FINAL CUT EXPRESS UPGRADE SERIAL NUMBER PROBLEMS

The original is the FULL version that you already own. With the original you get two stickers with it's serial number. That's the one you want.
Note: The splash screen in FCE leaves off the last 3 digits so you gotta find that sticker. Make sure that O & 0, l & 1 are not confused.

Al

You can get the FULL serial number if you go to the Final Cut Express menu and click on "About Final Cut Express".

Ian.

That's an incomplete serial number. You need the actual serial number card or some place that your stored the complete serial number.

I am afraid I must disagree on this occasion, Tom.

I checked before I wrote it and I have just checked again.

It is the full number that I have on my stickers - a single letter followed by 9 groups of 3.

It says "Licensed to" followed by my name, company and the complete registration letters and numbers.

LiveType and Soundtrack also have the full number in the same place.

Ian.

It's supposed to drop the last triplet. I guess they've stopped doing that.

I have FCE 2 bought from B&H PhotoVideo in New York City. I tried to register the program at the Apple net pages. First there was a problem in getting the Apple registration page to accept my manufacturer product number (the other number, not the serial number). Well, finally the number was accepted, but I never got any confirmation email from Apple - I suspect my product was not registered. So I suppose I cannot upgrade to FCE 3.5 . A bit strange. Do these big photo stores sell some kind of grey market Apple programs (in the same way they import camera lenses directly from Asia, lenses which don´t have the same guarantee, in spite of being made by the same manufacturer)? Are there this kind of Apple products as well?

You don't have to register any product you buy - it is neither obligatory nor essential.

In the case of computer products you simply purchase the Upgrade disks and install them (regardless of whether you have registered your program or not).

Ian.

I just checked mine as well.
The full number is there as well.
One letter followded by 9 sets of triplets.

Al

OK, but let´s assume that I buy a Macbook Pro in the future. Do I need to install my FCE 2 there before installing the material on the FCE 3.5 upgrade disk? The problem could be that the new processor in the Macbook is not compatible with the older FCE 2. Would I need for that installation the two disks or would the new one be enough?

I have not done it myself yet but several people on the forum have confirmed that you do not need to have FCE already on your computer when upgrading.

You simply use the upgrade disk as a normal installation disk and it will ask you to enter the original registration/serial number of FCE 2 or whatever your previous version was.

Ian.