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Fast Answers

  • I have registered my Catalyst applications but now see an "Invalid License" error on launch. How do I fix this?

    This error can sometimes occur after migrating a system from one machine to another.

    To correct an Invalid License error, try resetting your software activation. The steps below explain how to do that:

     

    Windows

    Press and hold Shift + the Windows key while launching the application.

    macOS

    Press and hold Shift + Command (⌘) while launching the application. Please note that this keyboard shortcut works best from the Applications directory, rather than the Dock.

     

    This should bring up a window prompting you to log in to your Sony Creative Software account, after which the activation should proceed as normal.

    If that does not correct this issue, you may need to manually remove the license files from your previous Catalyst application registrations.

  • Is there a way to reset the software to default settings and preferences?

    Close the program. Now press CTRL+SHIFT while double-clicking on the program's icon to launch it. You should see a window that asks "Do you want to reset all preferences to default values?" Click Yes.

    On a system running macOS, this may not work if you are trying to launch the application from the Dock. If you do not see the reset dialog, try repeating the process with the icon found in your Applications directory in Finder instead.

     

  • Why do I see a message saying that my trial has expired when I have paid for a subscription?

    Your subscription should have been automatically activated when you completed your purchase. If you previously used a trial version, and that expired trial is keeping you from opening the software, it is possible that the trial was registered using a different email address than the one associated with your order. To correct that, try resetting your software activation. The steps below explain how to do that:

     

    Windows

    Press and hold Shift + the Windows key while launching the application.

    macOS

    Press and hold Shift + Command (⌘) while launching the application. Please note that this keyboard shortcut works best from the Applications directory, rather than the Dock.

     

    This should bring up a window prompting you to log in to your Sony Creative Software account, after which the activation should proceed as normal.

    If that does not correct this issue, you may need to manually remove the license files from your previous Catalyst application registrations.

  • How do I install the software?

    Perhaps the easiest place to begin installing our applications is on our Updates page. There, you can download the latest installer build for almost every product. Installers for Mac will be .dmg files, whereas Windows installers will be .exe files. The previous build for each application will be available to download on that page, as well, but we recommend using the latest updates whenever possible.

    Click the Download button to start the download process. If you are given an option to "Save" or "Run" the file, we recommend choosing "Save." After the download has finished, navigate to its download location and run the installer. Follow the installation steps until the process is complete. Then, you can navigate to the aplication launcher to start the program.

    After launching the program, you will likely need to register the software.

    You can reinstall the appliation as many times as you like, as long as the product is being used according to the EULA.

     

  • What can I do when my program is crashing?    

    If your software closes unexpectedly and displays an error message, that means it is crashing. The details of the error message can help identify the cause of the crash and should be copied for future reference. Below are some general troubleshooting steps you can try regardless of the error. Please attempt these:

    • Reset the software - How to reset SCS applications to default preferences
    • If you are running a Windows system, check for and install Windows Updates - On Windows 7 you can search for "Windows Update" via the Start Menu. On Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 you can press Windows Key + Q to bring up a search field and search for "Windows Update." Have Windows check for updates or "Check online for updates from Microsoft Update" even if it appears you're up to date initially. Once updates are downloaded and installed, restart your machine.

    • Update hardware drivers - Visit the device manufacturer's website to ensure you get the latest drivers as Windows Device Manager may not reliably find the most up to date version. The hardware manufacturer will have the most recent version available. Pre-built systems (i.e. DELL, Lenovo, HP) often provide driver updates on their site as well.

      GPU update support pages:

      AMD
      NVIDIA
      INTEL

    Note: on a system running macOS, graphics driver updates are usually tied to OS updates, so you may want to verify that you are using the latest update for your macOS version.

    If these solutions do not fix the crash, please take a screenshot or copy the error details. Then, please submit an incident to our Technical Support team along with the error information. More information about how to do this can be found here: Creating and submitting a support request
  • How do I maintain shortcuts to my old perpetual licenses of Catalyst Prepare and Catalyst Edit now that I have the current subscription version?

    Note: This only impacts customers who purchased Catalyst Prepare or Catalyst Production Suite prior to 4/18/2016

    Windows:

    Before installing the subscription versions, rename your existing desktop icons to identify the 2015 versions:

    1. Remove the shortcuts from the taskbar.

    2. Right-click the Catalyst Prepare and Catalyst Edit desktop icons, choose Rename, and add "2015" to the existing desktop shortcut name.

    3. Install the current builds of Catalyst Prepare and Catalyst Edit.

    4. Drag the icons for the current versions to the taskbar if desired.


    OS X:

    Before installing the subscription versions, rename the application:

    1. Remove the Catalyst icons from the dock.

    2. Open the applications widow and rename the: existing (2015) application icons by adding "2015" to the title.

    3. Install the current builds of Catalyst Prepare and Catalyst Edit.

    4. Add the current version icons to the dock if desired.

  • FAQ: MAGIX Software acquisition of Sony Creative Software products

    Sony Creative Software Sells Majority of Products to MAGIX Software GmbH 

    Can I still activate my older Vegas, ACID, and Sound Forge products?  
    Older versions will be activate-able using the serial supplied when the product was purchased.  

    Will MAGIX allow 5 activations of serial numbers, similar to Sony's activation policy?
    No. The license is for a single user, who can install the software on up to 2 machines before the activation needs to be reset by a MAGIX support rep.

    In which languages will MAGIX provide support?
    Email Support:  English, German
    Knowledgebase FAQ:  English, Spanish, German, French

    Will Vegas move to a subscription model?
    MAGIX offers both perpetual licensing and subscription licensing for VEGAS Pro. You can learn more about these options here.

    Where can I obtain technical support for my product?
    For support with VEGAS Pro, VEGAS Movie Studio, or DVD Architect, please contact the VEGAS support team here.
    For support with Sound Forge, ACID, or SpectraLayers, please contact the MAGIX Audio support team here.

    Does MAGIX plan to continue developing the Vegas family of products?
    Yes, MAGIX will develop VEGAS Pro and VEGAS Movie Studio into the future. In fact, VEGAS Pro 18 is the most recent release. You can find more information about the latest VEGAS software updates here

  • Why are the output clips more blurred when the source clips were captured with Active image stabilization mode, and how can I reduce that blurring?
    Output clips can exhibit blurring when using a high Crop Ratio (Catalyst Prepare Plugin) or Cropping Ratio (Catalyst Browse and Catalyst Prepare) setting.
     
    To address this, we recommend choosing Stabilization mode > Auto. If blurring still exists, choose Manual mode and decrease the Crop Ratio (Catalyst Prepare Plugin) or Cropping Ratio (Catalyst Browse and Prepare) setting.
Sony Creative Software inspires artistic expression with its award-winning line of products for digital video production. The Catalyst Production Suite fuses powerful media preparation and fast, focused video editing to provide the backbone for your video productions.
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