Serial Number Blues (A Slight Return)

This Tech Tip is worth repeating at regular intervals – along with the admonition to religiously back up all the data on your hard drive. These days, with so many of our important studio tools being software-based, you could easily be dealing with dozens (or even hundreds) of serial numbers and authorizations. For all its inconvenience, the hardware dongle gives you a fighting chance when you’re recovering from a crash, but the majority of today’s software applications and plug-ins generally require a serial number to generate an authorization. If you have to reconstruct all the contents of a hard drive, things will go smoother if you keep all your serial numbers and authorizations safe in one or more locations. One easy way to keep this information easily accessible is to print out or photocopy all of your original documentation and store it in a binder. One other method is to use a permanent marker (like a Sharpie) and write both the serial number and authorization codes on the jewel case or plastic sleeve your software came on. That way, if something goes terribly awry with your computer, and you have to reinstall the contents, the serial number and such are right on the original discs. Better still, use both methods. We are infinitely better off these days, since our computers and operating systems are far more robust and crash-proof than they were a decade ago. Still, it’s better to be prepared for the worst, so that if it happens, you won’t be running around, gnashing your teeth, and desperately trying to locate some piece of paper or card with your serial numbers on it. Let’s hope it never comes to that, but if it does, you’ll be ready for it.