can't install old PinPoint license

[Greg Salyer]

I’ve used MaxIm 6.28 along with PinPoint 6.1c for many years including several laptop upgrades needing new program installs with no problem. Yes, I know they are old but they work. Now I’m stuck. After uninstalling a trial version of MaxIm 7, I had problems plate solving so I reinstalled PinPoint. I then got PinPoint licensing errors reported when I’d start MaxIm. In frustration, I reinstalled both MaxIm and PinPoint. Of course that didn’t solve anything.

I’ve tried removing PinPoint and installing just MaxIm by itself but still get either a message saying my “PinPoint Full License has expired” or a message “PinPoint serial validation failed – no validator engine”. I’ve tried re-installing PinPoint and it seems to go through the proper installation steps but I’m unable to register it. After entering all the license information (which has worked several times over the years) the OK field remain unselectable.

I’ve contacted William at Diffraction Limited. He offered a suggestion but it didn’t work. He said there was a change in Pinpoint licensing associated with Maxim 7 (which I tried and uninstalled) and recommended contacting Bob or submitting the problem on this forum.

Obviously, there appears to be some corrupted code associated with PinPoint or MaxIm that hangs around after I uninstall the program. Bob sent me a new Comm Center password and I’m now able to login. I looked for a way to update my email address to its current value (astronutcase@gmail.com) and current phone number (845-264-5147) but couldn’t find either. Bob told me to post the problem to this area of the forum. If I’ve posted to the wrong area just let me know.

Can you help resolve this PinPoint problem?

[Greg Salyer]

UPDATE: I can now register PinPoint but I still can't start Visual PinPoint or Maxim. I get the message "PinPoint serial validation failed - no validator code = -2147221005"

[Bob Denny]

So you registered PinPoint and it accepted your license? That requires the validator. What do you mean " can't start Visual PinPoint or Maxim"? What happens when you try to start either. You may also be running into trouble with a newer version of MaxIm that requires a newer version of PinPoint LE and that may be conflicting with your very old PinPoint. If your version of MaxIm is recent then uninstall PinPoint, re-run the MaxIm installer, and then use MaxIm with the newer version of PinPoint LE. If you want to use the full PinPoint with a newer version of MaxIm you will need to purchase a current PinPoint license. Our upgrade policy only goes back 5 years and your license expired in 2017.

[Greg Salyer]

I've used this version of Pinpoint (6.1c) along with this version of Maxim (6.28) for years so I know there is no compatibility issue. When ever I start either Pinpoint or Maxim I get the message "PinPoint serial validation failed - no validator code = -2147221005". I'll get it several times in Maxim before Maxim will start (but of course plate solve fails). Sometimes I also get the message “PinPoint Full License has expired”. I tried with only Pinpoint installed, only Maxim or both Pinpoint and Maxim but also get the error message. I started getting this failure after a installed a trial version of Maxim 7 and then uninstalled the trial. I did find a very old reference to the same validator message once associated with Pinpoint and once associated with Maxim but couldn't find out how the problem was solved. Now I just want to get back to the system I had before trying the trial version of Maxim.

[Bob Denny]

OK, that's much more info! And right, you tried to run a MaxIm 7 and that replaced the old engine with the new. The problem now is that neither the MaxIm's installer nor my installer will ever replace a newer version of the engine DLL with an old one. Here's the installer for PinPoint 6.1c. Completely uninstall PinPoint using this installer. Now re-run MaxIm DL 6.28 for repair. At this point you should have a working MaxIm DL 6.28. Now run the 6.1C PinPoint installer and that should set things back to a working state.

[Greg Salyer]

Sorry, but that didn't change anything. Perhaps if we tried to get PinPoint all by itself working. I've uninstalled both Pinpoint and Maxim. Then re-installed Pinpoint. During the install I get a message saying that my free pinpoint has been upgraded to the full pinpoint package. I then register Pinpoint getting a message that my support has expired along with the registration form already filled out. I hit OK and get a message saying thank you for registering. I then invoke Visual Pinpoint getting a message "PinPoint serial validation failed - no validator engine, code = -2147221005" and the program quits.

Your explanation of the error scenario sounds possible but if so shouldn't there be a warning that loading the trial Maxim 7 will make it impossible to reload Maxim 6 (or Pinpoint) in the future. Rather than a trial it's irrevocable.

[Greg Salyer]

I should add that the trial Maxim 7 didn't replace Maxim 6 but rather both resided together and I initially only uninstalled Maxim 7. I don't know how Pinpoint treated having both versions around or what happened to Pinpoint (if anything) when I uninstalled Maxim 7.

[Bob Denny]

So not even MaxIm 6 starts? After running its installer for repair?

[Greg Salyer]

Maxim 6 starts after I've closed 5 or 6 copies of the Pinpoint error message. I can then use Maxim except for plate solves.

[Bob Denny]

OK. Send me your phone number to rdenny@dc3.com and give me some times tomorrow (Friday). I'll call and try to see what's going on.