I had to reinstall Windows. GRRR
where to I access my copy of CGS 2018?
That's the thing I really hate about download-only software. It's a good idea to back-up the original download installer file. Hindsight is 20/20 vision though. I can log into my Corel account and see several past registered versions of CorelDRAW along with their serial numbers. But Corel doesn't let you directly access the main installer file, just the patches. I seem to remember being able to download the main installer files from the downloads page in the past.I don't understand this policy. If you, the customer, bought a copy of CorelDRAW, registered and activated it then that should be enough to be granted access to download the main installer file (as well as the updates for that version). When you reinstall the software you have to sign into your Corel account, enter the serial number and activate it. This whole "we need a proof of purchase" email thing makes no sense.I just did an overhaul of an old personal notebook (new 1TB SSD and upgrade from 8 to 16GB of RAM). Put Win 10 Pro in it clean. I installed Adobe Creative Cloud on it (for now until I buy the new notebook I'm planning to buy). All I needed was my user name and password to get running. I installed personal copies of X8 and CDR 2020 on this old notebook; thankfully I had the ZIP installer files, patches, etc.
Great fear of piracy, weaponized against the actual customers.
I wasn't planning on this. I was supposed to be a 10 min job adding ram. I didn't know it would blow out into killing off and actually deleting my software, emails, passwords... Unbootable is unbootable... you would think after 30 year Microsoft would have managed a repair utility that worked. I think it has something to do with the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI). I doubt if Windows can get inside that to fix anything. If it could that would potentially be a security risk.
I've downloaded 10 years of Paypal as CVS, found the Corel transaction, given it to them raw with the "", explained that it was an issue at the time as I was updating the post beta. Which didn't matter as I'd owned the copy before. Said it is urgent and screwing me over on a job, which it is. Told them to talk directly to Gérard Métrailler.
That was 10 hours ago. I'd say 24 hours was long enough for them to sort it out. That's about how long it will take me to get everything reloaded that I need for the job.
I'm very intolerant of people who say "that can't possibly be done". But I will try to just let this proceed without contacting support again. And I'll feedback what happens.
You are correct, you should be able to download the software at call. Things happen! Computers are stolen, HD go US, you buy a new computer... and you can do that. But if you have paid for something and you are not on Corel's DB then it isn't really your problem is it!
It "feels like" call centre bullshit from the telco. I had a classic this week. A customer with 4 emails that are jamming his email feed that I can't delete no matter what I do. I've had to wait 2 months while they developed the covid safe call centre.
Yani "Well if you can't do this by accessing his account and deleting the emails on the server then delete the whole account and recreate it."
Tech Support "Creating an email account is a sales job and it will take 2 days."
2 days for 1 minute of effort! Support can't even create an email account for an existing customer?
This is some bullshit attitude I've never been allowed. I'll bet ya most of us have done all nighters to meet a deadline, worked weekends without overtime, done our share of author's corrections and dared not complain. I thought that was called the "real world". Maybe I just got it all *** about face again. In the "real world" it takes 2 days to set up an email. Which is about the same amount of effort as to fix my license on the server.
Tell me about it! Today finding clients who appreciate quality print is like finding teeth on a chicken. I'm lucky to serve an industry that markets large cost projects to discerning clients and that helps but you have to diversify. 15 profitable print jobs on top of 20,000 jobs of no margin crap doesn't pay the bills.
So I dumped all the low end crap and mixed it up with lower volumes of high end work. 15 real profitable print jobs + 6 real nice donor walls + 12 commercial signs + 20 very profitable image editing sessions = making a living.
In the States near zero pros are buying CorelDRAW so I have no CorelDRAW support clients any longer, I support output from many sources.
The evolution of design has split into conceptual design using 3D programs and functional design. CorelDRAW fits well into straddling those needs but for the very large part people have no idea.
This is the fault of Corel, the management has developed and executed a master plan at destroying any good will that existed in the graphics industry for Draw and poisoning the minds of IT staff and designers toward their product. I'd have an easier job of selling sand in the Sahara Desert then selling CorelDRAW in the professional graphics world of the United States.
Can I make money with CorelDRAW? You bet!
It's a lot of things...
I took this photo on my iPhone
Just use a stock photo
I've got a copy of Adobe we do it in house
Give it to the printer to do
My son makes web pages
All the many levels of expertise have been removed and it's flattened to "do it in house".
A printer that I shared a building with is doing web pages. OMG are they ***! Why do that? They have 3, 6 color presses and an indigo. The job is to feed the press not bugger about doing other things badly.
The printer now does web pages, banners, signs, digital print and traditional print. All of it poorly.
I have vendors that require me to show them how to use their equipment.
It's why I diversified and moved to projects. If I get to consult on the design, I dou the file repair, the architectural signs, the banners, the promotional boards, interior signs and the brochures then I can make money.
To do that you have to know you stuff but it's very profitable.
There is a lot of cash being thrown about here for the stimulus. I'm looked for project where you can get hold of some of that. Clients that only pay part of a bill are better to manage. Print stuff to support exports here get 70% back from government. They can't ask for the money back without paying the bill. A lot less moaning and you get paid fast.You should dig about and see what is on offer there.
I have enough business, I just have to reinvent myself every few years. The companies that have invested heavily into a narrow band of work are finding themselves working for decreasing margins. Selling 50 million at 4% net makes zero sense to me but it happens all the time. Donnelly sold 6.5 billion at 1/4 of 1% and that was a good year.