At work I'm started using a new desktop PC after having previously used a laptop for six months and a Mac for six months before that. While using the Mac I had my boss get Dreamweaver MX 2004 and when I moved to the laptop I used a different tool instead as I was annoyed with Dreamweaver.

Anyway, I installed Dreamweaver on my new PC on Tuesday. You have to activate Macromedia's software within 30 days of installing it so I tried to do it over the internet only to have it fail. I called their activation phone line, spent five minutes entering numbers and stuff only to be told the license had been activated too many times and I needed to speak with a support person. I waited on hold for several minutes and was then told they were too busy to speak with me so I had to leave a message. I did that and a day later got a call back. They wanted to know what the problem was, so I explained it. I was told that the Dreamweaver license only lets you run the software on one platform - Windows or Mac OS, but within that one platform you could reinstall it several times. To get the license "changed" I basically have to transfer the license to myself on the new platform. Due to the nature of the problem I had to be transferred to another person who specialized in these problems. Another few minutes of hold music later I explained everything again to this new person to be told again that yes, Dreamweaver could only be used on one platform and that yes, I would have to transfer the license to myself before I could use it on the PC. So I have to load the Mac back up, run Dreamweaver from there and run a menu option to tranfer it. Then call them back again. Oh, and by the way please have my credit card ready when I call back as there's a $25 transfer fee.

This sure makes me wonder why I bother trying to keep my software legal.

UPDATE: Problem solved. There's a menu in Dreamweaver to "transfer license", and after doing that I called Macromedia back. They were about to ask for the credit card number when I started complaining, and after enough complaints they waved the fee. Argh.