HELP !! I NEED my PE 6.0, SSPRO 3.0 BACK from SOMEbody!

[jjzanath]

Oh, PLEASE can someone HELP !!!

I'm a poor systems engineering grad student needing to pay bills via eBay liquidation sales again, and I LOST BOTH my old, faithful Ulead pix-processing products IN A NASTY CRASH quite awhile back.

I couldn't afford to re-buy them at the time (nor, sadly, can I afford any upgraded versions now) -- plus the support website shows they're obsolete!

My key problem was I HADN'T REGISTERED THEM, not realizing that this involved more than getting junk mail -- and the (pre-Corel) Ulead support people refused to help, since they evidently didn't keep track of purchase evidence, only registrations!!

For PROOF OF PURCHASE, here are the serial/invoice numbers I'VE SINCE FOUND for my products [NOTE: a monitor deleted these for security purposes!]. I'm really hoping that SOMEBODY, official or not, can take pity on me over the loss of these humble but vital tools, and help me recover them:

Photo Explorer 6.0: Product Serial Number xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Smart Saver Pro 3.0: Invoice number xxxxxxxxxxxx, dated 5-11-04 (photo available)

Awhile back I free-trialed the (too expensive!) PE 8, but really just want my easier-to-use 6.0 back! I had to buy SSPro 3 to upgrade from my ancient W-95 laptop (with SSPro 2.0) to my current old XP desktop, and am quite satisfied with that product.

Meanwhile, the ancient, backup laptop's been disintegrating -- lately it takes MANY tries just to get diskette files on or off -- it's become almost IMPOSSIBLE to process jpegs with the products on that unit!

I've been SO poor ever since the 9/11 aerospace layoffs, and just HAVE to sell some stuff to keep this dissertation project going -- can someone PLEASE tell me how to get either:

1) an online download;

2) more likely, an old CDROM product loader for postage perhaps; or,

3) an FTP'ed download file (plus info as to how to receive FTP files!)?

I'd be SO grateful?

Sincerely,

John Z

Serial number and invoice number removed by Admin to guard against others using them.

[Ron P.]

So you have the serial number but not the installation files? I guess this is one of those "hard lessons". Anytime you purchase software on-line (ESD versions), the very first thing to do is to burn them onto a CD or DVD, along with a text file containing the serial numbers.

I've never had that version of PhotoExplorer, just PE 8.5 that came with PhotoImpact. Maybe someone will have a copy of version 6 laying around. However the current version only costs $19 (US).

I'm just a construction heavy equipment operator that I know earns less than a college degreed engineer, however I think I could afford the current program if I really needed it. FYI I have a $20K student loan to repay also..

I have edited out the serial numbers in your post so that someone else will not grab them and make use of them providing pirated copies with that serial number.

[sjj1805]

........
Meanwhile, the ancient, backup laptop's been disintegrating -- lately it takes MANY tries just to get diskette files on or off -- it's become almost IMPOSSIBLE to process jpegs with the products on that unit!......

Am I correct in thinking that the problem is that you do have a working copy of PE 6.0 on your laptop, the problem is that you no longer have the set up program to install it on your new XP desktop computer. The problem you have with the old laptop is it has become slow and almost unusable?

If this is the case, what you need to remember is that even an old computer will work just as fast as it used to when you first bought it providing that you use the software that was designed for that computer and do not try installing the "latest" version of software. You also need to carry out some general housekeeping tasks on the computer to keep it in tip top condition.

Remove any software that was designed for newer more powerful computers - newer software - in particular the Windows Operating system - will slow the computer down and will generally require more RAM - most probably more than you have installed.

Remove any unnecessary programs. Often when a program is installed it will include itself in the various start up locations such as the Windows Registry locations:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
and
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
Also from the Windows START button | Programs | Startup.

Over a period of time these startup programs tend to build up and slow the machine down. Many of my friends have an habit of wiping their computer hard drive clean every so often and re-installing Windows just to get rid of these things (bit too drastic for me - I just keep on top of it and control the machine rather than it controlling me.)

Next problem is the hard drives become fragmented over a period of time, instead of computer files being a nice tidy block on the hard drive they are spread out all over the disc and the read/write heads are throwing back and forth all over the place - again slowing things down. so AFTER deleting any unnecessary files and programs to free up as much space as possible on the hard drive(s) use the built in defragmenter.

You might find this will give your old laptop that new lease of life to make Photo Explorer work properly again.

[jjzanath]

Dear Videoman:

Thanks for the quick reply, and the thoughtful edit-out of the serial numbers -- I don't think enough like a criminal, I guess!

I did burn a lot of stuff to CD on the desktop system, but on crash found I had bought a brand-X burner no one could identify OR (!) read the backup disk I made with it (moral: don't buy PCs from Russians at an Expo-Mart!!).

I did do some online shopping and saw various process for PE 6.0 -- really $20 wasn't among them, but you have to realize what craziness poverty can bring.

I have teeth (among other medical issues) being neglected due to the progressive collapse of Amazon book reselling volume and profitability, what with increased competition at both ends. I'm on pain killers as I write, until I can get an emergency extraction Tuesday (the tooth could have been saved but for lack of dental money a year ago).

Bottom line: I'm really hoping I don't have to repurchase this tool!

SS Pro 3.0 is available for about $60, which is more than I paid for it -- but I may have paid for 2.0 and an upgrade separately, so didn't notice the total cost.

Both tools apparently have gone through radical capability expansion since the versions I got. I ned none of the web features, just the basics, which work better than any other products I have tried (the 9-panel color correction of PE is so much easier to use than those RGB-based systems!!).

Frankly I was hoping that someone with an old version since upgraded would send me the obsolete version, and save my buns that way. Illegal? I don't know, especially as I've already paid for both products.

You'd have thought that Ulead would have been bigger about this, as some firms are. I did lack the numbers when I dealt with them, I do admit; now Corel is one layer of impersonality further removed, so hopes are not the highest here.

Thanks again, and do reply if you can think of anything that might be of help.

Sincerely,

John Z.

P.S. My student loans are $35k+, and my family helps with the basic car and catastrophic health insurance....

--------------------------

So you have the serial number but not the installation files? I guess this is one of those "hard lessons". Anytime you purchase software on-line (ESD versions), the very first thing to do is to burn them onto a CD or DVD, along with a text file containing the serial numbers.

I've never had that version of PhotoExplorer, just PE 8.5 that came with PhotoImpact. Maybe someone will have a copy of version 6 laying around. However the current version only costs $19 (US).

I'm just a construction heavy equipment operator that I know earns less than a college degreed engineer, however I think I could afford the current program if I really needed it. FYI I have a $20K student loan to repay also..

I have edited out the serial numbers in your post so that someone else will not grab them and make use of them providing pirated copies with that serial number.

[sjj1805]

.......
You'd have thought that Ulead would have been bigger about this, as some firms are. ......

Please view This link.