Studio 2 requires ORIGINAL serial number for install

[Walter Biscardi]

[George Loch] “If you have Final Cut Studio or you participated in the Cross-grade, you need to buy the $499 version. All others need to buy the $699 version.”

NOT if your original software was an older version of Final Cut Pro. If you started with just Final Cut Pro anywhere along the line, the $499 version will NOT install on your system, according to AppleCare.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com
HD Editorial & Animation for Broadcast and independent productions.

All Things Apple Podcast! https://cowcast.creativecow.net/all_things_apple/index.html

Read my blog! https://blogs.creativecow.net/WalterBiscardi

[Walter Biscardi]

[piper] ”
Wait a minute: Walter, were you doing a clean install with the upgrade version, or installing on top of FCS1?”

On top of an original FCS 1. Still asked for the numbers.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com
HD Editorial & Animation for Broadcast and independent productions.

All Things Apple Podcast! https://cowcast.creativecow.net/all_things_apple/index.html

Read my blog! https://blogs.creativecow.net/WalterBiscardi

[Walter Biscardi]

[davemcc] ”
According to an Apple rep. (higher than “base” tier support), you just need the previous “full” version serial number to install an upgrade license. You don’t need to go back to version 1, if that was your first full purchase.”

Absolutely we did here. I had to pull out the Serial number for Final Cut Pro v1.2.5 for the $699 Upgrade from Final Cut Pro / Production Suite. That was the last full version I purchase that was not an upgrade. All other serial numbers from Version 2 all the way to Studio 1 came up as invalid.

[davemcc] “If you had FCS 5.0/5.1 (now considered FCS 1, though that was never the official name), and you install the $499 upgrade over your existing copy, the installer will find your 5.0/5.1 serial number and only ask for the FCS 2 serial number.”

We had the $699 version and that did NOT find the old serial numbers. Our VAR is currently swapping out one of our $699 versions for the $499 upgrade as we speak.

[davemcc] “In other words, according to the Apple rep., “Only paid, true upgrades come with a new serial number. And, to use an upgrade, you need the serial number from the previous version of FCP/FCS.””

A previous FULL version of Final Cut Pro / Studio which was the point of my post. A previous Upgrade serial number will not work in the case of the $699 upgrade.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com
HD Editorial & Animation for Broadcast and independent productions.

All Things Apple Podcast! https://cowcast.creativecow.net/all_things_apple/index.html

Read my blog! https://blogs.creativecow.net/WalterBiscardi

[Andy Field]

Walter,

Thank you for trying to clarify this – but just got off phone with Apple Store and even they are confused.

I bought the box but didn’t open it – and really can’t get my head around what I should do

Here’s the history – which is probably the history of most folks on this forum

1. bought original FCP1
2. upgraded EVERY TIME – paying full upgrade price up to and including FCP 5.0
3. Did the Crossgrade

So which one do I buy – the 699 or the 499 — and why pay more for having paid more for years? Doesn’t make sense

Andy

[Dave Mac]

[walter biscardi] “davemcc] ”
According to an Apple rep. (higher than “base” tier support), you just need the previous “full” version serial number to install an upgrade license. You don’t need to go back to version 1, if that was your first full purchase.”

Absolutely we did here. I had to pull out the Serial number for Final Cut Pro v1.2.5 for the $699 Upgrade from Final Cut Pro / Production Suite. That was the last full version I purchase that was not an upgrade. All other serial numbers from Version 2 all the way to Studio 1 came up as invalid.”

That is simply untrue, Walter.

I did just what I described here only yesterday. It worked. Are you now going to respond and tell me what I did really didn’t happen?

In fact, what I have described has worked for every upgrade back to 1.5 (before 2.0 came out).

So, I stated what I had been told by a senior Apple rep. and by WHAT happened in my actual experience. Please don’t assert that my experience is false.

The license file thing is critical here. And, the number of licenses it stores may have varied over the years. So, if you had been upgrading without erasing or somehow removing the license file, the info stored therein was available to the new installer. I can verify this in my personal experience.

[walter biscardi] “[davemcc] “In other words, according to the Apple rep., “Only paid, true upgrades come with a new serial number. And, to use an upgrade, you need the serial number from the previous version of FCP/FCS.””

A previous FULL version of Final Cut Pro / Studio which was the point of my post. A previous Upgrade serial number will not work in the case of the $699 upgrade.”

No, Walter, you aren’t reading what I have written. In my experience, in light of the existence of the license file (which you’ve never mentioned), I have only ever needed the previous version’s license number. That’s it! Back to version 1.x.

So, to go to FCS 5.1 from a copy of FCP 4/4.5 (same license), which originally was bought in version 1.x and upgraded over time (to each new version), miraculously only needed my version 4/4.5 license number to work. To be clear, this was version 4/4.5 that had been upgraded at each new version with the original FULL price purchase being version 1.x.

Additionally, George and others have confirmed my experience. It’s also possible that your Apple rep. was wrong, or the serial number printed on your one upgrade box was not correct. Two distinct and probable possibilities not to ignore…

Again, forget anything that any Apple rerp. has said. What I have described has worked for me, yesterday in fact. Perhaps, I have not stated things clearly enough…

Best regards,

Dave

[Walter Biscardi]

[davemcc] “Absolutely we did here. I had to pull out the Serial number for Final Cut Pro v1.2.5 for the $699 Upgrade from Final Cut Pro / Production Suite. That was the last full version I purchase that was not an upgrade. All other serial numbers from Version 2 all the way to Studio 1 came up as invalid.”

