless they are individually licensed copies so I agree that this activation stuff renders the product unfit for purpose.

Oh, wise words signal - rock on.

 

[jorowi]

If you purchase the lab packs you avoid the whole activation issue. You can uninstall/reinstall as many times as possible. The only downside is that you have to maintain a QLA server and mobile users must "check-out" their copy before using it offline.

 

[privatesurfer]

In terms of activation, the agency I service has been seriously inconvenienced by it. It does seem impossible to uninstall Quark 6 on a Mac and get online authorization.

If it is after 3 pm PST, you cannot phone Quark and get a new number. We recently had to keep extra freelancers until 9 pm because one of our Quarks lost its authorization after a week of being fully authorized, and could not be reinstalled/authorized.

Phoning for the number resulted in a half hour delay as the Indian tech and his supervisor struggled to understand how the challenge-response structure of Quark 6's system works. They refused to give the number for 20 minutes even though the serial number and challange number checked out fine by their own reckoning. Followup with Quark Customer service took two months to get an incomplete response.

We were told the delay occurs because there are 2 Customer Support offices and one gets the email but is only a technical office and won;t respond or forward the email if it is of a business nature!

It has been 3 months, 2 or 3 phone calls and many emails trying to get our 4th copy of Quark 4 upgraded to 6 - Quark's automated system claims there's a problem with the registration number. The Quark Customer Support personnell we have spoken with keep claiming they will 'get back to us'.

The fact that some users experience no difficulty is not a good indicator of whther there is a problem - rather the failure rate as a whole must be considered.

Anyone knowing how to fully uninstall Quark 6 so that the previously entered username doesn;t show on the new install's reg page, please post a method.

Thanks!