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How to protect Software against fire ?

13 REPLIES 13
Reply
Message 1 of 14
Anonymous
340 Views, 13 Replies

How to protect Software against fire ?

I'm the network administrator of a small company.
Our company has 3x AutoCAD 2002 / 2x AutoCAD Lite / And some viewers.
Now my boss asked me how we can best protect our software investment against
fire.

I told him that only the serial number is important. But now I'm not quite
sure anymore.
Let's say that our complete company burns down. (god forbid) Everything is
lost.
I only have the serial & CD key's of all software licenses (kept it in a
safe at another location).

Questions:

* Can I order new copies of the install CD's ?
* Is it legal to only have a serial number and not the original CD ?

What is the normal procedure for this kind of problems ? How do other
company's solve this ?

Best regards,

Micha
13 REPLIES 13
Message 2 of 14
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

Hi Micha,

As far as I know, the best way to protect your company's investment in
software is to insure all your software programs.

You should contact your insurance agent and find out how to add all software
to the policy just like any other hardware or movables.
Even hardware locks could burn down.

Arad


"John Doe" wrote in message
news:E6C8FFF74A381194262315E2EFB5D2F5@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> I'm the network administrator of a small company.
> Our company has 3x AutoCAD 2002 / 2x AutoCAD Lite / And some viewers.
> Now my boss asked me how we can best protect our software investment
against
> fire.
>
> I told him that only the serial number is important. But now I'm not quite
> sure anymore.
> Let's say that our complete company burns down. (god forbid) Everything
is
> lost.
> I only have the serial & CD key's of all software licenses (kept it in a
> safe at another location).
>
> Questions:
>
> * Can I order new copies of the install CD's ?
> * Is it legal to only have a serial number and not the original CD ?
>
> What is the normal procedure for this kind of problems ? How do other
> company's solve this ?
>
> Best regards,
>
> Micha
>
>
>
Message 3 of 14
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

I live in Belgium and there is no insurance agent that will cover Software
!!!
They will only cover hardware.
We do not have hardware locks. It's only a software lock on AutoCAD 2002.

Any idea's now ?

Micha



"Arad Gazit" wrote in message
news:76437936CF1727683BAABB9096E84630@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> Hi Micha,
>
> As far as I know, the best way to protect your company's investment in
> software is to insure all your software programs.
>
> You should contact your insurance agent and find out how to add all
software
> to the policy just like any other hardware or movables.
> Even hardware locks could burn down.
>
> Arad
>
>
> "John Doe" wrote in message
> news:E6C8FFF74A381194262315E2EFB5D2F5@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> > I'm the network administrator of a small company.
> > Our company has 3x AutoCAD 2002 / 2x AutoCAD Lite / And some viewers.
> > Now my boss asked me how we can best protect our software investment
> against
> > fire.
> >
> > I told him that only the serial number is important. But now I'm not
quite
> > sure anymore.
> > Let's say that our complete company burns down. (god forbid) Everything
> is
> > lost.
> > I only have the serial & CD key's of all software licenses (kept it in a
> > safe at another location).
> >
> > Questions:
> >
> > * Can I order new copies of the install CD's ?
> > * Is it legal to only have a serial number and not the original CD ?
> >
> > What is the normal procedure for this kind of problems ? How do other
> > company's solve this ?
> >
> > Best regards,
> >
> > Micha
> >
> >
> >
>
>
Message 4 of 14
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

Make a copy of each CD and write the serial number and auth codes on the CD.
Keep them as your working copies. Take the originals off site - perhaps your
boss could lock them up at his home.

- Tom

"John Doe" wrote in message
news:5CFAF8445EE7606F97387DFE7CFE2A2E@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> I live in Belgium and there is no insurance agent that will cover Software
> !!!
> They will only cover hardware.
> We do not have hardware locks. It's only a software lock on AutoCAD 2002.
>
> Any idea's now ?
>
> Micha
Message 5 of 14
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

Hi,

I am afraid keeping CD's and Authorization keys is not the solution. When
you install AutoCAD 2002 on a new computer you will need a new Auth' key.
The old one is good only for the original hardware.

