Machine installation number warning on donation edition

[rfog]

Today, on launching FFS in my iMac, I've got a message saying that the program has been activated in 5 machines but license was only for ONE user.

However, I'm the only user of all 5 machines (I think there are even more: Surface Pro 4, Thinkpad W550s, iMac, MacBook Pro 2017, MacBook Pro 2012, my work computer -i9 Alienware, and some virtual machines inside those computers...).

I think this is not fair for us paid users. AFAIK license is for user, not for machine. If you want to control distribution of paid version between different people (a thing I strongly agree), make it account aware and not device aware.

Or if paid version is for "seat", make it completely clear on donation phase and documentation.

Thanks.

[Gillcar]

I was browsing the forum to check if FFS was for me... but you got me wondered about a simple detail.
It takes 2 computers to sync files or else I wouldn’t need it...
Does it mean that I need to pay 2 donations to use the paid version?
I use an iMac and a Linux machine. I would use it with an iPad if I could but that’s another story.

[rfog]

No, you don't need two donations. You can use the program for free in any computer, as it is Open Source. Last resort is compile it yourself, but it is not necessary.

I have been using it for years without any donation, but at the end I thought developer deserves some money for it.

For me, the only benefit of "donation" edition is I don't need to manually update the program in Windows (and only in Windows) and full installer does not comes with crapware.

[Gillcar]

Ok, but is it worth it to use the donation edition for normal use?
Sorry for my basic question, but I’m still new to file syncing and to Linux, and at the same time I also think that donations are well deserved for good programs.
And I was wondering if it was worth it to start installing just to test it first (I had a few bad experiences with some installations lately...)

[rfog]

For me, the only reason to use donation edition is pay the author of the program.

You can use the program for completely free and the only differences with donation edition are program runs little bit faster and has some extra options for synchronize in google drive, as far as I understand.

As said, I've been using it for years without any payment. And yes, I think it is the best program in its category.

[Gillcar]

Thanks, I appreciate it...

[Plerry]

... It takes 2 computers to sync files or else I wouldn’t need it...
Does it mean that I need to pay 2 donations to use the paid version?

Obviously you synchronize between 2 computers/file-servers. But you only need to install and run FreeFileSync (FFS) on just one computer, normally a domain-, desktop- or laptop computer that has (remote) file-access to the other location involved.
So, if you want (or need) to use the FFS donation edition, you only need one copy.

[Zenju]

However, I'm the only user of all 5 machines (I think there are even more: Surface Pro 4, Thinkpad W550s, iMac, MacBook Pro 2017, MacBook Pro 2012, my work computer -i9 Alienware, and some virtual machines inside those computers...).

I think this is not fair for us paid users. AFAIK license is for user, not for machine. If you want to control distribution of paid version between different people (a thing I strongly agree), make it account aware and not device aware.

I agree, the current concept of "per user" is hard to understand (and technically impossible to check, therefore FFS is checking devices instead using a few heuristics). For the next version I'll make this more clear: the specific devices will be listed on the thank-you page, and 1 user will be allowed X devices (where X probably == 3 => there seem to be hardly any users needing more than this) which will then be documented in the FAQ.

[Gillcar]

That would be perfect...

In my case, I had a different problem, using 2 different emails because I made my contributions with Paypal that uses a different email than my main one...

[Zenju]

In my case, I had a different problem, using 2 different emails because I made my contributions with Paypal that uses a different email than my main one...

You can "extend" a donation (on the thank-you page), which will merge them (= add the amount). If you missed that, you can email me the details and I can merge them manually.

[rfog]

I think you are making a big mistake here. If paid users will have the limit of 3 devices, and free nothing, no one is going to pay. I'm not going to pay, as you will force me to limit to 3 devices when pay and infinite when nothing.

If you want to limit the use of same paid installer by different users, make the installer account aware. In my case, I have: 2 iMacs, 3 Windows Laptops, 2 desktops. I use all of them for professional development and use FFS to sync/backup. If you limit me to 3 devices, I will stop pay.

[xCSxXenon]

Just use the free version on all but three machines?

[maybemi]

Extending this initial question, I want to point out that I have the issue that - due to a machine repair by the manufacturer with a new motherboard annex Win 10 installation - freefilesync thinks that I exceeded my 3 machine donation license. This despite the fact that I don't use FFS on > 3 machines.
How can I delete this 'dead' machine in order that I can use FFS on the new machine.
How can this be fixed also for the future, since machines don't live forever and get replaced.

