You Control Tunes and getting around registering with a defunct developer

I've used the menu bar application You Control Tunes, which displays a scrolling track title and provides convenient iTunes controls in the menu bar, for years. My hard drive recently crashed, and when I got everything restored from my backup this application forced me to register again as if I had just downloaded it for the first time. No problem—it remembered the free serial number I'd registered with originally, and I was good to go...

...until I discovered that the developer, You Software, seems to have bit the dust. Thus, I'm prevented from registering, and consequently from using the application.

Are there any general workarounds people know of for situations like this? I've looked into multiple alternative apps, and none of them are as simple or usable (or free) as this one, and I'd really like to be able to have it back in my life. It's simply being blocked by this stupid (free) registration rigamarole and a dead developer.

Thanks for any help you can provide!
Tim

I would LOVE an answer to this one too - exactly the same problem, hard drive crashed and am unable to confirm the registration of my copy of the app (in order to make it functional).

@ tgreiving - I have tried using the You Control Tunes .plist file from a old, functioning (registered/unlocked) backup of the app but with no luck.

Any help would me much appreciated, thanks all in advance.

Common problem when the developer encrypts the registration code and hides it a file or folder on your Mac that's hidden. When you reinstall, the file or folder is gone. I've run into the same problem with Windows apps.

If the program is abandoned, (which it looks like it is) you might do a search throughout the net to see if anyone has come up with a registration code or hack that works.

tgreiving - I found a demo version of the app that doesn't require registration here You Control: Tunes 1.7.2 Download for Mac

Its working perfectly for me.

chscag - thanks for your tips.

j3ss0: Unfortunately I don't see any "demo" version at the link you posted—just a normal version of the app that still requires registration.

Has anyone found a fix for this issue?

it is indeed a sad loss. however, i just DLd the above link, launched it, clicked in "about you" and it came up with "offline demo". working perfectly.

I see no option of using an offline demo, whatsoever. What am I missing?

i didn't have to click on anything. i just opened up the preferences, clicked on "about you", and when it couldn't find the you software server it came up with "offline demo".

I can't even open Preferences. It's grayed out (I'm assuming because the product is unregistered).

sorry then, i can't explain why its working here. it wasn't installed on this mac previously

Could be due to you all using different versions of OS X and the software possibly not being compatible with all versions.

It was always compatible with the version I have (10.6.8)—until my hard drive crashed, a new one was installed, and the application forced me to register again (the source of all my woes in this thread). I sure wish I could access this offline demo version others seem to be finding...or discover some other way around registering.

SOLUTION to You Control

Migrate to your User Library and Application Support.

Scroll down to the Bottom and select the You Control folder. You will find several subfolders including licenses. In my case there was a near duplicate archive folder that duplicated these folders including two additional licenses.

Delete the content of all of these folders and allow only the more current license to remain.
Delete any duplicate folders also. These duplicate folders and files confuse the engine resulting in it becoming 'out of sync'.

There is a newer version 1.8, but I found that 1.7 worked while 1.8 could not find the engine.

I was able to configure You Control with no problems without Logging Out or Rebooting.

Voilà, now we wait for someone to purchase this extremely useful software for which I can attest there exists no equal substitute....for now.

I am using OSX 10.8.4 on a Mac Mini.

Eureka! That did the trick, BLINKla. Thank you very much.

Without meaning to be rude, the fact that nobody has taken up the mantle in four years suggests to me that:

a. Nobody will
b. It's just a matter of time or OS upgrades until it stops working again.
c. Now that you have it temporarily working again, your time would be best invested testing supported alternatives because you know the day is coming when You Control will no longer work at all.

chas_m said:

Without meaning to be rude, the fact that nobody has taken up the mantle in four years suggests to me that:

a. Nobody will
b. It's just a matter of time or OS upgrades until it stops working again.
c. Now that you have it temporarily working again, your time would be best invested testing supported alternatives because you know the day is coming when You Control will no longer work at all.

Click to expand...

Gloom despair and agony on me.... Good Grief Chas, why be so negative and why assume that I have not already done that? There are no equals for now including Butler which is irritating and slows the system. There is no reason to assume that You Control will not be picked up or similarly replicated. Time passing means time has passed. Why are you concerned how other people spend their time? For now, it can be made to work. This is a good thing, and I will endeavor to inspire software developers to grab the torch. Maybe you can do the same rather than complaining!

tgreiving said:

Eureka! That did the trick, BLINKla. Thank you very much.

Click to expand...

Excellent. Made my day too when it works.

BLINKla said:

Gloom despair and agony on me.... Good Grief Chas, why be so negative and why assume that I have not already done that?

Click to expand...

Because there are DOZENS of programs like that (including iTunes itself, whose Dock icon provides for most control functions) and rare indeed would be the individual who has tested out ALL of them. You're not going to find one that works EXACTLY the same way, but a little open-mindedness goes a LONG way towards finding a replacement that might even be better once you get accustomed to it.

Obviously you can use the working version for now, but I am just trying to give you a realistic view of the future ... otherwise I feel confident we'll see you back here in a year or two with the same problem ...

There are not dozens of programs that work like You Control. There are none in fact. What are you talking about? There are individual programs that offer menubar support and generally, they do not work as well and are far more memory consuming.

I am certain that it will become obsolete. I am also certain that if no effort is made to use and support it, nobody will pick it up. Consumers create the markets and it's useful NOW. I will be dead 50 years from now. Do you suggest that I not wake up in the morning because I will be dead in the future. Bizarre thinking Chas... And, btw, my reality is working quite well...

I assume this 'debate' is related to values. I assume that you value continuity and endurance and history and therefore you do not prefer short term solutions. I recommend that your advice consider the values of others that might be different than yours. You might call that 'open minded'... I find your comments self righteous and judgmental, curiously referring mostly to yourself. G'Day...

Thank you BLINKla & tgreiving for posting this!

I too have been using this great little app for years since 10.6 - and currently working on my MBPro running Mavericks 10.9! However my 06 iMac crashed last year and I replaced it with a Mac Mini - and was having the same problem, couldn't get it to work/register....
Until now, thanks to this forum.
Had to register and post this.

Also- chas_m - I hope you take BLINKla's reco in that last post to heart. And I have also tried many others and found nothing comparable for iTunes that has the light-usage, menubar access, scrolling ticker, and overall ease-of-use & seamless integration to the OS that YouControl possesses.