Arad


"Tom Gilmer" wrote in message
news:26F567DC6C6E5C0BF82285B7A8F8B3AC@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> Make a copy of each CD and write the serial number and auth codes on the
CD.
> Keep them as your working copies. Take the originals off site - perhaps
your
> boss could lock them up at his home.
>
> - Tom
>
> "John Doe" wrote in message
> news:5CFAF8445EE7606F97387DFE7CFE2A2E@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> > I live in Belgium and there is no insurance agent that will cover
Software
> > !!!
> > They will only cover hardware.
> > We do not have hardware locks. It's only a software lock on AutoCAD
2002.
> >
> > Any idea's now ?
> >
> > Micha
>
>
Message 6 of 14
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

Micha,

IMO, you should be worrying your data in case of fire, not your software
licenses. Assuming you've registered your licenses with AutoDesk, I doubt
you need more than the company name to retrieve the information.

Joe Burke

> I'm the network administrator of a small company.
> Our company has 3x AutoCAD 2002 / 2x AutoCAD Lite / And some viewers.
> Now my boss asked me how we can best protect our software investment
against
> fire.
>
> I told him that only the serial number is important. But now I'm not quite
> sure anymore.
> Let's say that our complete company burns down. (god forbid) Everything
is
> lost.
> I only have the serial & CD key's of all software licenses (kept it in a
> safe at another location).
>
> Questions:
>
> * Can I order new copies of the install CD's ?
> * Is it legal to only have a serial number and not the original CD ?
>
> What is the normal procedure for this kind of problems ? How do other
> company's solve this ?
>
> Best regards,
>
> Micha
>
>
>
Message 7 of 14
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

You should have no problem getting a new copy with proof of damage or loss.
But, if you would like to be secure about your original investment, they
make fire/water safes that era strictly for media types. Do not buy just a
regular fire safe. Make sure it has a water seal and is made strictly for
media types. That will insure that you will not lose information on that
media. It will be good for CD's, Tapes, or documentation (paper). Go here:

http://www.mediaprotection.com/


"John Doe" wrote in message
news:E6C8FFF74A381194262315E2EFB5D2F5@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
| I'm the network administrator of a small company.
| Our company has 3x AutoCAD 2002 / 2x AutoCAD Lite / And some viewers.
| Now my boss asked me how we can best protect our software investment
against
| fire.
|
| I told him that only the serial number is important. But now I'm not quite
| sure anymore.
| Let's say that our complete company burns down. (god forbid) Everything
is
| lost.
| I only have the serial & CD key's of all software licenses (kept it in a
| safe at another location).
|
| Questions:
|
| * Can I order new copies of the install CD's ?
| * Is it legal to only have a serial number and not the original CD ?
|
| What is the normal procedure for this kind of problems ? How do other
| company's solve this ?
|
| Best regards,
|
| Micha
|
|
|
Message 8 of 14
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

We keep the originals off site, and copies to work from at each station.
When we had a cabinet fall off the wall, it landed on a stack of CD's, and
wrecked most of them. We brought in the origianl, copied it, and resecured
the original. No problem. Not sure if we broke any rules or laws even, but
it seemed like a perfectly good way of keeping our investment safe.

-Mike Regan





"Arad Gazit" wrote in message
news:0C1AD3733112B5AA6E38FDDBF833BCCC@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> Hi,
>
> I am afraid keeping CD's and Authorization keys is not the solution. When
> you install AutoCAD 2002 on a new computer you will need a new Auth' key.
> The old one is good only for the original hardware.
>
> Arad
>
>
> "Tom Gilmer" wrote in message
> news:26F567DC6C6E5C0BF82285B7A8F8B3AC@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> > Make a copy of each CD and write the serial number and auth codes on the
> CD.
> > Keep them as your working copies. Take the originals off site - perhaps
> your
> > boss could lock them up at his home.
> >
> > - Tom
> >
> > "John Doe" wrote in message
> > news:5CFAF8445EE7606F97387DFE7CFE2A2E@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> > > I live in Belgium and there is no insurance agent that will cover
> Software
> > > !!!
> > > They will only cover hardware.
> > > We do not have hardware locks. It's only a software lock on AutoCAD
> 2002.
> > >
> > > Any idea's now ?
> > >
> > > Micha
> >
> >
>
>
Message 9 of 14
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

This is not true. As long as you have the SN# and CD key, this will work
on. Something I also noticed, as long as you have ANY sn# and cd key, this
will work on ANY AutoCAD cd. I found this out on LDD and Civil.

