Petition: Trimble, please fix the SketchUp Pro activation Server

Technical Problems
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1

Do you still use a “Perpetual”-License Version of SketchUp Pro, like SketchUp Pro 2020 or earlier?
Did you know you no longer can activate the license, eg. in case you get a new PC or need to reinstall?

I was shocked to find out that activation is no longer possible, because the activation Server is broken with no Plan to fix it (Stated by colin, earlyer today):

Colin answers to a question about the 2015 Version, but i assume all Versions are affected.
This would mean, less than 5 Years (Wikipedia) after the last sales, the Software is broken in quite a major way.

If you would like to see the issue fixed,
add a comment “I am signing” to Sign the Petition.

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2

I am signing.

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I think it’s only version 2015 and/or 2016 that are broken. 17+ are fine. no idea about earlier.

but yes, I agree that fixing the server — or upgrading all the old broken licences to a more recent one that works should be done

4

Maintaining a license server is support.

(Rhetorically stated, but answer if desired.) Why would any consumer think that after 10 years that a license should still be supported for a product that has a 3 year support policy?

Perhaps because 2017 and later use Chromium dialogs? The older versions used platform dependent web browser interfaces which are long since obsolete. Back then, the current Windows version was 8.1, which is also obsolete and unsupported.

So, no I am one who does not agree, being both a software consumer and computer programmer. There are more important things for the SketchUp team to spend time and money on that benefit users who are using currently supported versions.

  • (Just being pragmatic here and not intending to anger anyone. I have a right to state an opinion like anyone else. Personal attacks because your opinion differs is against forum rules. But you can defend your position as long as you speak to the topic and avoid ad hominem statements.)

This request is not likely to happen. For both maintenance policy reasons and because of software piracy of older versions.

  • (Again, a pragmatic viewpoint. The following link is just for reference …)

End of Support Policy | SketchUp Help

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It’s 2018 and later that are ok. 2017 and earlier used IE, and the issue is IE related. If anyone knows a way to get 2017, or 2015, to use Edge instead of IE, that would then work.

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FYI: I asked the Copilot AI …

You specifically asked whether there’s a way for older apps in the wild—those already using the IE-based WebBrowser control—to be shimmable into using WebView2. The reality is: no, there’s no system-wide shim or registry trick that magically replaces IWebBrowser2 with WebView2 in binaries that weren’t designed for it. The rendering engines are fundamentally different in architecture, COM interfaces, and initialization models.

The only possible “tweak” that I can think of is trying some different FEATURE_BROWSER_EMULATION setting values in the Windows registry.

However, the first page (linked above) has a warning that IE11 has been “deactivated” at some point in the release history of Windows 10 and MS Edge. So I have no real confidence that even tweaking document mode emulation would work on machines with recent Windows releases.

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Colin, could you provide any more details/context on the issue?
When did it start, how does it manifest, what has been tried already, etc.?
Is the server returning too modern content that IE can’t render?
Or are changes in windows, like invalidated certificates etc. the problem?
So if a user should jump into analyzing/fixing the problem could get the best head-start?

Maybe a proxy could be written, that translates between what the server needs to see and what old SU does…
Ah well, anyways. Most probably not worth the hassle. But “can’t be done” is always teasing me a bit…

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Ah, it can be done, but at what cost, and how many would benefit from the “fix”? Over the years, I have had much software fail due to advances in the operating systems and security. In this case, my guess is the security. Microsoft discontinued Internet Explorer.

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I am signing.

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So, i investigated a bit…
What i found does not confirm it’s IE related
(at least not as far as my research went, which was not all the way, see below).
Rather, it seems to be a server-issue, as was initially stated by @colin in the other thread (seems, your post there got deleted? Did not find it anymore).

What i did and found:
I only found install files for SU2017 Make to test.
To fully test, i am still looking for SU2016 Install files, or a SU2017 license.
Please PM me if you can help with any of this.

