Hermetic Systems'
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: When I pay my money, what actually am I purchasing?
A: Rather than purchasing a copy of the software (what is this anyway? bits'n'bytes? electrons?) you purchase a user-license, which is our agreement that it's OK for you to use our software for its intended purpose. The details of our single-user licenses are given here.
Q: Does the user license ever expire?
A: No.
Q: I purchased a single-user license for the software. Can I let my mother use it also?
A: Only if you don't tell us.
Q: If I pay via credit card, do you receive my credit card details?
A: No. You can pay via credit card using either Kagi or PayPal (you don't need a PayPal account). Both of them just tell us you have made a purchase and they don't tell us anything about your credit card, except that Kagi tells us the type of card and the last four digits of the card number.
Q: How safe is it to order via credit card?
A: Your credit card details are encrypted during transmission to either of our payment processors. You can get further details from them as follows: PayPal, Kagi. None of our customers has ever reported a problem resulting from online purchase from us via credit card.
Q: Can I get an activation key immediately upon purchase?
A: Yes, under certain conditions. More info here.
Q: I use a spam-blocker which requires a sender to click on a link in an email message before their message can be delivered? Is this compatible with your key-delivery system?
A: No. Please purchase using an email address which allows our automated system to send you an email message with the key without having to click on any link to ensure delivery.
Compatibility with Vista and Windows 7
Q: Does your software run under Vista and Windows 7?
A: Yes. More info here.
Q: Can I run your software on my Macintosh computer?
A: Yes, if you have either a Windows emulator or a dual-processor Mac running Windows XP. It is recommended to download the trial/demo version, install it and run it to make sure that it works on your Mac. This is especially important if the program processes text files (either as input or as output) because the character sets used on Macs and PCs are different. Also, if the program writes to an output file, and you plan on importing that file into Excel, first test this with the output of the trial/demo version.
Number of installations permitted
Q: Do I have to purchase more than one user license if I want to use the software on more than one PC?
A: If you are a natural person (a head, two arms, etc.) then No. The single-user license terms allow you to install the software on a desktop, a laptop, etc., for your personal use. If you replace your old PC with a new one then your license is not affected. We keep track of the number of activation keys issued on any single-user and are reasonable about this.
If the software will be used on more than one PC by more than one person at one time (e.g., within a corporate work environment) then we require a single-user license to be purchased for each PC on which the software will be installed. More than one activation key can be issued on each license if required (e.g., in the event of a hardware upgrade).
Q: How do I get the latest trial version?
A: The main page for each item of Windows software has a link toward the bottom, "Download [program title] ...". Clicking on this takes you to a page which allows you to download the installation program. The following links take you directly to that page:
Program title Download
linkProgram title Download
linkChinese Calendrics download Hermetic Stego download Hermetic File Monitor download Keywords Meta Tag Generator download Easy Date Converter download Keywords Meta Tag Generator Advanced download Easy Date Converter Advanced download Lunar Calendars and Eclipse Finder download Easy Email Encryption Lite download Cryptosystem ME6 download Easy HTML Construction Kit download Prime Number Spiral download Factorizer download Hermetic Word Frequency Counter download Index Files Search Words download Hermetic Word Frequency Counter Advanced download Hermetic Sitemap Builder download Equinoxes, Solstices and Cross-Quarter Days download Data Destroyer download MD5 File and Folder Comparator download Data Destroyer Disk Wipe download Julian-Gregorian-Dee Date Calculator download Easy Graphics File Converter download Modified File Backup download Planetary Aspects and Transits download Radian-Degree Calculator download
Q: What's this "activation key" you mention?
A: The trial versions of our software can be freely downloaded and installed. They are limited in some way, either functionally or in terms of numbers of runs or days or both. This allows you to evaluate the software to decide whether to purchase a user license. If you purchase a user license then you can obtain an activation key, a sequence of characters, with which to activate the software, that is, to remove the limitations of the trial version. An activation key works only for a particular PC, since it depends on the "machine signature" of the PC.
Q: Does the machine signature contain any information?
A: No, except that it is different for each PC, thus allowing the generation of an activation key that works only with a particular PC.
Q: How do I obtain an activation key after purchasing a user license?
A: That depends on which payment processor you use and whether your 'machine signature' was transmitted during the order process. When the trial version is run an 'Activate this software' window appears. If you click on the first button then a page appears in your web browser which takes you to our PayPal gateway. If you pay via PayPal then your machine signature is automatically transmitted and this results in the calculation of your activation key, which is sent to you via email.
Q: If the machine signature is not transmitted at the time of purchase, what then?
A: If you order via Kagi or you order via our PayPal form without starting from the software, then after your purchase you will receive a message which tells you that before you can obtain your activation key we must first register your purchase in our online database. This usually takes between 30 minutes to 12 hours depending on your location and the time of day (or night). When your purchase is registered a message is immediately sent telling you how to obtain the activation key, namely, by running the software and, when the 'Activate this software' window appears, clicking on the second button. This brings up a page in your web browser where you enter your name and the email address you used at the time of purchase. The activation key is then sent to you.
Q: So you don't actually send activation keys yourself?
A: That's correct. Activation keys are dispensed automatically either at the time or your purchase or when you request a key via the request-a-key web page.
Installing and activating a later version
Q: I have been using the software for awhile and I wish to update to the newest version. Do I have to uninstall the old version first?
A: No. Versions are independent. Installation of the newer version will not affect the older version; the files are installed in different folders. After installing the new version and checking that it works OK you might as well uninstall the old version. You can do this via the "Uninstall" item in the Windows program menu (for the software).
Q: If I install a newer version will I need to get a new activation key?
A: No, provided that you install the new version on the same PC as the older version. If the old version has been activated then the new version should start up already activated. An exception to this is if the older version is very old, in which case the latest version should be downloaded and a key requested as explained above.
Q: When I purchased a user license my email address was blah@blah.info but I no longer receive email at that address. Can I get a new activation key sent to my current email address?
A: Yes. At the request-a-key page you must enter your old email address in the 'purchase email address' box and then you can give a different address for receipt of the key.
Reinstallation after OS or hardware upgrade
Q: I have got a new PC [or I have changed from Windows XP to Vista, or I have upgraded my hardware] and I have reinstalled the software, but the old activation key does not work with the new installation. How do I activate the new installation?
A: A new key is obtained in the same way as for the first installation and activation (you have to request a key via the request-a-key web page). If you don't have the current version (or a version close to it) then download the latest version via the appropriate link above. Run the installation program then run the program itself. When the "Activate this software" window appears click on the second button to go to the request-a-key page. Give your purchase email address (the email address you used at the time you purchased a user license). If you wish, you can have the key sent to a different email address.
Q: I have just updated my system and the software no longer works. Can you please resend the key?
A: No need to ask us. Please pretend that you have just purchased the license and that you need to get an activation key. When you start up the software it gives you directions as to how to do so.
Q: I purchased a user license for the software a few years ago, and after getting a new PC the activation key I got just now doesn't work with the version of the software that I have.
A: Download the latest version using one of the links above, run it and follow the directions for obtaining a new activation key.
Q: What's the difference between an update and an upgrade? Are both free?
A: An update is simply a later version of a particular product. Updates are free (just download the later version and install it; you may or may not need to request a new key). An upgrade is from one product to another, more advanced, product with greater functionality, e.g., from Hermetic Word Frequency Counter to the Advanced Version. The cost of an upgrade is the difference in price of the two products plus 10%.
If you have a question which is not answered above
then feel free to submit your question to support@hermetic.ch.
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