This might be true if you are talking about a network install, then yes, you
will need a new server code.



> When you install AutoCAD 2002 on a new computer you will need a new Auth'
key.
> The old one is good only for the original hardware.
>
> Arad
Message 10 of 14
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

John, Do as Tom has mentioned and you will be fine. I would suggest that
you store the original CD's in a fire proof and Media approved safe OFF SITE
or rent a safety deposit box at a bank.

I would also be worried about your data too. If you don't have a backup
system now, you better start worrying about it. I need to date and save at
least once a month and store these tapes off site.

Tom Gilmer wrote in message
news:26F567DC6C6E5C0BF82285B7A8F8B3AC@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> Make a copy of each CD and write the serial number and auth codes on the
CD.
> Keep them as your working copies. Take the originals off site - perhaps
your
> boss could lock them up at his home.
>
> - Tom
>
> "John Doe" wrote in message
> news:5CFAF8445EE7606F97387DFE7CFE2A2E@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> > I live in Belgium and there is no insurance agent that will cover
Software
> > !!!
> > They will only cover hardware.
> > We do not have hardware locks. It's only a software lock on AutoCAD
2002.
> >
> > Any idea's now ?
> >
> > Micha
>
>
Message 11 of 14
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

I think the license agreement allows you to make 1 copy of backup purposes.

From the License agreement:

Backup Copy: Regardless of which version of the Software you have acquired,
you may make one archival (backup) copy of the Software. Such archival copy
may not be installed on another computer, unless such computer is a
partitioned drive of a server to which only the authorized user has access.
In any event, the archival copy may not be used or installed as long as
another copy of the Software is installed on any computer. If the
Documentation is in printed form, it may not be copied. If the
Documentation is in electronic form, it may not be duplicated
electronically, however, you may print out one (1) copy, which may not be
copied.


Michael Regan wrote in message
news:04C07BE03B75E34A3A375ADB6050FA5F@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> We keep the originals off site, and copies to work from at each station.
> When we had a cabinet fall off the wall, it landed on a stack of CD's, and
> wrecked most of them. We brought in the origianl, copied it, and resecured
> the original. No problem. Not sure if we broke any rules or laws even, but
> it seemed like a perfectly good way of keeping our investment safe.
>
> -Mike Regan
>
>
>
>
>
> "Arad Gazit" wrote in message
> news:0C1AD3733112B5AA6E38FDDBF833BCCC@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> > Hi,
> >
> > I am afraid keeping CD's and Authorization keys is not the solution.
When
> > you install AutoCAD 2002 on a new computer you will need a new Auth'
key.
> > The old one is good only for the original hardware.
> >
> > Arad
> >
> >
> > "Tom Gilmer" wrote in message
> > news:26F567DC6C6E5C0BF82285B7A8F8B3AC@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> > > Make a copy of each CD and write the serial number and auth codes on
the
> > CD.
> > > Keep them as your working copies. Take the originals off site -
perhaps
> > your
> > > boss could lock them up at his home.
> > >
> > > - Tom
> > >
> > > "John Doe" wrote in message
> > > news:5CFAF8445EE7606F97387DFE7CFE2A2E@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> > > > I live in Belgium and there is no insurance agent that will cover
> > Software
> > > > !!!
> > > > They will only cover hardware.
> > > > We do not have hardware locks. It's only a software lock on AutoCAD
> > 2002.
> > > >
> > > > Any idea's now ?
> > > >
> > > > Micha
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>
Message 12 of 14
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

Depending on how many disks you are talking about, you can store them in an
fireproof box. Note that there is a difference between fireproof safes
which are for computer media and those which are not. Those which are not
will keep the contents below the flash point temperature of paper for the
specified time, but CD's and tapes would be rendered useless at far lower
temperatures.

