r2008a expired in 2017???

Hi. I am running successfully MATLAB 7.6, r2008a, standalone version from 2010 on WIN XP(32 bit) and WIN 7 (64 bit) machines. My r2008a MATLAB software runs in remote areas (e.g. Concordia Station, Antarctica) without any access to the web (so, no possible upgrades either of MATLAB or WINdows). From 12/11/2017 apparently, the MATLAB license EXPIRED, with no way to resume it, even registering it using other licenses. The same problem occurred the same day to another r2008a MATLAB running on my PC in Italy, and also on other PCs of research mates in my same Institute. I discovered that setting the PC date back just a year allows MATLAB to start regularly. Once started MATLAB with the old date, I can set back the date to the actual one without inconveniences. For our remote instruments running MATLAB r2008a this is a mess, as we cannot play with the date every day or PC startup. Is there any "2017" bug in that MATLAB version? In such a case how could we fix it?

[Rik]

Have you contacted support yet?

Answer 1

[Jan]

This is the next question concerning a license, which expired at the 11-Nov-2017. This is not a bug, but the intended behavior for a license with a temporal limit. It is suspicious that so many questions concern the same date. But however you have got this license, you have to contact MathWorks to obtain -most likely buy- a new one.

 I discovered that setting the PC date back just a year allows MATLAB to
 start regularly.

It is a good idea not to use this, because it is illegal to run Matlab without having a valid license. Posting instructions how to run Matlab without a legal license is not cute.

[Massimo Del Guasta]

changing my PC time is not illegal. It would be funny to have to pay for the renewal of a license of a 9-year old software.

[Stephen23]

"changing my PC time is not illegal"

This is most likely true. But using some software outside of its license is most likely illegal under whatever jurisdiction you live in. These two things are unrelated to each other.

[Image Analyst]

Since you are doing professional work in Antarctica, you most likely have a legally purchased copy of MATLAB and legal license. Whether the Mathworks, back in 2008 put in some kind of hard-coded license limitation of nine and a half years into that software, I don't know. It sounds like you expected to have a perpetual (time unlimited) license. Your best bet is to simply call the Mathworks on the telephone and ask them. Better yet, just upgrade and get ten years of improvements! There have been a lot of them in that time.

[Jan]

@Massimo Del Guasta: Seriously? It is the definition of "license has expired", that running the software afterwards is illegal. It does not matter which trick you are using to do this.

Buying a new license is not "funny" but obligatory, when the old one has expired. You will get a license for the current version of Matlab, but you can run old versions with it also.

Rik has asked some hours ago, if you have contacted MathWorks already, because this is the only valid step. The forum cannot help you. Use the "Conatct Us" link on this page. Did you?

If not, I will assume, that your question concerns a cracked version, you and your mates are using on many computers. Using stolen software would be a really bad idea for the your scientific reputation.

Answer 2

[Massimo Del Guasta]

we have plenty of institutional license for most recent MATLAB version...I'll try to use them, good suggestion, even if I'm not sure it will work. In any case, I hope the new licenses are standalone, without any need of internet connection, as my antarctic instruments are not reachable via web. I just asked about the r2008a license numbers.

[Jan]

Fine. Please excuse, if I am too suspicious. We had a bunch of questions concerning the Nov_11_2017 and using the same license number 161***.

Answer 3

[Massimo Del Guasta]

Don't worry Jan, I'll let you know. Thank you anyway for your help

Answer 4

[Massimo Del Guasta]

Jan... you were right: I had at least two machines with r2008a licenses 161**. I reactivated their r2008a software by using our Institute's license for MATLAB2013 and everything works fine. Now the antarctic staff will do the same on our remote machines. Thank you

[Rik]

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