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Frequently (or Occasionally) Asked Questions
Q: When I pay my money, what actually am I purchasing?
A: Rather than purchasing a copy of the software (what is this anyway? bits'n'bytes? electrons?) you purchase a user-license, which is our agreement that it's OK for you to use our software for its intended purpose. The details of our single-user licenses are given here.
Q: I purchased a single-user license for the software. Can I let my mother use it also?
A: Only if you don't tell us (since user licenses are not transferable).
Q: Does the user license ever expire?
A: No, unless you have purchased a user license for a specific period of 3 months or 1 year (this is a possibility with about half of our programs). If the license is for a specific period (which begins from the date of purchase of the license) then at the end of that period the software will revert to a trial or demo version, and you will have to purchase a new license in order to continue using the (fully-functional) software.
Q: If I pay via credit card, do you receive my credit card details?
A: No. You can pay via credit card using either Share-it or PayPal (you don't need a PayPal account for this). Both of them just tell us you have made a purchase and they don't tell us anything about your credit card.
Q: How safe is it to order via credit card?
A: Your credit card details are encrypted during transmission to either of our payment processors.
Number of installations permitted
Q: Do I have to purchase more than one user license if I want to use the software on more than one PC?
A: If you are a natural person (a head, two arms, etc.) then No. The single-user license terms allow you to install the software on a desktop, a laptop, etc., for your personal use. If you replace your old PC with a new one then your license is not affected. We keep track of the number of activation keys issued on any single-user and are reasonable about this.
If the software will be used on more than one PC by more than one person at one time (e.g., within a corporate work environment) then we require a single-user license to be purchased for each PC on which the software will be installed. More than one activation key can be issued on each license if required (e.g., in the event of a hardware upgrade).
If you are interested in a site license or some other type of special arrangement then contact us.
Q: What's this "activation key" you mention?
A: The trial versions of our software can be freely downloaded and installed. They are limited in some way, either functionally or by a trial period. This allows you to evaluate the software to decide whether to purchase a user license. If you purchase a user license then you can obtain an activation key, a sequence of characters, with which to activate the software, that is, to remove the limitations of the trial version. An activation key works only for a particular PC, since it depends on the "machine signature" of the PC.
Q: Does the machine signature contain any information?
A: No, it is a mostly random sequence of characters which is different for each PC, thus allowing the generation of an activation key that works only with a particular PC.
Q: How do I obtain an activation key?
A: When the trial version is run an 'Activate this software' window appears. If you click on the first button then a page appears in your web browser which takes you to an order page. When you pay (via PayPal or Share-it) your 'machine signature' is automatically transmitted and this results in the calculation of your activation key, which is sent to you via email.
Q: If I don't purchase a user license in this way, what then?
A: If you order via our PayPal or Share-it order forms without starting from the software, then after your purchase you will receive a message which tells you how to download the software and get an activation key, either (a) by running the software and, when the 'Activate this software' window appears, clicking on the second button (this brings up a page in your web browser where you enter your name and the email address you used at the time of purchase) or (b) using our request-a-key page at www.planetary-aspects.com/41/get_ak.php.
Q: So you don't actually send activation keys yourself?
A: That's correct. Activation keys are dispensed automatically either at the time or your purchase or when you request a key via the request-a-key web page.
Q: I use a spam-blocker which requires a sender to click on a link in an email message before their message can be delivered? Is this compatible with your key-delivery system?
A: No. Please purchase using an email address which allows our automated system to send you an email message with the key without having to click on any link to ensure delivery.
Installing and activating a later version
Q: I have been using the software for awhile and I wish to update to the newest version. Do I have to uninstall the old version first?
A: No. Versions are independent. Installation of the newer version will not affect the older version; the files are installed in different folders. After installing the new version and checking that it works OK you might as well uninstall the old version. You can do this via the "Uninstall" item in the Windows program menu (for the software).
Q: If I install a newer version will I need to get a new activation key?
A: No, provided that you install the new version on the same PC as the older version. If the old version has been activated then the new version should start up already activated. An exception to this is if the older version is very old, in which case the latest version should be downloaded and a key requested as explained above.
Q: I no longer receive email at the email address I used to purchase a user license. Can I get a new activation key sent to my current email address?
A: Yes, but first we have to change your purchase email address in our online database. For this contact us and tell us your old and new email addresses.
Reinstallation after OS or hardware upgrade
Q: I have just updated my system and the software has reverted to a trial version. Can you please send the new activation key?
A: No need to ask us. See the answer to the next question. Just pretend that you have just purchased the license and that you need to get an activation key. When you start up the software it gives you directions as to how to do so.
Q: I have got a new PC [or I have changed from Windows XP to Vista or Windows 7, or I have upgraded my hardware] and I have reinstalled the software, but the old activation key does not work with the new installation. How do I get a new key?.
A: As stated above, we do not send activation keys. A new key is obtained in the same way as for the first installation and activation (that is, running the trial or demo version and going from it to the request-a-key page on our website). As mentioned above, you can also get a key via our other request-a-key web page at www.planetary-aspects.com/41/get_ak.php.
Q: Does your software provide any interpretation of the aspects and transits?
A: No. The developer of this software is skilled in astronomical and calendrical computation but he is not an astrologer, and so offers no interpretation. But some guidance is offered at Day-to-Day Understanding of Planetary Transits.
Q: How can I find out what the aspects and transits mean?
A: The software is computationally accurate and provides much information but requires the user to interpret the results using other sources. On the links page there are some links to sites which offer 1-paragraph interpretations of each aspect for each pair of planets, so e.g. if you have Pluto trine Venus in your natal chart you can look that up. On that links page there are also links to archetypal astrology websites.
Compatibility with Vista and Windows 7, 8 and 10
Q: Does your software run under Vista and Windows 7/8/10?
A: Yes, it runs under all versions of Windows from '98' to '10'.
Q: Can I run your software on my Macintosh computer?
A: Yes, if you have either a Windows emulator (such as "Parallels") or a dual-processor Mac running Windows XP. It is recommended to download the trial version, install it and run it to make sure that it works on your Mac.