Can't get past Expiration message

Trying to launch SmartFTP today, I got the message, "This SmartFTP is about to expire" with two options, BUY NOW and Download SmartFTP. Clicking on either of them doesn't do anything.

So I went out to the SmartFTP site and downloaded the current version. Completing the install should launch the program, but I just get the same expiration message -- and clicking either option, Buy Now or Download SmartFTP, doesn't do anything. If I click OK, the message just goes away.

HELP!!

Uninstall the currently installed version.

Then install the latest version from
[url="https://www.smartftp.com/download"]https://www.smartftp.com/download[/url]
or from if you are having problems with the first setup:
https://www.smartftp.com/download

Regards,
SmartFTP

Hello ..

You will not loose your web site files or anything related to that.

Regards,
SmartFTP

No data will be lost when you uninstall SmartFTP.

You can easily reimport the old favorites in menu: Favorites -> Edit Favorites.

Then in the new window go to menu: Tools -> Import. Then select the Favorites.dat from the
%APPDATA%\SmartFTP\Client 2.0\Favorites folder.

You need to enable the the [x] Show Hidden Files option in the Windows Explorer settings (menu: Tools->Options)

Regards,
SmartFTP

OK works for me now to. Thanks!

Ignore this--posted by mistake and I can't delete it

Hello ..

You will not loose your web site files or anything related to that.

Regards,
SmartFTP

Okay, I uninstalled the SmartFTPClient and installed the new one from your link, but now I cannot get logged in. All the appropriate information appears to pop up, including the IP address, the username and password, but it can't log in. I am at a loss as to what to do and still cannot update my church's website. I need some immediate help here. I can't even figure out how to properly post a question on your website or to get an the answer easily. Your whole program and even the website are just too complicated and are beyond me....

Hello ..

I'm sorry I don't understand your problem. You may want to describe your problem in detail and post it into the "Public Forum"

Regards,
Mat
SmartFTP

Hello ..

I'm sorry I don't understand your problem. You may want to describe your problem in detail and post it into the "Public Forum"

Regards,
Mat
SmartFTP

He means he has lost all of his favourites. He can't log in. Guarenteed he had someone set up his login information for the server his Church's website is on and no longer has the info.

This is the problem with this sort of spontaneous termination of service with no real explaination or instruction. The average user comunity gets lost. I'm a web developer and it's taken me weeks of farting around to realize DUH visit the forums and see what's going on. Sure enough... nothing is going on. It's just an error in the expiration message... and an assumption on the devs part that everyone can know what's going at all times without posting the info. Nowhere does it say to uninstall the old SmartFTP before installing the new one. And only here does it list instructions on how to reinstate your favourites... however messed up that is. Only shows me that an uninstall doesn't really uninstall the entirety of the program. I hate software like that.

Hello ...

When installing an upgrade of SmartFTP favorites do not get lost. Occasionally window layout settings will be reset (e.g. position of some windows) but all site information are kept and in no case will get lost. Upgrading SmartFTP is a smooth process for the big majority of the users. Uninstalling prior to the upgrade is only necessary if the installation of SmartFTP is broken to begin with. E.g. user tried to downgrade or manually deleted files or registry values etc.

Regards,
Mat

I have also experienced this -- so I uninstalled and then installed the newest version. I tried to follow the instructions for importing the favorites. I did enable the hidden files option. But . . . I cannot find where to locate the %APPDATA% folder. Can you give me some advice? Thanks.

And . . . is there some reason that when there is a new version, it can't just update . . . as opposed to uninstalling and re-installing?

This has to be the biggest disappointment regarding SmartFTP. Generally, it's a nice, functional and fairly powerful client, but this forced expiration business is getting beyond a joke.

Do the developers have any idea how annoying it is for the user to decide to quickly upload a few pictures, launch SmartFTP only to have the build forcibly expire on them? Then there's the messing on of spending time downloading a new version, installing it, realising that (despite it not saying anywhere) installing it without uninstalling the old version doesn't always get rid of the expiration notice, then there's the faffing on of going through control panel and Add & Remove Programs to uninstall the old version, then installing the new one again, finally launching it to find ..... it looks just the same as before!

End result, no real benefit to the user, lots of wasted time and a job that should have taken 2 minutes has now taken a good 10-15 minutes. These days I've started getting around it by swearing under my breath and just setting back my clock by a month or two to temporarily get past the expiration notice.

Unfortunately, the outcome of all this is that I'm now looking for an alternative client as SmartFTP works nicely, but only when it actually lets me use it and that's not really good enough. The forced expirations are a real turn-off for the program. They also mean that if I were shopping for FTP software for the company I work for, I'd actually avoid SmartFTP simply due to the hassle that it keeps on causing me at home.

So developers, if you can modify SmartFTP to either nag the user for updates but not expire every 5 seconds (like Winamp for example), or to have a nice transparent upgrading process that's far less irritating and intrusive than now (like Firefox for example), then I may come back to SmartFTP in the future. For now, my current build has expired (yet a-flaming-gain) and I'm blown if I'm going to fart on updating it yet again just so it can go and expire again before long. SmartFTP is simply a nice client that's crippled with a really annoying "feature".

And sorry, but that feature has now cost you a user.

Gotta stand in line here too. I got some work to do and this Smart fuzz keeps me sticking on hitting my mouse like crazy just to get past this crazy loop mentioned above.
I exportet my favourites to some "my own folder location" just in case the program goes up into smoke. I'm not man enough to uninstall it as I'm fearing to possibly lose all my favourites.
What a hassle. I don't even know what kind of info or help I could ask for since obviously all questiones has been asked before. Maybe this one might help me somewhat: If I uninstall SmartFTP and install the latest Version, does it find my expoted favourites in my custom location, or does it refer to an other default location where a copy of the fravourites are stored?
I'd appreciate some info on this.
Best

Just popping on to say thanks for this post, I got everything to work just fine! I just feel bad for all the people 'huffing and puffing' around here about the program.

First off, it's free, almost all free programs usually have some sort of 'catch' to them... If you don't want to uninstall/install.. Pay for it!
Second, it shouldn't take more than 2-3 mins uninstalling/installing... if it does... I won't get into that
Third, be responsible for your own stuff, don't blame other people... Back up your stuff (SmartFTP BACKUP Instructions)... and if you don't want to backup, go back to the first point...

Thanks SmartFTP!