ridha 

Trados 2007, Trados Studio 2009, 2011 and 2014 and the third party licensing technology that supports these products are end of life and therefore end of support. The licensing technology has been decommissioned for these products which means that license activation, deactivation and license resets will no longer work on these versions.

You can continue to use your Trados 2007, Trados Studio 2009, 2011 and 2014 on the environment that it is installed on. But should you wish to move your license to another laptop or PC or should you wish to upgrade your version of Windows on the laptop or PC that Trados 2007, Trados Studio 2009, 2011 or 2014 is installed on, the license will no longer work.  This would also apply to having a new hard disk.

The RWS official documentation for end-of-life can be found here: gateway.sdl.com/.../communityknowledge

Got the same problem... I have been a satisfied user of Trados Studio 2009 for several years. I use the PLUS version because I work on several computers and often return/activate the licence online. There have been no problems at all with this - until now...  So, I now have the software correctly installed, compliant hardware, a licence purchased with no time limit, but I cannot use it.... From the linked information, it appears that support for Trados 2009 ended on 31.06.2014 - but I used, deactivated, re-activated the licence until a few weeks ago.- checked on my RWS account: the last activation was on 14.04.2023. Support for Trados 2019 ended on 31.12.2022 - does this mean that Trados 2019 users have also been restricted in their use of it? In fact, I don't need support. All I need is for the developer not to restrict me in my rights to use the licence I have acquired. If they do not allow online activation, they should allow activation by other means.

Ilona Kromp 

Ilona Kromp said:

it appears that support for Trados 2009 ended on 31.06.2014 - but I used, deactivated, re-activated the licence until a few weeks ago.-

Indeed, despite the official termination of Trados 2009 support, we sustained its functionality for an extended period, which is why you were able to use, deactivate, and reactivate the license for many years after 2014. Our continuous efforts enabled this extended support for nearly nine years beyond its end-of-life date. However, over the last few months, we've been unable to maintain this ability. We have tried our best to support this older technology as long as we could.

Ilona Kromp said:

does this mean that Trados 2019 users have also been restricted in their use of it?

No, Trados 2019 users are not affected by this.

Ilona Kromp said:

 If they do not allow online activation, they should allow activation by other means.

We do facilitate online activation, but only for supported versions of the product. If you opt to use an unsupported version, that is your decision. Regrettably, we can't extend support for such old versions indefinitely.

Then linking information that is not applicable (as in the case of Trados support) is pointless. Above all and as I have written: this is not about support but about acquired rights. I do not require/expect Trados 2009 to be updated, improved etc. I just wish I could continue to use it (what I paid for), which I actually cannot any more. Contrary to what you wrote: I cannot choose to use the 'old' version of Trados - in fact, I have been deprived of the use of the acquired licence...

Then linking information that is not applicable (as in the case of Trados support) is pointless. Above all and as I have written: this is not about support but about acquired rights. I do not require/expect Trados 2009 to be updated, improved etc. I just wish I could continue to use it (what I paid for), which I actually cannot any more. Contrary to what you wrote: I cannot choose to use the 'old' version of Trados - in fact, I have been deprived of the use of the acquired licence...

Ilona Kromp 

Support encompasses more than just technical assistance—it includes any measures taken to enhance your experience with our software. Even after the software reached its end-of-life stage, we extended our support for your license. While not obligated to do so, we went above and beyond to ensure your success. However, please remember that once software enters its end-of-life phase, the onus shifts onto you to maintain an environment where the license continues to operate effectively.

The onus shifts onto me to maintain an environment where the license continues to operate effectively? OK, in some sense this has always been the case. And I have done my duty: I did not change anything, the computer, the software remained unchanged, Trados 2009 was installed on the same computer and could still work if the manufacturer had not blocked the licensing. I still have an active user account on RWS, valid licences ("Expiry Date: No expiry date"), a computer that meets the requirements, I can download from my account e.g. the Trados Studio 2009 and MultiTerm 2009 installation programs and install Trados on any computer. The only problem is that the developer has decided to block me from activating the licences. Even though I have not breached the contract in any way. It's not my "fault", nor, for example, Microsoft's (as a result of an update). It is the decision of the Trados Studio 2009 developer to restrict my user rights and deprive me of the possibility to use Trados Studio 2009 on any computer: nor in my existing environment nor on a new computer (with a new operating system) nor on an old computer (with an old operating system). And instead they offer me to buy a new licence, probably also without a time limit, which apparently means nothing... Perhaps they think it's an effective way to increase sales of new products, in my opinion it's the best way to at least alienate a previously satisfied customer.

Ilona Kromp 

Thank you for sharing your perspective on this matter... we do appreciate your feedback.

We understand your concern about being unable to use your Trados 2009 license after the product reached its end-of-life stage.  The decision to end support for older versions of our software, in this case, Trados 2009, is never made lightly.  But it is a matter of allocating resources effectively and ensuring that our efforts are focused on providing robust, current, and functional software to all our users.

As software evolves, so too do the platforms and systems it runs on.  Over time, it becomes increasingly challenging and resource-intensive to ensure compatibility and functionality of older software with ever-evolving hardware and software environments.  This is why end-of-life policies are in place for most software products, including ours.

We do acknowledge your right to use the software you purchased.  However, the practicalities of the technological environment mean that while the license doesn't expire, the software's compatibility and our ability to provide support for it does.

That's why we always encourage our users to keep their software updated to the most recent version, not just to take advantage of new features and improvements, but also to ensure compatibility with their operating environment.  Moreover, maintaining an active support contract with us ensures that you will always have access to the latest version of the software and the support necessary to use it effectively.  This arrangement provides a level of certainty in terms of cost and continued functionality.

To be clear, the decision to end support for older versions is not an effort to force users into purchasing newer products but an unfortunate necessity due to technological evolution.  The aim is to provide better, more secure, and more capable products that align with the current tech ecosystem.

We are grateful for your understanding, and should you wish to explore upgrading your software or subscribing to a support contract, we're here to assist.  Please feel free to reach out if you have any further questions or concerns.

Paul