FreeFileSync is installed on 10 devices.

Posts: 2 · chefe 2 Feb 2025, 20:04

Hi,

i stilluse the Donation-Version on 3 PCs.
Since 2 days ago, i get an Error-Messages if i want to start the application.
The device cannot be removed before February 10th, 2025.
How can i fix this Error?

Greets Raimund

Posts: 4272 · xCSxXenon 2 Feb 2025, 21:57

Probably this: viewtopic.php?t=10947&hilit=license+MAC+address#p41932
Your MAC address is probably changing.
Even better:
viewtopic.php?t=8885

Posts: 5 · sinewave 4 Feb 2025, 20:44

Wouldn't this mean it's either a bug, or if not a bug, then at least undesirable behavior? Perhaps there's some other approach to generating a UID that FFS can use? Perhaps leave the MAC address out of it? OR, just don't track this information to begin with?

Posts: 2 · chefe 4 Feb 2025, 23:09

I use the program "macchanger" for more privaty.
To fix this problem, i will use the Free-Edition

Ich benutze das Programm "Macchanger", das wird der Grund sein warum gesperrt wurde.

Leider gibt es keinerlei Hinweiß, das die "Donation Edition" die Lizenz nur für 10 Installation freigeschaltet ist.
Diesen Hinweiß fehlt und sollte auf jedenfall hinzugefügt werden.
Wünschenswert wäre aus meiner Sicht auch das man eine andere Lösung dafür findet anstatt das die MAC-Adresse dafür gebraucht wird.

Als Workaround habe ich jetzt mir die Free-Edition installiert.

Ansonsten kann ich das Programm nur empfehlen.

Posts: 4272 · xCSxXenon 5 Feb 2025, 15:17

Wouldn't this mean it's either a bug, or if not a bug, then at least undesirable behavior? Perhaps there's some other approach to generating a UID that FFS can use? Perhaps leave the MAC address out of it? OR, just don't track this information to begin with? sinewave, 04 Feb 2025, 20:44

It is used to generate a hardware ID and hardware IDs are required to track usage of the license(s). So not a bug, and not undesirable to the developer as it seems

Posts: 5 · sinewave 5 Feb 2025, 17:03

This is, unfortunately, something that concerns me, and I hope the developer would address it, also with regard to what kind of telemetry is collected: viewtopic.php?t=11805

It's not clear to me why all this is even needed by the developer, and if it's not a bug, and it's not undesirable to the developer, I can't see how this is desirable to some end users! While many people may not notice or care about this, it seems like it's worthy of addressing.

The OP's solution was to basically NOT use the donation version that he donated money for, so he misses out on features that he should be able to enjoy: an auto-updater, parallel file copy, email notifications, and a portable version for Windows, according to https://freefilesync.org/faq.php#editions

Moreover, I don't see anywhere that documents that there is a 10-device limit anyway. Maybe I missed it, but this kind of information should be listed in the FAQ about the donation version, and also indicated in the Privacy Policy about what information is collected with regard to how the donation version limits your usage to 10 devices. And again, in his case, he didn't even have 10 devices... the algorithm was tagging his computers multiple times, using up slots in his 10-device limit. If that's not a bug, then it's certainly not an ideal algorithm that takes into account changing MAC addresses (assuming that is what is going on).

Don't get me wrong, I'm impressed with FFS with it's many good features, and I recognize and respect the developer's many years of devotion to it, but I think these issues are worth addressing, and unfortunately, they actually discourage me from using FFS. Hoping still for a good response from the developer. Cheers and all the best!

Posts: 4272 · xCSxXenon 5 Feb 2025, 18:01

This is, unfortunately, something that concerns me, and I hope the developer would address it, also with regard to what kind of telemetry is collected: viewtopic.php?t=11805

Telemetry data isn't collected from my understanding, just a hardware ID which obviously has no personally identifying information anyway.

It's not clear to me why all this is even needed by the developer, and if it's not a bug, and it's not undesirable to the developer, I can't see how this is desirable to some end users! While many people may not notice or care about this, it seems like it's worthy of addressing.

"Not undesirable" to the developer means it is desirable to them, which is why they specifically chose it as the method for activation handling.

The OP's solution was to basically NOT use the donation version that he donated money for, so he misses out on features that he should be able to enjoy: an auto-updater, parallel file copy, email notifications, and a portable version for Windows, according to https://freefilesync.org/faq.php#editions

The solution is to disable MAC spoofing on the system. At this time it doesn't seem like the developer is interested in supporting systems that do this, as it is abnormal behavior for the average computer.

Moreover, I don't see anywhere that documents that there is a 10-device limit anyway. Maybe I missed it, but this kind of information should be listed in the FAQ about the donation version, and also indicated in the Privacy Policy about what information is collected with regard to how the donation version limits your usage to 10 devices. And again, in his case, he didn't even have 10 devices... the algorithm was tagging his computers multiple times, using up slots in his 10-device limit. If that's not a bug, then it's certainly not an ideal algorithm that takes into account changing MAC addresses (assuming that is what is going on).

I agree 100% that this 10-device limit/restriction/warning needs to be documented on the donation edition information page. A warning about issues stemming from MAC spoofing or changing hardware would also be nice. Information about the limit doesn't belong in the privacy policy, but how and what data is used needs to be, and it is this way already.