Oh. yeah, we left you some homework.


Did you ever do the uninstall with Revo Uninstaller Pro? Does it possibly have a more "thorough" mode? I still think this is the one step most likely to fix this. (because it shouldn't matter even) But I did tell you about the Mac cleanup tool for UAD/Luna being kinda like this too. I wanted to throw the Apollo at a wall.


What about using Netstat to show connections and open/listening ports? Or do you have Wireshark, or some other network analyzer?



Using Netstat to Find Active and Listening Ports

• Open up an elevated command prompt (cmd.exe).
• Run netstat -a to find all of the listening and established connections on the PC. ...
• Now run netstat -an . ...
• Finally, perhaps you'd like to know the Windows processes that are listening or have these connections open.

 

I went away for a long weekend to watch Sigur Ros (and forget about this headache ). I'm back to trying to fix this now and 6 days later and I'm 6 days in worth of my trial used up and still no helpful response from UAD Support!

 

Last edited: Jul 5, 2023

The UAD Tech Support phone number listed in the Solo/Twin model manual was one of those non-existent extensions where it picks up your call, and then automatically hangs up on you. I looked up a different model, like an X16 or something; and there was a different number which they picked right up. They only take calls for a few hours a day. I doubt they work those same hours; they probably just point and laugh at the ringing phone. Their work ethic and enthusiasm to help their customers really shines through, should you ever get them on the phone.

 

Slight progress. When using Revo Uninstaller Pro, it seems to do a deeper removal. After uninstalling this way, when I then reinstall UA Connect I get the prompt to allow the UA Connect Helper app through the firewall, which I do so as instructed. However, this does not seem to get me any further with regard to being able to use the plugins as they are still blurry and unlicensed (apparently!).

 

Try going into your iLok Manager now. Maybe it needs the (now working) uad helper/uad plugin to also verify back to iLok? And you did the uninstall of both the UAD software and your iLok using Revo?

So clean install of UAD program and plugins, plus the iLok manager....

How does your computer get internet, meaning Wifi or Cat5 Ethernet cable? You probably have a hardware router/modem and maybe some type of additional security as a single combination device.
I would probably Power Cycle the router, 60 sec off then back on, battery out if it has one. This also shouldn't matter, in most instances; but it's too easy to not try. Maybe you have a DHCP assigned IP address or something.

In your DAW, does it have some cache for plugins? Meaning, as long as the not working plugin is already cached, it will not refresh until you force it. Example, Logic Plugin Manager function is called Reset and Re-Scan Selection.

 

Last edited: Jul 5, 2023

I don't think there was an issue with this bit anyway as iLok and UA Connect are both showing the plugins as licensed. The issue is that the plugins, when loaded, aren't picking up the licensed status and are displaying them blurry with a message saying they are not licensed, despite them showing as licensed in iLok and UA Connect. Therefore, it seems to me like they were talking to each other fine anyway, and its something else stopping the plugins from licensing. And yes, I uninstalled both iLok and UA Connect totally using Revo.

My computer accesses the net using WiFi as it is in too remote of a location to be wired. I have also tried power cycling the router multiple times to no avail already too.

It is the same in Cubase 12, Live 11, Nuendo 12, Reason 12, Mixbus 9, FL Studio 21, Studio One 6 etc, so doubtful anything to do with DAW cache or it would be present on all the DAWs. I've installed a ton of DAWs I don't even use just to test and the issue is present in all of them.

Also, when I select the UAD Spark subscription and select Licenses > Refresh Licenses in iLok License Manager, I get the below popup. I've just assumed this is due to it being an extended trial rather than an actual subscription?!

 

When I log out of UA Connect, the plugin states "Not Logged In" at the bottom:



....but then when I log in to my account it states "Plug In Not Licensed":



....even though UA Connect sees it as licensed, so I've a feeling that this is something to do with UA Connect:



....and iLok License Manager sees it as activated too, so is clearly sending the license status to UA Connect from what I can read into this:



....and if I close my iLok Cloud Session within the iLok License Manager, UA Connect status changes to this, suggesting UA Connect and iLok License Manager are talking to each other and connecting to the net perfectly fine:



This all really is blowing my mind and pushing towards the limits of abandoning UAD for life now following this absurd experience!

Alongside this, 6 days of my trial have been eaten up trying to get them working with no reply from UAD Support and even trying to join their forums, I've just been left awaiting admin approval for days now before I can post anything. Pretty absurd behaviour really. I know it's a 99c extended trial, but for all they know I could be someone running a chain of professional studios looking to spend tens of thousands on UAD software and hardware and being totally put off by this absurdity!

 

Last edited: Jul 5, 2023

Maybe they will get with you on the ticket you submitted soon? The "maintenance downtime" message shows them returning to work today July,5.




You have left one of these blurred plugin instances on your screen? People report various lengths of blurring, which then changes to the normal GUI once authorized.

Have you tried deactivating any licenses (or all of them) ? When you highlight one plugin, or a group; and you hit Show Details; what is the result? There are 2 different results as far as i can get; One asks to confirm deactivation, but the other gives a strange message like the above popup. You can get this:

Source location is not accessible

Please run iLok License Manager on "MacBook Pro" if you want to perform any operations on this location. If access to this machine is no longer available and you would like to have your activations reset, please report this machine as unusable via the machine locations's context menu or "Show Details" view.

I would make sure about doing this, that if you report it unusable; you will be able to add it back. And then I'd wipe out the entire account, and re-add everything again.


I would try doing this few steps first.

