I updated my computer to Windows 8 and it gave me no option about wanting a clean install. It just went ahead and made a clean install. All my programs had to be reinstalled. When I reinstalled CorelDRAW, it gives me the message that my application status can not be verified, even though I am registered and I can see the listing in my account at Corel.com. I am, therefore, unable to update the program. It is so frustrating, because I bought the DVD with book and I have the original DVD. Now, I have trouble getting any help from CorelDRAW because they want money to answer any questions whatsoever. Can anyone please help me sort this problem out?
Was your X6 an upgrade version? If so, you need the serial number from your previous version to prove eligibility for the upgrade and you will presumably need that again whenever you reinstall. You may possibly also need the DVD or download from the qualifying release.
I've not yet tried installing X6 on windows 8, but that's all I needed to install in windows 7.
Dear Harry:
Thank you for your reply. Yes, I've followed all the steps necessary to install CorelDRAW. I even paid money for a Corel technician to look at my install and confirm that it was done properly. I am having problem with the upgrade. It keeps giving me the same message, that it can't verify my install. I can't get Corel people to answer because, unless I pay cash, I am no longer important. Honestly, I have subscribed to Adobe and I am contemplating ditching Corel completely just for this one arrogant way of treating us. I can't even get an e-mail reply. I am forced to only use this avenue.
Sorry, for venting there.
Tiger
Dear Suku:
Thank you for your response and thank you for taking all the flak from other Corel users who didn't like your comments about Corel and about AI being a superior product. There are a few things I like to add and I hope everyone will read it objectively.
First of all, I've used Corel since its beginning. I am an old timer and I been with computers from Apple ][ and IBM PC days, when MS-DOS and PC-DOS was the only thing available and Word Perfect was the software of choice. Then came the Laser Printer, which only Apple could do something with, until PageMaker came along to start the revolution that is design today. I used PageMaker to being my career/hobby as a Graphic Artist and went on to own a print shop where it helped me build a reputation. This reputation was enhanced a lot further when Corel came along. Where PageMaker touted its ability to rotate text to any angle on Postscript printers, Corel was there to fit text to any path and thus started my relationship with Corel and I've taken special pride in owning the genuine Corel Products and in updating to genuine Corel Updates.
The reason for this preface is to show that I am probably one of the most loyal Corel users that there is. Now, Corel is basically telling me that my product is a stolen product and it hurts to hear that, especially when, in this age of downloading everything, I actually opted to buy the original DVD with the book, just so I could proudly claim that I buy Corel the old fashioned way. For retro-style loyalty, if you may. It made me feel good that I was going to that extent to make sure, and proudly display that I have an original Corel DVD and book.
Here is what seems to be the problem. By doing retro-style update, I assumed that my serial number, along with my name, would be written in Corel servers in gold letters. Instead, they don't even seem to be aware of the fact that I own a genuine copy of their product. They don't even know that I bought this product from them. I practically don't exist in their systems.
Here is what went wrong. I purchased the program using one e-mail as my user ID, but I paid for it using my credit card under a different user ID. The reason I did that was because when I checked my account with Corel, under both ID's, it showed no registered products, so I assumed that I should use the one I used for my credit card payment. Corel did not associate my copy of CorelDRAW with either of the ID's because they shipped the product to me, instead of my downloading the file. I did download the trial version until my copy arrived in the mail and then I installed it over the trial version with the DVD that I received. When Windows 8 did a clean install, I reinstalled using my DVD, assuming it will be okay. Which it was. I even paid $15 dollars to get one of Corel technicians to look at my computer through remote assistance and he said everything was okay.
I would have never known something was wrong if I hadn't received a notice that the update is available and when I tried to update, that's when I found out that my copy is considered pirated. Imagine my surprise, and my shock. I mean, I have credit card receipts to show that I paid for it, and directly from Corel and not anyone else, like a local store or something. Even worst surprise was when I tried to find a way to contact Corel, there was no option available for me. Either I had to pay for them to answer my question, regardless of the reason, or I had to use Corel community. Over 90 days had elapsed since my purchase, so there wasn't even an e-mail assistance available for me. I had no way to get Corel to help me with my problem. That's when I posted my question on this bulletin board. I did do one trick though, I pretended that my product was still within 90 days and sent an e-mail to that link, hoping that they'll take pity on me and they'll probably help. That was the only option I really had. Even my phone calls to Corel offices, to their sales and technical assistance, basically refused any help, UNLESS I PAY. Minimum payment of $18 - $20 to answer my question.
NOW PLEASE READ THIS PART CAREFULLY: I did receive a call from Corel. Someone did read my e-mail or read these posts here, and decided to help me. The gentleman was very helpful and we concluded that the reason my copy was flagged as pirated was because I had used a different ID than they have on their system, which we don't know the exact ID that I was supposed to use, considering neither of my two ID's had any product listed. He was very understanding of my plight and has issued me a new serial number which I can use to reinstall Corel and be able to update my program. I haven't tried it yet, because I have a few live projects that I am working on and I don't want to interrupt my workflow just yet. I'll give you an update and let you know if that solved my problem. I am sure it will because I was able to have Corel help me. So, kudos to Corel. My sincere thanks.
