Hello, all. it's been a while, but I couldn't resist the new price tag. I just bought, downloaded, and clean-installed the v15 Web installer. It installed and authorized without a hitch, but when I try to run it I get this error:

System clock has been set back (-40)

I'm syncing my clock with Apple's time server, so it's quite accurate. However, A:M refuses to get past this point. When I click OK, it finishes loading and promptly quits. I've found a workaround that involves losing five months of my life, but I'd prefer it to work, seeing as I just bought it. Do I just have to wait? Has anyone else had this problem?

15" 2.4 GHz MacBook Pro C2D, 4GB, 256MB GeForce 8600, dual displays

-Zev

This is a long shot but it might have to do with some system files with the wrong date. It the system is "messed up" the dates get scrambled. I have had this pop up on my flakey system when repairing the system with disk utilities; bad creation date, bad modified date etc.

-vern

Launch an email to: support@hash.com
(assuming you haven't already)

I'm sure they can help you out.

Yea! get an answer to this, I want all kinks worked out before I attempt a new subscription, I goof with my system all the time, not the clock though, Bios tweaks and updates, components, etc.

Update: They suggested that I restart. I did, and it didn't help. I've also zapped the PRAM, which didn't help either. They sent me a new activation key to try, but that didn't help either. Still waiting on a response to that one. Here's a screenshot so you can see exactly what I'm experiencing.

-Zev

I don't know what Hash suggested you try but here are a few things that might help. I would repair the disk using Disk Utility or whatever it's called on your version of OSX (still on... <shudder> Panther). When I run that I always have bad dates on files. I think there is some hidden system file that AM is reading to determine the date, that is discombobulated. Or maybe repair permissions?

Also try a complete clean reinstall of AM. Remove AM completely and start over. Also try it without using the Apple time server.

At some point the application is connecting to Hash to determine both the validity of the activation code AND the date and time. I wonder if this got scrambled? Maybe something went kaflooy at just the wrong moment. Just a wild guess.

p.s. I went with the Windows web subscription so I don't have first hand Mac info on this.

-vern

I did a search on the internet. I found some other apps with similar problems.

Do a search on your machine for files with a "future date". I don't know what Hash is using for timed licenses but this seems to be a problem sometimes. Some timed license software looks for files that have dates that are "after" the system date. This would indicate that the clock has been fiddled with.

Actually a disk repair would fix this.

-vern

Repair Permissions didn't help, and I've already done a clean install.

By the way, in 10.3 Permissions Repair you see a lot of "We are using special permissions on..." This indicates that Apple is changing the permissions of some standard UNIX files, and that's normal. The only time it's actually doing anything is when it says "Permissions differ on..." in which case it's repairing something. In later versions of OS X, they've hidden most of the "special permissions" messages, although a bunch of new ones have cropped up in 10.5.

-Zev

Have you checked for "future date" files? That seemed to be a big problem. What about disk/system repair/verification?

-vern

I checked for files modified after today, and none of them had anything to do with A:M. Incidentally, I'm running Max/MSP for a class, and I'm on the 9-month student license. I should mention at this point that the Max licensing scheme is really convoluted and terrible. Anyway, I opened Max while the date was set wrong and now I can't launch it. I'm in the midst of a tech support conversation with them making it work.

-Zev

From what I learned searching the internet it can be ANY file that has the wrong date. The program searches for ANY file that has a "future date". It doesn't have to be a file related to AM. The suggestion was to delete any files that have a future date.

I suppose if you wait long enough the problem will fix itself.

-vern

I made just made absolutely sure that there were no files that had been created or modified after today, and it still gave me the same error. Good thought, though.

-Zev

I exchanged several emails with support@hash.com, but nothing worked. Then it spontaneously fixed itself. It's working fine now. Strange.

I had a same problem.
I long changed system dates, have not come across yet that at which АМ it was started.
But today it is unexpected АМ it has ceased to be started. At start I receive a mistake:
(Wrong host for license (-4))