I was thinking about buying a used desktop cnc milling machine that comes with a new, unregistered copy of VisualMill Basic 5.0. The current owner says the VM5 has a donngle in the original package.

Will this program run for me out of the box since I have the donngle? Will I be able to download the VM5.0 service pack 11 update and use it? Will I be able to upgrade it to VM6.0 for $349? Will I be forced to pay a license transfer fee for any of these updates or upgrades?

Thanks,

Doug


register VisualMill Basic 5.0?

If the copy has never been registered, no one will ever know if you bought it or not and it makes no difference either.
You should be right well eligible to all that you have asked about.

Your circumstance is the same as buying MS Windows from Best Buy. They bought it from MS and never registered it so you are the 1st "real" owner.

If you wish to get an official response you will have to email sales@mecsoft.com they are the people that develop and sell the software.

PS Make SURE you get the dongle or it is useless.

Hi Doug,
I would recommend you contact Mecsoft for all the specifics. I received the dongle also and this package was sealed and delivered with a machine to the person I bought it from. The install is good for 30 days like a fully enabled demo and then you will need to go thru the licensing process. I tried to license mine and received an email stating it was $300 to transfer the license.
Better ask them first as they make 'their' rules and you will most likely have to follow them.
I will be interested to see what you find out as if they will allow an upgrade as you mentioned it might be worth the cost for me rather than $300 just to license version 5. I think they will want $300 to license version 5 and another $349 for the upgrade. From their point of view you have never payed them for the software I think. Let us know what you find out.

Best regards,

I did contact Mecsoft via email and got the same info you did. It looks like we both face the same situation, so I probably will not buy the machine software bundle with the VM 5.0. I noticed you can buy VM6.0 from www.novedge.com for $850, so the savings vs me buying the used VM5.0 + license tranfer + upgrade, 200+300+350=850, is zip.

How did Mecsoft know you were not the original purchaser if you had the new box and the donngle? Do they expect an authorized seller to email them that a purchaser has bought a particular copy of VM5.0? I think I went through that procedure with them when I bought Alibre and Alibrecam, and had to wait on Alibre to email them before they would give me the license codes for Alibrecam, but my Alibrecam did not have a donngle.

Thanks for the tips since it looks like you saved me soem money, time and headaches.

Thanks,

Doug Danielson