A tricky thing with resetting codes

Question

If you have Paratext installed, and want to reset your registration code (or perhaps it has been reset if you have changed your organization), I find there is one annoying bug in Paratext that can result in it thinking the new code is invalid.

When you generate a new code, then start Paratext and go to Registration Information and paste the new code in, it seems that you must restart Paratext after entering the new code. Or else when you go to send/receive projects, it will tell you the new code is invalid.
So remember, if you paste in a new code, restart Paratext.

If you forget, and Paratext says your new code is invalid, you can fix it this way.
Close Paratext, then open Registry Editor. Look for Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Paratext\PreviousRegistrationCode

Delete the PreviousRegistrationCode value, then start Paratext and it should accept the new code.

Answer 1

This was not a question

Comments

@sewhite

I have a user who seems to have this problem, and they don't have a RegEdit key Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Paratext.

Other suggestions?

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Have you verified on another computer that the code they  are trying is valid?

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This is remote support via email, so kind of hard to work out. I have tried the code on my computer, and the OK button is active. The person enters the same name and code on their computer and the OK button is not active. It looks like the are not starting from a currently-used Paratext, but a new installation. (The screen shot of entering the code is on the desktop, not floating over Paratext windows.) I don't know yet what version of Paratext they are using (I've asked), but the code was just created in the last week or so. I also asked if they have an active Internet connection when this problem occurs. Anything else I should be looking for?

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Still no luck. They updated to Paratext 9.4, and tried to change the registration code even while it was connected to the Internet, and the OK button is still disabled. They hope to bring the computer to me on Friday, so maybe I can shed some light on the problem...

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Well, I finally got the computers (there were 2 with the same problem). When I started Paratext, it just presented me with the registration dialog, and even though the registration information was correct, the OK button was not active. The only option was Cancel which closed Paratext. I went into the Registry, and lo and behold, the registry key was there! So I deleted it, and Paratext started normally. I'm not sure exactly what happened. The user sent me a screen shot showing that the Paratext folder was not in the registry (in the right place), but when I got the computer it was there. Must be the gremlins out there... :-) Thanks for your input.

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In a remote support case, if you can Zoom or Skype and have them  give remote control to you, you could check the registry  value yourself. Search  for zoom remote control or skype remote control to see  how.