Ideally, I would keep one full set of media on site, for ease of use, and
one full set off site - probably wherever I store my off site backup tapes.

Register your software. All the major software companies will provide
replacement media for lost or damaged products at far less than the cost of
replacing the entire license. Keep a record of the serial number, and CD
key's for everything, and you will be able to reinstall with any media -
AutoCAD, Office, Photoshop, etc, all work fine using your original S/N and
Key, installing from any media. And yes, this is legal. Read the EULA's,
the details are spelled out there in legalese. Usually, you are allowed to
burn one extra copy for yourself, as a backup. One thing that you could
consider is making your office copy online, rather than a CD, and putting
the CD offsite. Even in a small company, installing over the network will
save you time, and for products that install with an MSI, that need to
reference the original installer whenever they get patched, the software
remembers the install location, and will look back there for it
automatically, greatly easing updates and patches.


"John Doe" wrote in message
news:E6C8FFF74A381194262315E2EFB5D2F5@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> I'm the network administrator of a small company.
> Our company has 3x AutoCAD 2002 / 2x AutoCAD Lite / And some viewers.
> Now my boss asked me how we can best protect our software investment
against
> fire.
>
> I told him that only the serial number is important. But now I'm not quite
> sure anymore.
> Let's say that our complete company burns down. (god forbid) Everything
is
> lost.
> I only have the serial & CD key's of all software licenses (kept it in a
> safe at another location).
>
> Questions:
>
> * Can I order new copies of the install CD's ?
> * Is it legal to only have a serial number and not the original CD ?
>
> What is the normal procedure for this kind of problems ? How do other
> company's solve this ?
>
> Best regards,
>
> Micha
>
>
>
Message 13 of 14
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

Well, phisically the best to protect the software from is buying a safe box
for software and cd's. They cost between $ 500 and up depending on the
capacity of the box. You can check on staples or officedepot or maybe
Compusa.

Damian


"John Doe" wrote in message
news:5CFAF8445EE7606F97387DFE7CFE2A2E@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> I live in Belgium and there is no insurance agent that will cover Software
> !!!
> They will only cover hardware.
> We do not have hardware locks. It's only a software lock on AutoCAD 2002.
>
> Any idea's now ?
>
> Micha
>
>
>
> "Arad Gazit" wrote in message
> news:76437936CF1727683BAABB9096E84630@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> > Hi Micha,
> >
> > As far as I know, the best way to protect your company's investment in
> > software is to insure all your software programs.
> >
> > You should contact your insurance agent and find out how to add all
> software
> > to the policy just like any other hardware or movables.
> > Even hardware locks could burn down.
> >
> > Arad
> >
> >
> > "John Doe" wrote in message
> > news:E6C8FFF74A381194262315E2EFB5D2F5@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> > > I'm the network administrator of a small company.
> > > Our company has 3x AutoCAD 2002 / 2x AutoCAD Lite / And some viewers.
> > > Now my boss asked me how we can best protect our software investment
> > against
> > > fire.
> > >
> > > I told him that only the serial number is important. But now I'm not
> quite
> > > sure anymore.
> > > Let's say that our complete company burns down. (god forbid)
Everything
> > is
> > > lost.
> > > I only have the serial & CD key's of all software licenses (kept it in
a
> > > safe at another location).
> > >
> > > Questions:
> > >
> > > * Can I order new copies of the install CD's ?
> > > * Is it legal to only have a serial number and not the original CD ?
> > >
> > > What is the normal procedure for this kind of problems ? How do other
> > > company's solve this ?
> > >
> > > Best regards,
> > >
> > > Micha
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>
Message 14 of 14
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

We store data on 2 sets of cd's, one of which is offsite. It is unlikely
that disaster will befall both sets at the same time.

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