My gripe, and I guess that of you and I am sure of a few others, is this: I should have been able to get help with this problem, at least through an e-mail contact, without having to feel so frustrated to begin with. I believe that I should be considered a special client, like all of you who are so loyal to Corel, and should have a contact with Corel without having to pay for assistant. This was a problem with my use of the program and it is something that can help many others and can help Corel make our use of their product more pleasant. It is a real problem with their setup and it deserves immediate attention from them because it is an issue they need to solve. (I did get help, as I mentioned before, but I believe, since I purchased the program directly from Corel, there should have been enough respect for me to consider me worthy of at least being able to contact them without having to pay. Just imagine, I have four questions, each one worth $20, then I have to pay $80 just to have my issues heard.)
I enjoyed your quote tremendously, "Loyalty makes sense only if both sides value it." It helped me with a few personal relations as well, so additional thanks for that.
Now, the issue of AI versus CorelDRAW. I've lived the religious debate over Mac vs. PC and I can tell you that this CorelDRAW vs. AI is on par with that debate, where one school is so entrenched into its choice that any mention of the other is blasphemy. Sort of like old USSR and USA debate. But, all of us in the design business know that AI has considerably more features to offer and it is a more stable product than CorelDRAW. I have lost a lot of work because there are times when CorelDRAW X6 tried to save my file and for whatever reason, memory, disk, or other, it crashed. I have experience this on more than three computers. I press the Save option and Corel crashes. Then when I try to open the same file after reboot, the file is no longer readable by Corel. I have lost all the work. There is a hidden file that Corel uses while we work on a project and that file is there, but my actual file is no longer readable. It is corrupted. After losing a few files, I have now started to make incremental saves, each labelled 01, 02, and so on, until I get to FINAL, FINAL APPROVED, AND FINAL TO PRINT. This is an issue that needs attention from Corel, yet this is an issue that I can't raise without being asked to pay for the help. Same problem exists when I try to make a PDF from a Corel file. Corel file is okay. When I export to PDF, it crashes, and guess what, my original file is no longer readable.
I've had my typestyles rejected after I've been using them all through my incremental saves of 01 through 15. On the 16 one, when I open the file, it has missing typestyles, with no typestyle being listed in the dialog that appears asking us to replace the missing typestyle. It is as if a ghost typestyle is missing.
AI is a superior product, not because of any functions that Corel doesn't have, which there are many that Corel doesn't have. We have learned to live without those functions and we have adapted Corel to do what we want, irrespective of those functions. But, when you download stock images, and stock vector drawings, Corel can't even open the EPS files. I used AI to open and translate those files and then save them into a format that Corel can read, just so I can use them in Corel. Many time, that doesn't work. In the end, my design capabilities are being constricted because I am loyal to Corel. There is always this temptation that I should start using AI, but then there is this guilt, like I am cheating on my spouse. Yet, my spouse is asking me to pay her just to talk to her. That right there is where my feelings get hurt.
I have more to say, but let's see how some of you respond to this reply.
Tiger Naeem said: I am an old timer and I been with computers from Apple ][ and IBM PC days, when MS-DOS and PC-DOS ... ...There is always this temptation that I should start using AI, but then there is this guilt, like I am cheating on my spouse. Yet, my spouse is asking me to pay her just to talk to her. That right there is where my feelings get hurt.
I am an old timer and I been with computers from Apple ][ and IBM PC days, when MS-DOS and PC-DOS ...
...There is always this temptation that I should start using AI, but then there is this guilt, like I am cheating on my spouse. Yet, my spouse is asking me to pay her just to talk to her. That right there is where my feelings get hurt.
Hello Tiger,
Glad you could appreciate my views. And, if you must marry, then make sure you can afford the alimony!!
I was delighted to read that you are from the same era as I! Your words brought back memories of DOS days. Pun intended!! Hope it does not come as a disappointment that the quote "Loyalty makes sense only if both sides value it", was not quoted by any famous personality. It is just my own personal reflection on my experiences in life.
I remember working with another desktop publishing software, Ventura Publisher, long before it became Corel Ventura. It used to be pretty popular, before PageMaker steadily gained on the market. I have enjoyed working with CorelDRAW, since version 3.0 or 4.0, I forget which, sometime in the early 90's. There used to be a time when I have personally influenced hundreds of people to seriously use CorelDRAW in their workflow, thanks to a 5 year period when I taught software program development and use, at an institute. This being at a time when every other place was offering courses for the more popular Adobe products. Oh yes sir, I have done more for Corel than most people can boast of. I used to take pride in the fact that I could do anything Photoshop/Illustrator could do using PhotoPaint/DRAW. Even boast about it. Unfortunately, not anymore!
You would be amazed to know how many people were not even aware that a product such as CorelDRAW even existed. But, of course, the internet was just starting to grow back then. If you are like me and browse through design forums and blogs, you will notice, even in the most unbiased ones, the term 'Photoshopped" crops up so many times. Never "PhotoPainted". Coincidence? I very much doubt it. To an inquiring mind, one simple question comes instantly to mind. WHY? You are free to DRAW your own conclusions. Again, pun intended!!