[zabnat]

I think the wording on donation edition license should be changed to 3 installs. I have discovered it is not 3 devices as I have all the 3 licenses used up on one device. I don't know if license can be reclaimed by uninstalling, probably not, but that is not an option if the license is in a Windows installation that doesn't boot. I am in process of rescuing my machine when Windows broke and it looks like I have to buy again if I want to use the donation edition on the new Windows install on this device.

[Zenju]

How can I delete this 'dead' machine in order that I can use FFS on the new machine.
How can this be fixed also for the future, since machines don't live forever and get replaced.

That's a good question, and unfortunately I don't have a great answer. Technically it's basically impossible to detect deinstallations, except when going crazy and implementing something like DRM, which would be overkill for FFS, obviously. So the pragmatic "solution" is to only count devices using the latest FFS version. Once a new version comes out, which is roughly every month, old installations are implicitly "deleted" (read: not counted).

I think the wording on donation edition license should be changed to 3 installs. I have discovered it is not 3 devices as I have all the 3 licenses used up on one device.

Not sure what you saw, but you're good actually: You're using (the latest FFS version) only on one device.

[zabnat]

Not sure what you saw, but you're good actually: You're using (the latest FFS version) only on one device.

What happened was I had it installed on my system. My system became unbootable and I had to install another Windows on a different partition. Then I got a new disk to save data from my original system and had to move the temporary Windows installation to another disk so I could format and run some checks on my primary disk. When I launched FreeFileSync, from the installation that was moved, it warned me that 3 installations were used (or something like, can't remember accurately). Anyway, now I have the new installation of Windows on my primary disk and it didn't warn me when I installed FreeFileSync on that. If I goto the donation edition download page it does say "Latest FreeFileSync 10.20 is installed on 2 devices." Both of those installs are on this same device.

[TheAncient]

I have a similar problem: I own 3 devices on which the Donation Edition is installed. I am told, however, that it is installed on FOUR devices.
Two of the three devices have multiple boot drives (One is a 'current' install with all updates and one is an 'older' install - a snapshot of what the system looked like about a week ago)
Could it be that the algorithm to enumerate "installations" counts not only distinct devices but also counts multiple installations on those devices?

[lincolnda]

How is it determined how many machines you have this installed on? I had paid version 10.2 on three machines. The hard drive of one machine crashed, so I replace it with a new drive that I loaded from a backup image just made recently while 10.2 was installed. Now running on the new drive, it reports I am trying to put it on a 4th machine. Does FreeFileSync use hard drive info to determine how many machines instead of the computer's motherboard identifiers? Luckily I noticed version 10.22 was ready to be downloaded, so by installing that it finally accepted my computer with the new drive.

[user56554]

So the donation edition is nothing for me :D
I am using up to 20? installations in 5 years?
On one device I have up to 3 native operation systems and maybe up to 5 VMs.
Of cause I do not need to install always the donation edition but I am sure there are some power users like me, installing software many times even they are single users.
I am using nearly no commercial software with limited device licenses as taking look which operation system should be activated and where the software is not available will be frustrating.

[Peter Alex]

Hi Zenju, how it is with the following problem. I just have made a donation for 15€ an get the new version 11.14 for 3 user/machines. Have a look to your data base... there are now only 3 machines listed and to install on a fourth machine I donate again with 5€ but it's still the same. My 'account' Peter Popp tells me you have 3 installed (and it is correct listed) and for a fourth install you have to donate... Hä. It's like every morning you have greetings from the marmot ;-)
Please tell me the way out of the labyrinth! Thanks!

[Plerry]

When you go to your FFS donation home page https://freefilesync.org/thank-you.php?tx=XXXXXXXX (the X's represent your personal donation number) you have the option to "Extend" your donation.
When clicking "Extend", you get two options:
(First bullet) To "Add a donation and extend the update interval"
but also
(Second bullet) To "Change the number of devices you're planning to use FreeFileSync on"
By default, the number of devices is set at 3, but you can increase that number, at the cost of the number of months during which you are entitled to future updates of the donation edition.

[xCSxXenon]

Basically, you didn't add a fourth device to your donation, you now have two donation licenses, each for three machines. Plerry is right, to add another machine install, you go to your donation details page and you have the option at the bottom to change how many license you get and for how long. If you open FFS and go to help -> about -> donation details, you go straight to your donation page without hunting for an email.

[Zenju]

you now have two donation licenses, each for three machines.

That was the old behavior and is not how it works anymore. If the same email is used, FFS will automatically add up the two donations and grant a longer update interval. The only way to increase the device count is for the user to do so manually on the thank-you page.

[xCSxXenon]

Oh nice! I missed that update, that is super nice