That is simply untrue, Walter.”

I’m telling you what happened here. We purchased the FCS 2 Upgrade for Final Cut Pro / Production Suite. The Serial Number for FCS 1 did not work when FCS 2 asked for the original serial number from our previous Final Cut Pro. We called AppleCare, we tried a few of the other serial numbers and then had to use the one from FCP 1.2.5 in order for the upgrade to take.

The AppleCare rep told me that was because all my other copies were upgrades and it required a number from a full retail version.

Yes it is completely true.

[davemcc] “I did just what I described here only yesterday. It worked. Are you now going to respond and tell me what I did really didn’t happen?”

How would I know?

[davemcc] “No, Walter, you aren’t reading what I have written. In my experience, in light of the existence of the license file (which you’ve never mentioned), I have only ever needed the previous version’s license number. That’s it! Back to version 1.x.”

The license file is on the machine in question. It did not work.

[davemcc] “Additionally, George and others have confirmed my experience. It’s also possible that your Apple rep. was wrong, or the serial number printed on your one upgrade box was not correct. Two distinct and probable possibilities not to ignore…”

The Serial Number for FCS 2 was correct. You’re saying that all my serial numbers for the upgrades of FCP 2, 3, 4, 4.5, 5 were all wrong because they worked when I installed the software, but don’t work now?

[davemcc] “Again, forget anything that any Apple rerp. has said. What I have described has worked for me, yesterday in fact. Perhaps, I have not stated things clearly enough…”

Hey, that’s a great idea. I’ll ignore all information I get from Apple Tech Support from here forward and only listen to what you say. Very good plan!

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com
HD Editorial & Animation for Broadcast and independent productions.

All Things Apple Podcast! https://cowcast.creativecow.net/all_things_apple/index.html

Read my blog! https://blogs.creativecow.net/WalterBiscardi

[Dave Mac]

Andy,

You have exactly the same situation as I have. Your last paid upgrade, not counting the discs for the “crossgrade” from 5.0 to 5.1, was 5.0. So, you need the $499 upgrade.

This is what I used to upgrade my FCS 5.1 install yesterday. My license for 5.0/5.1 was in the license file I mentioned earlier in the thread, so I only needed to enter the FCS 2 license number.

Hey, it worked for me. According to others, it shouldn’t have worked. But, hey, maybe I’m living in a nodal zone of the space-time continuum and the laws of physics don’t apply to me, or I’m just real lucky… 😉

Best regards,

Dave

[Walter Biscardi]

[Andy Field] ”
Here’s the history – which is probably the history of most folks on this forum

1. bought original FCP1
2. upgraded EVERY TIME – paying full upgrade price up to and including FCP 5.0
3. Did the Crossgrade

So which one do I buy – the 699 or the 499 — and why pay more for having paid more for years? Doesn’t make sense”

according to what AppleCare told me yesterday and confirmed by my VAR, you need the $699 version. Makes zero sense to me as well.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com
HD Editorial & Animation for Broadcast and independent productions.

All Things Apple Podcast! https://cowcast.creativecow.net/all_things_apple/index.html

Read my blog! https://blogs.creativecow.net/WalterBiscardi

[Dave Mac]

Walter,

[walter biscardi] ”

[Andy Field] ”
Here’s the history – which is probably the history of most folks on this forum

1. bought original FCP1
2. upgraded EVERY TIME – paying full upgrade price up to and including FCP 5.0
3. Did the Crossgrade

So which one do I buy – the 699 or the 499 — and why pay more for having paid more for years? Doesn’t make sense”

according to what AppleCare told me yesterday and confirmed by my VAR, you need the $699 version. Makes zero sense to me as well.”

I agree with you. It makes zero sense. It also contradicts with the wording on Apple’s site (those this is debatable).

Forget what the Apple reps. and VARs are saying… THEY ARE WRONG.. Yes, they are wrong…

I and others with exactly your and Andy’s described situation have successfully upgraded to FCS 2 with the $499 upgrade, having done all upgrades from version 1.x, at each and every upgrade, including the upgrade to 5.0 from 4/4.5 and the crossgrade (really should have been called “disc exchange” cuz that’s all it was, not including true upgrades to FCS 5.1 from version earlier than 5.0).

***
I successfully upgraded my system yesterday, reps and VARs be damned, using the $499 upgrade kit and IT WORKED!!! Actual experience, not just info from some under-trained and under-paid, or simply confused, VAR or Apple rep.
***

Best regards,

Dave

[Walter Biscardi]

[davemcc] “Forget what the Apple reps. and VARs are saying… THEY ARE WRONG.. Yes, they are wrong…”

And just remember, if you open the box and it doesn’t work, it’s a bit of sticky problem to return the opened software. That’s where a VAR comes in handy, especially one like mine that deals directly with the Apple Pro group in Cupertino.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com
HD Editorial & Animation for Broadcast and independent productions.

All Things Apple Podcast! https://cowcast.creativecow.net/all_things_apple/index.html

Read my blog! https://blogs.creativecow.net/WalterBiscardi