Datacolor problems

[arith]

I can't start Spyder3 Pro in Windows 7 64 bit; it keeps telling me to register it, gives me a manual code then tells me to use it next time I'm on the internet.

I wasn't planning going on the internet with my new pc though.

Is there a way round this?

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Steve,

I have no idea I'm afraid.

Does their website have an FAQ section that might answer that?
Or use the Contact section and e-mail/ask them.

You may have to connect it to the internet sometimes, even just for the PC to update itself - although I'm sure it could be argued, with some validity, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"

Good luck,

[herbert]

Is there a reason for not going on the internet? A PC without the Internet is like alcohol free lager and gluten free bread.

If you really do not have the Internet then you should be able to contact the software developers and ask for a manual registration script. You cannot be the first person to have to go through this. If they have not thought about it then you should worry about what else they have not thought about with their software.

Alex

[Colin Southern]

Is there a way round this?

Drop an eMail to their support team - off memory, all you'll need is a code (that's what I do, although since my PCs are connected to the net I can't be sure if it's subsequently activating that way, but I don't think so).

Works for me.

[arith]

Cheers Dave, cheers Colin I'll do that. Alex; I'm already on the internet with my XP computer, and since it acquired a virus even with good security ((Kaspersky), I thought I would use the new one for PP images and printing only.

I don't like updates too much either; somebody on the Gigabyte forum got 50 updates and now is in an endless BIOS flash loop, so I have to remember to remove ET6 a monitor/tuner I used to monitor board temperatures before I even think about the internet.

[PBelarge]

Cheers Dave, cheers Colin I'll do that. Alex; I'm already on the internet with my XP computer, and since it acquired a virus even with good security ((Kaspersky), I thought I would use the new one for PP images and printing only.

I don't like updates too much either; somebody on the Gigabyte forum got 50 updates and now is in an endless BIOS flash loop, so I have to remember to remove ET6 a monitor/tuner I used to monitor board temperatures before I even think about the internet.

Steve
It seems like I have had issues with my current online computer as well. I am having a new CPU built, and I was toying with the idea of keeping one of the units offline as well. Interesting to see that issues may arise just because it is not online. Hmmmmm...

[herbert]

Hi Steve,

If you can get the computer to do all you want without the internet then go for it. Note that you will not be able to get updates to Windows in between service pack releases (which I think can be downloaded in one big file to update everything offline). Thus you may find yourself without fixes that you do need. However you may never notice.

The second issue is that Microsoft will probably stop supporting XP in the next few years. From that point on the XP system will become increasingly vulnerable as no updates are released. Then you may find you have to put your new PC on the internet anyway as the old one fails.

A correctly managed PC should not have problems on the internet. I agree that the software installs that are recommended by manufacturers can be intrusive but they should not be malicious. That is why I install the minimum I need to get rolling and I back up all my data files. If I do get a busted computer then I can rebuild it and put my data back on.

There are a lot of bad things out there trying to get at your PC. My old firewall used to log hundreds of unsolicited connection attempts per day. But they all got rejected because that is what the firewall is for. If you are sensible when on-line with what you download and run then I cannot see any problems with viruses occurring. Viruses do not appear out of the air. You must 'install' them somehow.

Regards,

Alex

[gaijin]

Nonetheless, if his PC's not connected to the Internet it's not going to be wasting precious processor cycles scanning for viruses and handling internet traffic - no firewall and no anti-virus. It'll still have to do backups though - nothing's perfect.

[Colin Southern]

Nonetheless, if his PC's not connected to the Internet it's not going to be wasting precious processor cycles scanning for viruses

A great throught - until someone pops in an infected memory stick ...

[arith]

That's a thought Colin; I found out about the infection opencandy after I had already used the memory stick to run a program off the internet, previously checked by Kaspersky of course.

So I got the 64 bit version of Microsoft anti virus and ran that. phew, I can't imagine anything worse than getting a virus on a brand new computer, apart from getting one on an old one that is.

