'damaged or illegally modified'

[Dave_G]

My apologies, I am new here. I have however, been using PSP since the Jasc days, I still have a copy of the PSP9 on my old Windows XP machine.

I had been using PSP Pro X9 (the Corel version, not the Jasc version!!) for a couple of years and frankly never had an issue with it. In fact, I tried hard to talk my daughter into using it instead of that really expensive and cumbersome 'alternative'..

Then, about 2 or 3 weeks ago I finally gave in to the constant advertising to upgrade to PSP 2018 Ultimate. Paid the money, did the download and installed. I didn't remove my old X9 version, I had partially finished projects in it.

But, I have not been able to get 2018 Ult to start. I have been conversing with the support folks, whom I have to say are about as much use as a 'chocolate fire-guard' (old English colloquialism). And now, I've lost count how many wasted emails, uninstalled, reinstalled, removed (using the removal tool) - reinstalled, activate the Corel licensing, disable the firewall, disable the virus protection and so on, attempts later.. I am still at the same stage with the 'damaged or illegally modified' message! Frankly I am sick of it. What on earth did they do to PSP between X9 and 2018 Ult that could cause this??

So, I have two questions; 1, does anyone have any suggestions? and 2. does anyone have a crack, since this is clearly their messed up protection that is causing this issue!
I really don't want to resort to using some 'questionable' method such as defeating their hopeless protection but I guess a refund is probably out of the question and I want what I paid for! The irony is that they want to remotely access my PC to fix it now and I do Govt. contract work and I cannot allow that since I may have files that are covered by limited access and I don't trust them. See: https://www.coresecurity.com/advisories ... -hijacking and I just wonder what it is that they can do that they cannot instruct me to do? And if it involves placing some additional file or replacing a file or more, then where does that leave me if I buy a new PC or HDD? Without the changed stuff I will be back to square one!!

Does anyone have any suggestions?

I didn't have any of these issues with X9..

Thanks.

[Kathy_9]

Hi Dave and welcome to the forum. Your error message certainly points to Corel's licensing service. I know you said you activated it but could you try stopping and restarting it and setting it to automatic?

Click for larger view

[flagpole]

The licensing service is a waste of time. It only affects legitimate customers, the pirates have no trouble with it.

[Charlie77]

Hi Dave,

I have been a PSP user since Jasc PSP6. I have PSP 2018 and I HATE it. My go to photo editor is PSPX9. The crop tools in PSP2018 is a mess as will as other missing functions such as the open edits under the windows menu.

If I was having your problem with PSP2018 I would use the uninstall tool to remove PSP2018 and contract Corel to get my money back. PSP2019 should be out soon, and just maybe the problems reported by so many here will be corrected, and who knows it might just possibly install on your computer.

Best wishes Charlie

[Dave_G]

Thanks to all for the advice. I just received the media disk in the post and used the uninstall-all (from this site), then re-installed. Then I did as suggested with the 'stop' and 'start' the licensing services. It definitely had some effect, because now when I click to start PSP2018 Ultimate, it actually does absolutely nothing! I guess this sin't as bad as being accused of having a modified or pirated version!

I think, given Charlie77's comments I will hang in with PSPX9, which I have used for a couple of years and await the release of 2019, perhaps I will actually be able to get that to start! As for the money back, given my previous experience with the level of success that I have had with software refunds, I will bite the bullet and see if I can get it discounted off 2019.

Thanks again.
Dave

[Kathy_9]

Dave, take a look at your Task Manager and make sure you don't have an orphaned PSP process running in the background. That sometimes happens and when you try to launch the program nothing will happen until you kill the orphaned process.

[hartpaul]

I would also suggest that given your problems with PSP2018 that you try the trial version of PSP 2019 first before even considering paying for the full program. I have installed my versions of PSP on at least 3 computers and have not had any problems.
I do remember that there was a problem with some programs and the Surface Pro - mine have all been on a desktop or a couple of Toshiba laptops.

As also indicate elsewhere ther may have been some problems with AV or firewall programs but I have not tested any of those combinations as I rely upon AVG free as antivirus, Zone Alarm free as firewall, Spybot Search and destroy and Malware bytes and none of those seem to have any conflicts with PSP 2018.

[Dave_G]

Hi Dave and welcome to the forum. Your error message certainly points to Corel's licensing service. I know you said you activated it but could you try stopping and restarting it and setting it to automatic?

license service.JPG

Thanks Kathy_9

I tried, I really did! I guess it was not meant to be.. Sad really, I was looking forward to the 'fast start' that they promised, it is probably the only complaint that I have about PSPX9, it just seems to take a long time to get started.

Thanks again

[TimW]

"Damaged or illegally modified" - that describes me

[Dave_G]

Can someone comment on my theory below?