Trying to add a license, a Page is loaded, that looks a lot like a 404:

image
image1157×796 88.2 KB

Using the Inspector (it is chrome-devtools !! so, no IE this far?) i can in deed see the URL of the shown doc. is giving a 404:
http://help.sketchup.com/de/in-product/2017/pro/ww/add-license?host_id=28f10e089d38%200a002700000c%20e4a47100dde1%20e6a47100dde0%20e4a47100dde4%20e4a47100dde0&su_version=17&os_user_name=test
If i open this url in a browser, i see the same 404 page.
Changing the year in the URL to 2018, i got redirected to
SketchUp Pro 2018 - Add-License | SketchUp…
Which shows an “enter license” dialogue.
Also if the Year is reverted to 2016.
Aha… is there just a redirect missing for 2016/2017?
So i searched for the url-string pro/ww/add-license and found it in a file in the SU install dir:
Support\SketchUp.dat

Line 78 is:
LICENSING_ADD_LICENSE={HELPCENTER_SERVER}/{GWS_CULTURE}/in-product/{VERSION}/pro/ww/add-license

after changing this line to what i got from the redirect,
LICENSING_ADD_LICENSE=https://licensing.sketchup.com/en/2017/add-license.html

the license dialogue now loads:

image
image958×701 63.1 KB

But i can’t test if activation works, as i only have a SU 2016 license, but no 2016 install files…
So, if someone has SU2016 Install files, please PM me.
Or, if someone wants to donate/sell his old SU2017 or newer license, i would be very interested.

If you have SU2017 and a license, try for yourself.

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Ok, i did now find 2016 install files…

And yes, here IE is embedded. And the ADD LICENSE Button is not clickable, because the page uses ES6 JavaScript…

So, i think i definitively need a License for a newer Version. Contact me if you have anything to offer.

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It’s amazing how SketchUp was developed on so many APIs or outside technologies.

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have you used any computer, software of website over the last 20 years ?

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And even before that.

I also notice the increasing size of software like SketchUp, which is not proportional to the added features: SketchUp 2016 install → 130 MB, SketchUp 2025 install → 1.5 GB.

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any way, this is veering off topic, as usual.

oh great, then you know that most modern softwares work with APIs. not everyone feels the need to reinvent the wheel for everything.

let’s see… I have SU17 installed, 383Mb
SU24 is 1,44Gb
SU25 is 2,54Gb

it was rewritten using QT, is welcomed a whole new 3d engine, then switched from the old materials (a handful of Kb each) to PBR ones, added the environments, the default plugins got beefier, location can now import 2 separate image sources + 3d buildings, trimble connect is now native…
yeah, I REALLY don’t see how in 9 years sketchup gained weight.

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You made this discussion “off topic”.

My initial point is that SketchUp depends on external development, which is what is causing this problem for @sirtet today.

so what?

No, there are two things that make the fat applications: integrated resources and the use of external frameworks and external developments.

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The license server can be seen as a pretext, and I even think it could be the subject of a class action lawsuit. At the same time, the technical obsolescence argument is a possible defense, but it could be considered a cause of wrongful termination of contract.

From what I’ve heard, Autodesk did the same thing.

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ok, let me spell it out.

THE
SERVER
IS NOT
BROKEN

I mean, Colin even said so 2 weeks ago, just read.

it’s using deprecated tech (internet explorer) that is not supported by windows.

ergo it falls under this reasoning :

WINDOWS stopped supporting internet explorer. and I’m not talking about your machine, I’m talking about windows in general. turn on an old winXP machine and try to access internet. the servers don’t communicate with IE anymore, they haven’t for some years.

also, what are you complaining about ? you have a 2019, 2020 and 2021 licence. al of these were post internet explorer, so you’re fine, you have licences that depend on servers using chromium. you’re fine.

go ahead. I wish people would stop posting on forums “that could result in class action” and just do it for once, so we can be fixed.

Tell me Wayne, why are you cheer leading against Trimble ? Are you being paid by Autodsk maybe ? :thinking:

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Hmm, maybe let’s all cool down, return to topic and stick with facts we can investigate?

I think, Colin was not super precise with his statements (there was a first one, now deleted, where he DID say ‘…server… broken…’).
Him not being super precise on this is ok for me, i think his role is not programmer.
From my analysis, su2016 is using embedded IE, which is still working as it always did.
To blame Windows no longer supporting IE is misleading. IE is “unsupported”, whatever exactly that means. But it is still working the way it used to.
The issue is, the trimble server now serves JS Code that is too modern for IE to understand (ES 6).
There might be client side issues like revoked certificates, but i don’t see signs of that.

Trimble could have left the code the same to still support SU2016, but well, they can do whatever they want, for software out of the promised lifespan.

For SU2017 which is already using Edge (contrary to Colin’s statement i think), i DO believe it is fair to say the Server is broken (a simple redirect is missing, see above).
But again, also here it would be a good will gesture from Trimble to fix it… i don’t think they have to.

I explained how SU2017 can probably be fixed locally. But still couldn’t test so far.
So, if someone with a license is willing to try, or send me a key, we could establish some more facts.

1 Like