Computers can often ease your life greatly or they can cause such frustration.
I’m a software developer and I do software development as a hobby. So I buy the Microsoft Compiler like every other version because it is not cheap and their subscription cost is even worse. But for Windows programming, it is by far the best. The only other option is Embarcadero C++ Builder (previously known as Borland C++ Builder, and these guys are even more expensive. Sheesh! I used to love Borland better back in the DOS days when they were the only game in town but those days are long gone.) I guess there is GCC with MingGW and all that but compared to either Microsoft’s or Embarcadero’s IDEs and compilers, that solution is even more frustrating.
Anyway, I bought a license to Visual Studio 2022 (VS) from Microsoft’s website directly using my Microsoft account. When I run VS I have it log into my Microsoft account. So when I was using VS it didn’t seem I was using a trial version, it logged into my account, and all seemed good. Just today VS complains that I have used up my trial license… Ah. What? I have a paid-for license. I see it in my purchase history. What’s going on? When I bought the software it should have put a flag on my account that I have a valid in perpetuity license.
An hour or so with Microsoft tech support proving I am who I am, I purchased what I purchased and… I am told I need to talk to a different tech support branch of Microsoft. Ugh! The guy helping me could see that I had everything but could not do anything. This other tech support, is only open during business days and business hours. Hopefully Monday I can get this all sorted out.
The main gripe I have, it should have just worked. It does not. All this fancy web services stuff I find is held on by duct tape at best. It is a gripe I have had with work recently as well. We are going full bore on Micro Services with Web-based front ends. What an unholy mess it is to get everything working together. Everyone is all gung ho about the new design methodology and how it will be all Enterprisy-like. I see problems. I have experienced all types of problems so far working with it. It is not simple or fast.
Ok, I have to admit, I am probably a grumpy old programmer now. My opinions do not matter among the modern crowd. But my god, web interfaces are giant leaps backward in sane development.
Update: Talked with Tech Support for Business Apps, which forwarded me to Tech Support for Product Support, which forwarded me to Tech Support for Visual Studio, which forwarded me to Tech Support Microsoft Store which finally solved the issue. When I purchased the software it should have immediately given me a product key. It never did. When it happened I thought Microsoft was just tagging my account with a license and I thought that I was using a license activated VS but apparently I wasn’t. So two failures on Microsoft side. Store didn’t send me the email with the product key. VS didn’t really indicate clearly or obviously that I was using a trial version… For a year and a half! Very generous of Microsoft for the trial period. A lot of other companies do just 30 days, 90 if they are really good.