I can’t work with any of the DxO software because of “no connection to the license server”. Yesterday, I updated W11 to 24H2.
This error happens with Win11 24H2. No problems with the same software, same license, installed on the second laptop with Windows 10.
Another user said that DxO had confirmed some server reachable problems which they were working on.
You could try changing the dns server I your computer or router to 9.9.9.9 or 1.1.1.1
If that don’t work, DxO need to sort the problems.
it doesn’t help
I see.
Then it might be a good time to raise a ticket with support.
already done, ticket: [#529873]
A couple of weeks ago i had exactly the same problem after Update to 24H2 was done.
I opened an Ticket at dxo and they found out/told me that the hardware-id of my Notebook had changed due to the Windows-Update. DXO then wanted my activation-code and instructed me to delete the licence-file on my machine before the next Start of DPL8.
And that solved my problem!
I assume the hardware-id is a factor when your Individual license-key is calculated and written in the license-file. As soon as the hardware-id changes the license-file does not Match anymore and your software-activation is refused.
So the hw-id is not just a burned-in number of a machine but probably a comination of hardware and the Version of the installed operating System.
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That intrigued me, so I dis a search on ‘24h2 changes hardware id’ and found a page that says:
The German news outlet also revealed a host of hardware IDs that have been added recently or extended for 24H2. However, we won’t cover it here since it’s a massive list. Similar to the blocked apps above, this hardware ID list is an accumulation of system hardware that Microsoft deems not safe or too unstable to run 24H2.
To me, that means it’s not that the hardware id has been changed by the 24H2 update, it’s that the system hardware of your machine that’s on a naughty list.
HOWEVER! that would mean 24H" would not install on your machine, but it clearly did. That in turn suggests when DxO said it was the hardware id that was the fault, it wasn’t, and it was actually something within PL that was making it ‘blocked’ after the 24H2 update was applied. The fact that tweaking the license file removed the block also points to something in PL being the actual problem.
Having said all that, I’m not an expert, I’m the sort of person who knows enough about Windows to be dangerous so I could well be talking nonsense.
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Removing the license file and then successfully reactivating it through DxO does indicate that a hardware ID used by the licensing system changed. I’ve experienced this in the past with CalMAN, but not yet with DxO products. That said, there are so many problems with 24H2 (including Internet connectivity issues) that I don’t dare install it. In fact, I stopped seeing it in Windows Update quite a while ago and it remains unavailable to me through that mechanism.
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I see it the same way, Egregius .
I wouldn’t go so far to refuse the installation of 24H2 as you propably wil run in a dead end and having an unpatched system in the end. My notebook has installed various sw from adobe, steinberg, izotope, dxo and… The only issue i had since 24H2-upgrade was the dxo-license-error, anything else works fine so far since the upgrade.
Anyway, nobody wants to be a test-tube baby in the first place and surely its a good idea to wait a couple of weeks or months before installing new versions.
I hope DxO is aware of this an can 1) improve their licensing-algorythm and also 2) refine error-messages as they can, like in this case, lead a user in a wrong direction, because there an error-message displayed something like “internet-connection-failure or server-connection-error” but no hint to a licensing-mismatch.
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However, it is strange if something like this only affects DxO users and other companies that also use Hardware-ID have no problems.
Not really. Generally speaking, software systems tend to be complex and different from one another even if they perform similar tasks. Like many other vendors, DxO doesn’t write all of its own licensing code - it licenses it from someone else and embeds it. In fact, there is a very long list of third-party components in each DxO product. You can find these lists with a bit of effort. And then there are OS and driver dependencies, adding to the complexity and the fragility.
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I have imported my backup and am now back to 23H2. DxO has no problem with this and all DxO software works without any server problems
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I suggest everyone googles Win11 24H2 there have been a LOT of problems with it and many are not installing it or rolling back to 23H2. I am holding off on 24H2 for the time being.
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I have installed Win11pro 24H2 update a month ago. No such problems here.
Maybe 24H2 causes problems only with specific Internet providers?
EDIT: Typically DxO check for updates takes about 0.35 sec in my case:
2025-01-12 16:17:35.717 | DxO.PhotoLab - 2948 - 10 | PhotoLab - Info | Contacting update server at url 'https://activation.dxo.com/CheckForUpdates/WSCheckForUpdates.asmx'
2025-01-12 16:17:36.068 | DxO.PhotoLab - 2948 - 10 | PhotoLab - Info | Update server result: error='NoUpdateFound', newVersion='8.2.1.487', downloadUrl=''
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It seems to be specific hardware, software and drivers… MS had to do a lot of rework, as did many SW suppliers.
There has been a slow-phased roll out of 24H2 over many months because of the problems. In fact, it came in for one of my computers over a month before the others. I will hold off a while longer until everyone has their patches sorted.
The problem is there may be limited support for some older SW and hardware. I still run a WinXP PC for that reason.
Here is an interim result after DxO support contacted me, I sent some information (licence numbers etc) and I updated W11 from 23H2 to 24H2 again:
I was able to reactivate NiK software after deleting the licence file and entering the licence code (not a new code from DxO, but the existing one).
ViewPoint works,
I could activate PhotoLab 8.2.1 by entering the licence again.
Still open: PureRaw still gives the message that the test phase has expired. If I then enter the licence number, PureRaw reports that the maximum number of installations has been reached.
I don’t know if DxO has done anything to my account in the background.
Regards, Uwe
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What a nightmare. At this point, it would be more convenient to run a cracked PhotoLab than run your owned copy. No latest versions though.
I also have this problem on my Windows 11 Home 24H2 laptop. All DxO apps on this system are affected, including Nik Collection. Even after uninstalling everything DxO, deeply cleaning up the system and reinstalling the apps, whenever I try entering a license key, the registration dialog box freezes and the registration fails. I’m stuck.
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