I used to be just as stubborn in my younger days. Rather die than use Illustrator!! But time and experience changed all that. I remember being just as stubborn about switching to writing code for Windows, when it first showed up. DOS was so much more comfortable. Hell, I used to know everything I needed to know about DOS. Inevitably, I was quickly running out of programming work within a few months. Everyone wanted Windows compliant software. Ultimatum, change over to Windows too, or find a different line of work !! I was literally forced to make the switch. These days, I would not dare try my hand at writing DOS compliant code!! Brings to mind the story of the frog in a well. Thankfully, I climbed out
To many my words may sound harsh and blunt, even downright crude. Unfortunately we all tend to express ourselves differently. Like it or not, Photoshop / Illustrator has slowly crept its way into your day to day work. A vast majority of clients will simply not accept CDR files. They stubbornly insist on AI, even if they are clueless about what it means!! Many staunch DRAW users may just say, export your work to Illustrator. Job done. Unfortunately no. The exported files just don't cut it. Exasperation builds as you open your exported file in Illustrator. (Yes, you do need to install Illustrator, at the least to verify your work!!) Your problems have just begun.
Well, if you open your mind, new possibilities spring up all around!! No one knows that better than a designer. There is so much to learn if you are willing to push yourself past your comfort zone. All this is not about CorelDRAW vs Illustrator. Its about design and designers, trying to help each other with their experiences to become more professionally efficient.
I would love to discuss further with you on the Illustrator / CorelDRAW, benefits and drawbacks. Hopefully in private, even if just to save myself from the wrath of the guardian angels!!
Look forward to hearing from you.
Regards
Suku
suku said:I would love to discuss further with you on the Illustrator / CorelDRAW, benefits and drawbacks. Hopefully in private, even if just to save myself from the wrath of the guardian angels!!
I like your quote too ("Loyalty makes sense only if both sides value it"), it's so true, and if you look at the one I use below, you may realize that I'm not so narrow-minded as you might think.
Dear Ronny:
Thank you for your posts and for letting us (I am sure Suku would feel the same) relive the blind, unconditional loyalty to Corel that we once felt. Corel is a great product, no doubt about it, and we've stuck with it for all these years because of that. I'll write more soon, because writing does take time and I will devote some time soon to add my few cents worth. For now, I'll only comment on the quotes that you and Suku are using.
I love the quote that "Loyalty makes sense only if both sides value it." I am glad that it is from Suku's personal experiences, as he mentioned in his latest post, because that makes it all the more "real". I've suffered tremendously, both personal and professional levels, and nothing to do with CorelDRAW, because my sense of loyalty to someone required sacrifices that had no return value. It was give from my side and take from the other side, costing me time, most importantly, and money. I have always felt what this quote says but never quite verbalized it like Suku did and I'll always cherish this saying because it can help me define a more productive life. Then had added that "if you must marry, then make sure you can afford the alimony!!". Now, being twice divorced, I can't help but feel the sweet pain that this quote brought to mind. Most people marry without this ability, and believe you me, it is bad enough that Uncle Sam takes a big chunk of our income, imagine Uncle Sam multiplied three fold. Yes, hell seems to be a relief compared to this life. :-)
Your quote that "The ability to think differently today from yesterday distinguishes the wise man from the stubborn", is inspirational when you are at the early stages of your life, but its true meaning can only be appreciated by those that actually have suffered due to their stubbornness, three cases in point here, who, with the benefit of hindsight can say, "How true!"
I have my own saying about marriage, are you listening Suku? It is not a very clever one, but it is very practical one. You'll definitely see its value if you've experienced the joys of divorce. Here goes: Marriage is like a train-wreck. Some people get hurt, some get killed, and some survive unscathed. But the luckiest ones are those who were never on that train."
Enjoy. More to come soon.
Glad to see that we have found a more cozy and familiar tone in our conversation . Cool that you're sharing parts of your life here.Have been married to the same woman for almost 23 years by now, and so far the train is going steady.
Sorry if my previous posts may have sounded like I have an "unconditional loyalty to Corel", which I haven't.Working as a signmaker, I have been using Draw since version 2 and it has been my number one choice since around version 9.I do have Illustrator CS5 (and several versions before that) but as mentioned I just can't stand it. It works more or less as an expensive import/export filter for me.I also have some knowledge about Xara Designer and I used Freehand for a while, a long time ago (which I quite enjoyed). I have been participating in these groups for at least ten years, and have also been a little closer to Corel than the average user for several versions now (not sure I'm allowed to say that, but I assume it is pretty clear anyway), and I have a small knowledge about what they have to deal with.
So this was short about my background. I love CorelDRAW and can work much faster with it than any of the others, but that doesn't mean that I love all of it. Some things can drive me crazy and definitely deserves criticism. What's important though, for Corel but also for me, is that this criticism is constructive. Details are important and possible solutions are welcome. That is the only way we can help Corel bring Draw to the level where it belongs.
TheSign Guy said:What ever became of Art & Letters anyway?