I wonder if it is because I use PSPX9 and the license 'stuff' is loaded for that. Basically the Psi services. The new versions (2017) can't load because the older (2014) services are already loaded. Therefore it can't reference something different in the newer version and returns; the "damaged or illegal version.. blah blah blah.."

I don't want to remove my PSPX9, especially since I have read so many bad reviews of it (PSP2018 Ultimate that is), so I assume that this means that unless I do, I am dead in the water?

Anyone got any insights into this as a possible cause?

(BTW: I was a programmer for quite a few years, so I know how new and old code can be problematic, especially if you retain the same naming conventions, as in this case! AKA bad programming!)

[LeviFiction]

They specifically designed PSP to be installed along side each other. Many people have several versions as far back as PSP9 up to the most recent 2018 without issue. Not saying it's impossible, but it's unlikely. Like something would have to be incorrectly installed or referenced for that to be the case.

Until recently I had 8, XI, X2, X3, X4, X7, X9, and 2018 installed. And none claimed to be illegally modified. Oddly enough even when I replaced CorePython.dll with a hardlink to the real python27.dll I never got such a complaint either.

[Dave_G]

Can someone comment on my theory below?

I wonder if it is because I use PSPX9 and the license 'stuff' is loaded for that. Basically the Psi services. The new versions (2017) can't load because the older (2014) services are already loaded. Therefore it can't reference something different in the newer version and returns; the "damaged or illegal version.. blah blah blah.."

I don't want to remove my PSPX9, especially since I have read so many bad reviews of it (PSP2018 Ultimate that is), so I assume that this means that unless I do, I am dead in the water?

Anyone got any insights into this as a possible cause?

(BTW: I was a programmer for quite a few years, so I know how new and old code can be problematic, especially if you retain the same naming conventions, as in this case! AKA bad programming!)

I think I was right!...

I mirrored the HDD, removed ALL of the previous version PSPX9 and license files and it installed, started and runs! That could only have been because of bad code based on using the same license file names as earlier versions.

[JoeB]

My first post in this thread, but I have been following it.

I have several versions of PSP (X7 to 2018) installed. They all work. BUT... A short while ago I started to get the piracy type warning when opening some of those versions, and sometimes not when opening but when closing those versions. I have just ignored them so can't say for sure if it has happened with PSP 2018 (it hasn't happened recently with that version for sure) but it has happened with X7, X8 and X9. And, as I only use the versions prior to 2018 sporadically to check out issues people with those versions have posted I can only say that it hasn't always happened with them but does show up with that warning windows every so often.

I'm not about to uninstall/reinstall any of them, because whether or not the warning appears the program works - and saves files - as it should. So I would only say that it is likely that PSI Service is just not up to code - i.e. it's a pi** poor licensing service.

[Dave_G]

My first post in this thread, but I have been following it.

I have several versions of PSP (X7 to 2018) installed. They all work. BUT... A short while ago I started to get the piracy type warning when opening some of those versions, and sometimes not when opening but when closing those versions. I have just ignored them so can't say for sure if it has happened with PSP 2018 (it hasn't happened recently with that version for sure) but it has happened with X7, X8 and X9. And, as I only use the versions prior to 2018 sporadically to check out issues people with those versions have posted I can only say that it hasn't always happened with them but does show up with that warning windows every so often.

I'm not about to uninstall/reinstall any of them, because whether or not the warning appears the program works - and saves files - as it should. So I would only say that it is likely that PSI Service is just not up to code - i.e. it's a pi** poor licensing service.

I believe that you nailed it..! Ironically as somebody mentioned earlier, it doesn't stop the hackers, so my message to Corel is: "get rid of it, replace it with a 'registered user' policy". Heck, the disk they sent me has my name and address on it. Surely the same thing is possible with genuine owners (if there is such a thing with software) who need to register to activate the app, given that hackers can defeat their useless protection and then they can stop hindering the honest users.

[bruce1951]

For a number of years I was a director for a large organization. The board, including me, spent many many hours and lots of money on trying to protect ourselves from hackers and disgruntle members/share holders. One day I took a step backwards and had a hard look at what we were doing and what we were trying to achieve, It turned out we were spending 50% of our time and money trying to combat less than 1% of members/share holders.
I recommended to the board, and they accepted my recommendations, to scale back the effort put into the disgruntle few and concentrate our efforts on the 'other' 99%. It worked. We made great gains for the 99%. The 1% never went away. They never will.

My point? Sometimes organisations, such as Corel, make such an effort trying to save a few dollars that they miss out on many other dollars from the honest majority. So Corel may have some of their products hijacked or pirated but at what expense? Put some of that effort back into development/bug issues and see the gains in sales. I bet those gains in sales will far out weigh the loss to piracy.

bruce