Is there such a thing as support?

[swertel]

Please help me negotiate through this tech support bubble known as PTC (oh how I miss you Mathsoft).

Anyway, I have a single-use license for home use. I haven't used it for a while and when I rebuilt my computer I didn't bother installing MathCad back on it, until last night.

I make it through to the part where it wants to go to the internet to get a license file. After a long delay, I get an error message saying all the licenses have been used, contact PTC for support.

I log into PTC's support website and don't have access to any support functions, but I can upgrade my account to get support. OK fine, but it has been so long since I bought v14 that I don't know my customer number. There is a link on the bottom of the page that if I need account support, email them. I did, and get a response back from PTC that this email is not for application specific support. I never had a problem clearing old, unused licenses from Mathsoft so I can use the software on a new computer. I'm deadlocked with PTC. Any suggestions?

--Scott

http://wertel.eng.pro

 

[Occupant]

It might be different for 14, but when I tried to do that for version 13, I went through the same procedure you did, but eventually wound up calling them. Even then it took me ~4hrs on the phone to get it straightend out.

 

[swertel]

The only benefit to find out the information I need to get my single-use license running is that my employer has an active maintenance account. If I didn't have a "back-door" to all this, I wouldn't stand a chance.

Get this. Found a FAQ that states for single-use licenses (the one I'm worried about at home) contact mathcad-activation@ptc.com. So I emailed them, and got an autoresponse that says to log a call online. That's my problem! If I could do that, I wouldn't have had to email.

What kind of support network puts you to an email that responds with the comment that they don't help with application support? To have to dig around a bunch of FAQ to be pointed to an email address that should resolve my exact issue, but autoresponds with direction back to where the problem started to begin with? No wonder why PTC is world renown for their tech support.

I found one more email address to try to get a response. If that doesn't work, I'm buying Mathematica (home-use license $295). They even have a free viewer so if my license were to expire, I could at least still view all the work I've created. I miss Mathsoft. I never had a problem with their tech support.

--Scott

http://wertel.eng.pro

 

[EdDanzer]

You will have to call licensing during business hours and have the machine running. I may take ½ hour to complete their manual license install. We just reinstalled v13 and went down this path successfully.

Ed Danzer

http://www.danzcoinc.com

http://www.dehyds.com

 

[swertel]

That was the original problem. This is a home license and I'm working during business hours.

Thankfully, I have every other Friday off and managed to connect with PTC via phone last Friday and got a new license file emailed to me.

That still doesn't excuse the fact that the PTC support website states to send an email if you can't find the answer you need. Then the email address auto-responds with a link back to the support website. The circular support is ludicrous.

--Scott

http://wertel.eng.pro

 

[MJKing]

My experience with the circular e-mail loop was the same as yours. The truely amazing thing was I was trying to buy the upgrade, it took me almost a week to finally make the connection so that somebody would take my money for version 14. How long can they stay in business with this essentially closed to the outside world customer support operation? I see two possible explanations, either PTC is doing very well or they are sitting in the dark wondering where the customers went. One of those two extremes.

 

[zdas04]

Their business model seems to be that they sell hard to 500+ seat clients and to Universities and that the scrap left over isn't worth the effort. I guess that is fine unless you are part of the scrap.

My son was taking a drafting class a couple of years ago and he showed me some of the capabilities of Solidworks and it is impressive, but after seeing the pain that PTC has caused MathCad users I decided to pass.

David

 

[4Pipes]

Mathcad support is a pain unless you have a direct email and kick up a stink. Admittedly, they respond well when they get the message.

When you do get sorted, my advice would be to NOT automatically register on line. Get the the license.dat file or whatever by email and keep a copy. This will allow you to reinstall, at least on the same machine. If you try to reinstall automatically, you will be blocked out because their system will already have you at the limit of licences. In order to automatically register again, you would need to convince them to reset the license server.

 

[philipoakley]

Even if you get it automatically, search it out and take a back up.....