Purchased programs will not upgrade without purchasing a new key & invalidates the old.

ObjectDesktop is a subscription based software. It has been that way forever.

You purchase and get a year's worth of updates at no extra cost. After the year is up, you renew in order to get newer programs. If you choose not to renew, you always have what you purchased.

No. You need to uninstall the newer stuff you can't activate, then download and install the programs that you purchased.  You can get them by logging in to your Stardock account, go to My Downloads. Your purchased software will be there, as well as your activation keys.

https://store.stardock.com/ 

Go there, login. Get your programs. But you'll need to uninstall the newer stuff first, then reboot.Then install the old programs you got from your downloads.

Let me add this. IF you don't plan to renew your subscription, you should download and save the installers and keys for the things you have purchased. Just so you can always install them.

I tidied up the thread a little so as to not leave anyone confused....;)

Redneckdude has explained it well enough.

Think of the Object desktop subscription as a magazine subscription....for the life of the subscription you keep on getting new editions of the magazine/s.  If you stop subscribing you cease getting more...however you still have all the ones you already received....yours forever....;)

Quoting Jafo, reply 3

I tidied up the thread a little so as to not leave anyone confused....

 

Redneckdude has explained it well enough.

Think of the Object desktop subscription as a magazine subscription....for the life of the subscription you keep on getting new editions of the magazine/s.  If you stop subscribing you cease getting more...however you still have all the ones you already received....yours forever....

End of Jafo's quote

Very good explanation.

Were not talking about a Magazine Subscription here. We are talking about computer programs. Two separate issues & not even related. You can not get an upgrade for any magazine that has previously been issued no less a reprint or even a addendum, with or without a subscription.

You can always download purchased programs that have been previously been downloaded from Stardock & their serials are included with your account. That is one of the good things I like about Stardock. They keep an Archive of your account and your purchases.

BUT

for instance

If you have an older machine and are running Windows 8.1 or above you can NOT reinstall Stardock programs that were only designed to run on Vista or earlier programs. They have designed it to be incompatible, therefor

every time Windows upgrades this will require you to upgrade your Stardock programs and once you do you loose ALL you old programs and can not reinstall them. I will not allow you to do this.

There are many many programs who offer free upgrades out there, just look at Firefox and the Zillion add on's you can get all with free upgrades and most are free anyway.

There are many many paid programs that are the same way who all know this and still offer free upgrades.

Oh and BTW I'm quite aware of downloading any program I purchase and the serial and saving it, DUHHHH.

This is why I said you need to download and archive your programs. Save the installers so that you will have them. Stardock isn't responsible for saving the programs you bought, that is up to you.

I have installers going way back. I can revert anytime I want.

Nothing has changed. The subscription plan was in effect when you originally purchased. Apparently, you didn't read it.

https://www.stardock.com/products/odnt/ 

Scroll to bottom.

Begin your complete Windows customization experience

Access updates and betas for included software for one year.

Yes you can...to labour the point the February edition of the magazine is an 'update' of the January Edition.

But ignore that.

It is NOT the fault of Stardock that a program designed for Vista will not work on a later OS such as 8.  For that you are obliged to blame Microsoft.

If you subscribe throughout the 'reign' of Vista the Stardock products released/you receive will be designed for/work for - Vista.

When you STOP subscribing you still have those programs - FOR VISTA.

You do not/will not have programs designed for an OS that has yet to be created AFTER your subscription ended.

The SINGLE INTENT of a subscription process such as Object Desktop is to maintain CURRENCY between your purchased product/s and your OS that you are running.

Example.... my subscription probably started around Windows 98.  It is still current [obviously] and now provides functionality for my current OS uses [plural], namely 7 and 10.

Does that mean those old programs for 98 are unavailable?  No....I have them in backup and can still use them if I ever felt a need to run 98 again.

Microsoft's inherent NEED to reinvent itself constantly when it comes to its OS means that the Object Desktop subscription process is the best solution for users to maintain currency [keep up with MS].

Just to push the point, I've been forced on 2 occasions to abandon my AV subscriptions simply to keep up with changes to my choice of OS when both companies were simply too slow with their compatibility to keep up with my need to be on a new OS.  If I'd simply stayed with the current OS and AV I would have saved quite a bit of money.

I'm well aware of saving the programs and their keys. I did that on the day I purchased the programs. Your not getting the point of what I posted you need to re read it.

The thing is that's the way Stardock do/protect their software,like it or lump it. 

Just out of curiosity what OS are you using and what programs and versions are you trying to install?

Your purchased program will always work on the OS version for which it was purchased.

If you decide to upgrade your OS it is to be expected that you will also need to upgrade other programs to suit.

If you require a seamless way to have Stardock's programs do that FOR you the ideal method is to maintain a current Subscription to Object Desktop.  That is its purpose.

By the Way, as an example, Windowblinds 7 is for Windows 7.  Windowblinds 10 is for Windows 10.  Just as Windows 10 is SIGNIFICANTLY different to Win 7, so is the difference between WB7 and WB10.  Ask Neil...;)

Ongoing free updates pertain to revisions between major point releases coinciding [mostly] with MS OS releases...  Purchase a stand-alone software for Win7 and you can reasonably expect updates from and up to the next OS release ver Win8.  Chasing program compatibility for shell enhancements to subsequent OS GUI releases is significantly more complex than getting a non-shell program [Photoshop] to maintain compatibility. [I still can run PSP6 on Win10 ...which is 16 years old].  You simply cannot do that with shell enhancements.  It is impossible...;)

Jafo this is why I asked my question. I have a feeling he's on Win 10 and trying to install an older Stardock program.

I think many people confuse, or wrongly interchange updates with upgrades. A program update infers that an existing version has been improved. These are almost always free.  An UPGRADE, as in an entirely new version of almost any software  is most likely going to cost something to produce  so the developers have to recoup that cost somehow. Do you work for free? Dev.'s don't either.

Possibly, and Microsoft muddied the waters relating to the concept of 'free updates' by offering 10 as a 'free update' - purely as a marketing ploy to 'push' the OS popularity/uptake.  Now the world is expected to provide their products freely, likewise.