Did you try this "procedure" for specifically letting this application past your firewall? This is from the Known Issues link on ilok website:

Firewalls
macOS and Windows firewalls on the license server may block incoming connections to the server from the client computer, even though the PACE License Daemon is digitally signed.

Windows
The simple solution to this issue is to disable the firewall. An alternate solution is to add the License Daemon to the exception list by finding it in its installed location.

1. From the Firewall tab under System Preferences > Security & Privacy, press the “Firewall Options…” button.
2. Press the “+” button to add an application.
3. In the Find File dialog, press Cmd+Shift+G to allow you to enter a path.
4. Paste the following path in the “Go to the folder:” text field: /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/
5. Select “licenseDaemon” from the PrivilegedHelperTools folder.

At this point the License Daemon on the license server should be able to receive incoming connection requests from protected clients.

 

Last edited: Jul 5, 2023

The friend had exactly such problems with iLok-Cloud. Does not work.
Support is brazenly lying that everything works.
And here everything shows that it works, here:
https://status.ilok.com/

Then he spat, and went bought the USB iLok dongle.
And now everything works truly!

 

I'm feeling like I'm about to hit the same thing. Tried UAD Forums and UAD immediately jumped on it and tried to miimise it by saying I should wait for Support to resolve. Support have since been in touch and after 2 emails referring me to basic troubleshooting guides I'd already told them I'd tried several times, they're now asking for my system logs and info files so I assume they will try to blame something else and say it's not their problem.

 

There is only one problem with Trials, they remain on the iLok forever.

Only for Trials the cloud is preferable, but it does not work often.

 

I can confirm this - the trials DO stay on iLok, but I had no issues with it so far. They just grey out when deactivated and move to the "Unavailable" tab.
And yes there are too many iLok Cloud problems going on. I'd always go with iLok key for serious work. Getting the ZDT coverage is not a bad idea if you have many expensive licenses.

 

You can also deactivate them and hide them. But that is just a difference in what tab they are under. Trials kind of have to be stuck to your iLok account, or you could do the old never-ending demo tricks to keep using them for free.

 

I bumped into this thread when facing exactly the same issue with Win 10, Cubase 12 Pro, iLok and UA Connect. What finally worked for me was running both iLok License Manager, UA Connect AND Cubase 12 as administrator.

Before coming up with the solution I spent 4 weeks emailing with both UA and iLok customer services and running through all the standard troubleshooting procedures with them, to no avail. I´m not that much of a tech guy that I´d know exactly how these applications shake hands when checking licenses, but I started to think that if iLok License Manager and UA Connect are able to communicate properly the problem _might_ lie somewhere between them and DAW. And that it might be crucial that the applications have same high level access to the system. So, as a last lifeline I ran also Cubase as administrator and it did the trick. If I don´t run Cubase as administrator, I get blurred gui again.

I would be very curious to know, if this works for anyone else. Or if someone can come up with more detailed explanation why this solution works.

 

Even this did not work for me. For me, ultimately, I think it was that some of the UAD resources were in symlinked locations using hardlink junctions. Despite all other apps and Windows itself recognising the symlink junction as if it were the original, UAD doesn't like this for some reason.....which is unsurprising in hindsight. I mean, they're not known for embracing customer needs and enabling flexibility of use of their products!

 

Too bad, I was quite thrilled to finally get mine working that I thought I´d share this. Frustrating to hear that there´s still something else to it in your system. While talking to iLok customer service they went through my License manager logs and this is a message i got from them:

"From your logs, I can see that the software you are trying to run is asking for a license for
LUNA Auto-Test Enabler and not finding it. This license is not in your iLok account."

I asked UA customer service what that might mean but did not get a proper answer. Just out of curiosity I browsed through the essential folders linked to the UADx plugins and UA applications, including subfolders, but didn´t find anything related to process/application of that name. I still wonder what and where that might be.

 

Wait.... After reading this entire thread I am seeing you never actually posted exactly how you resolved the issue? I am on day 4 of dealing with the EXACT same problem on MacOS... was it some sort of install/uninstall that fixed it???

 

This has happened to me a few times, but it is resolved.
I'm on Windows 11.
I own multiple DAWs, and this happened to me whenever I ran the DAW itself in "compatibility mode." On the desktop shortcut or the .exe file in Program files, right click and then go to "properties."
You'll find an option in there to run the program in compatibility mode for various versions of Windows.

At some point in the past I had to do this in order to get a program from the sister site to work.
I've since purchased most of that software, but there are a few pieces I haven't purchased yet.

What happens is whenever I would load a UADx plugin, it automatically opens the "UA Connect" software. You can't stop this as far as I know. It does this every time, and apparently checks the authorization every time. It's really annoying and stupid. Like they don't know and understand that their software will be cracked soon...

However, when this would happen while I was in Windows 8 compatibility mode, a message would pop up telling me that this software requires windows 10 or higher. Then the plugin would remain blurry, even though it was already activated in UA connect.

I turned off compatibility mode on the program and this problem would disappear. This happened across multiple DAWs (Cubase, Studio One, Reason).

I really hope its something that simple for you.

 

The post you just replied to tells you. I had some stuff in symlinked locations. All UAD must be in default locations and you can't use any symlink locations as it won't work with UAD stuff. I used to have my VST3 folder on external drive and symlinked from the default Common Files location to it, and had the same with some Program Files and ProgramData locations. Not sure which one was causing the issue, but as soon as I rme9ved all symlinks and used defaults it worked fine.