Apparently opencandy is harmless, but even so where it took 15 minutes to start the computer for real in the morning, now is only a couple of mins so I think that must have been it, or the reinstalling of Kaspersky, I don't know.

Cheers Alex; it is just a thought, after all why do I need more than one pc on the internet. I don't know why I would need updates but I suppose the old pc wont go forever, and it is already four years old with some parts rated for only 20,000 hours.

Updates and virus's are frightening I suppose.

[Marty]

I've had ongoing problems similar to this with the Datacolor Spyder-Pro software for the past 3 years, first on a PC and then on my iMac. I've had to re-install the software a few times just to get it to run. The other thing worth throwing in here is that the Spyder is giving me radically different calibrations every time I run it. Some of them so 'far out' that I can see at a glance with the naked eye that the colour balance is rubbish. I have to say I'm most disappointed in the Spyder 'cos it certainly wasn't cheap, at about £100. Needless to say I've given up using it. Makes a pretty paperweight though....

[Colin Southern]

I've had ongoing problems similar to this with the Datacolor Spyder-Pro software for the past 3 years, first on a PC and then on my iMac. I've had to re-install the software a few times just to get it to run. The other thing worth throwing in here is that the Spyder is giving me radically different calibrations every time I run it. Some of them so 'far out' that I can see at a glance with the naked eye that the colour balance is rubbish. I have to say I'm most disappointed in the Spyder 'cos it certainly wasn't cheap, at about £100. Needless to say I've given up using it. Makes a pretty paperweight though....

Sounds to me like you simply just got a faulty one - my Spyder II and Spyder III have never missed a beat.

[enaiman]

I really can't understand why this fear on having Internet access?

In about 20 years I can't remember even once getting my computer infected by a virus. Adware, maybe several times over the same period but viruses never.
All you need is a good antivirus (I am using Avast for more than 10 years now and never paid anything for it, they do have a fully functional free antivirus; yeah, I need to renew my license every year but it is a small price to pay), and common sense.

It is really simple and most of the time is about common sense (not opening atachments coming from unknown senders, not opening atachments when the email comes from FEDEX - apparently - (or others) and it is about a parcel you never ordered. Or about your bank/paypal asking to confirm your credentials.
Also, not clicking links which suggests to lead you to incredible bargains (like buying a new IPad for $50 or companies giving away mobile phones or others).
Or falling to fake telemarketers which are "calling you about your computer" - you fall for that and you end up downloading tons of adware/spyware or worse.

The examples are countless and I can go on an on for a long time, the point is: get an antivirus and stay away from any suspicious or too good to be true things.

On another idea: firewalls - most of today's routers have a very good firewall which works very well with their factory configuration - that being the case, having an extra firewall installed on your computer is just overkill, plus warning you about harmless "intrusion attempts".

Just keep it simple and effective.

That's my 2 cents ...

[Colin Southern]

On another idea: firewalls - most of today's routers have a very good firewall which works very well with their factory configuration - that being the case, having an extra firewall installed on your computer is just overkill, plus warning you about harmless "intrusion attempts".

Most seem to have the firewall passing traffic in both directions by default, instead relying on NAT addresses not being able to be resolved in reverse (so it's a bit like an envelope arriving at an address, but without a name on it - so nobody knows who to deliver it to) - it works well for packets originating from the internet, but unfortunately, does nothing to stop outbound traffic should a nasty work it's way onto a PC.

Personally, I just leave the one that ships with Windows enabled - it never causes any trouble. It seems to be the 3rd party ones that create a lot of alerts (Norton, or ZoneAlarm anybody!)

[arith]

Well I took the plunge after waiting for a reply to my email: over 100 updates and a heart attack later, Datacolor is working. Really think I should not have to have internet access though.

Can't remember installing anything on my old pc, I think it is sufficient nowadays to just look at a page and it had been going wrong over a couple of months. The reason I pay for software is because it is the free ones that have the virus's, and I don't normally download free stuff.