Serial Number Problem with Video Deluxe2026 Trial

GeeGee wrote on 10/7/2025, 1:18 PM

Want to try then buy VDL2026Plus on Win 10 pc before Microsoft's 14 October shut down date, after which I will not be using the pc online. So, time is short...

I tried on 5th Oct, using the Magix website, UK selected top right, During the process of downloading Trial version of VDL 2026 Plus, I was asked to register, which I did. I was immediately sent an email with an Activation Serial Number. The download seemed to go ok and said it was installed, with a program shortcut appearing on my Desktop. When I click on that, a box appears with 3 options:

1. Activate with Serial Number - You will receive a serial number by email (which I have)
2. Purchase Online
3. Start Trial Version - Please register in order to activate your trial period

When I clicked on Activate with Serial Number, a second box appeared, and I put in the number, as instructed with no letters or dashes. The dashes appeared by themselves, but not in the right places. I then tried copying and pasting the entire serial number, complete with letters, but just the numbers appear, again with the dashes in the wrong places.
There is a P just outside the space in which I have to type the Serial Number, but the Serial Number sent to me started with "TRIALC". I think this could be the problem.

The program will not open from desktop shortcut, the same boxes appear each time with the same 3 choices.

I contacted Support as per website instructions and received a ticket number from a bot, with instructions to enter my serial number in the box, which ignored the details I gave to them. I have replied to that, using the ticket number, and explaining again, but don't think I will receive help soon from overworked Magix Support team.

Any ideas? You all seem so helpful on the forum - BTW, I know my pc spec is under par for the software, but for my very basic editing needs I thought it might cope, worth a try. No HD files, just loads of Standard Def, 2 to 15 minute MOV garden clips from camera, joined, using takes mostly, very simple transitions, own music added, burned to 80 minute DVDs for friends and family. Also some non-HD TS files from TV. I used MEP 2013 on old Win 7 pc for years, still working, but that offline pc needs attention now.

I am extremely "tech unsavvy". I may regretfully just have to uninstall the program and forget it. Good job I didn't actually purchase the download first. Shame, used Magix for over 15 years on various pcs, used to be great.

Comments

emmrecs wrote on 10/7/2025, 1:51 PM

@GeeGee

Welcome to the Magix user to user forums.

The simple answer to your question is: from the three options you list choose the third one. You are wanting to register a Trial code, not a full serial code which will be given to you only after you purchase the app!

A couple of other points in your post which are worthy of comment:

Microsoft has extended its support of Win 10 for a further year.
VdL 2026 requires an online connection at least periodically in order to check the validity of your licence and to enable you to receive notification of any updates to the program.
Since you say your PC is under par for the software you might care to add its details to your Signature (see mine below as an example) and then we can advise whether you may, or may not, find the editing experience with VdL a happy one!

HTH

Jeff
Forum Moderator

AAProds wrote on 10/7/2025, 5:03 PM

@emmrecs

Microsoft has extended its support of Win 10 for a further year.

Jeff, that appears to be only in certain parts of Europe.

CubeAce wrote on 10/8/2025, 12:57 AM

@GeeGee @emmrecs @AAProds

Hi Al.

Anyone can get the extended non commercial support. Details are here.

Ray.

AAProds wrote on 10/8/2025, 1:21 AM

@CubeAce

Anyone can get the extended non commercial support.

Ray, only if you jump thru one of three MS hoops: back up your PC to onedrive (500GB of data, I don't think so), install MS programs on your PC eg Bing, Edge or pay up, all of which is different if you are in the EU. The EU is totally free and unencumbered until 2026.

CubeAce wrote on 10/8/2025, 3:45 AM

@AAProds

Al, either way it is available and Jeff didn't stipulate any conditions or lack of them.

My understanding is that after the first year the only option to retain Win 10 will be the paid one and it will incrementally increase in cost and end in 3 years. Businesses will be able to extend further past 2028 but by how long and at what cost seems unknown at this point. There seems to be a push from software developers for Microsoft to end support for any earlier versions of Windows as it is inhibiting the implementation of A.I tools that need additional processing power.

Is extending for one year really worth it either way?

AAProds wrote on 10/8/2025, 4:48 AM

@CubeAce

Jeff didn't stipulate any conditions or lack of them.

Precisely my point, Ray.

MS says it is about the TPM. I very much doubt/hope it is not forcing millions of us to throw away perfectly good PCs just to get us to use its AI.

GeeGee wrote on 10/8/2025, 6:37 AM

Thank you Emmrecs, did as you suggested and Trial now working. Understand about extension of Win10 available, but UK is not included in "for free" EU deal, though I have been offered it on updates page and paying would not be a problem. It is the forced use of MS account and constant One Drive cloud back up etc. that is stopping me. I have an old laptop surprisingly successfully updated to Win11 that I can get online with (just about) temporarily and will likely get a new pc soon, but finding ones with internal DVD drives, space for GPUs instead of onboard graphics, etc. is getting difficult. Thank you all.

Don't know how to add these details (Signature?) to my original post, but here they are:

GeeGee's Win 10pc

Cooler Master Elite 130 ITX case
Corsair 550 w PSU
AS Rock B360M ITX socket 1151 motherboard
Intel Core i5 8400 2.8GHz Hex Core CUP
Noctua NH-L9i Intel Low Profile CPU cooler
Palit GeForce GT 1030 2GB Graphics
16GB DDR4 RAM
2 SATA SSD totalling 1.5TB
Win 10 64 bit

m2005 wrote on 10/8/2025, 6:57 AM

The first option "Activate with Serial Number" you had to use after the purchase. You have to click the 3rd option if you wan't to use trial period. There you have to enter the TRIALC code.

CubeAce wrote on 10/8/2025, 7:36 AM

@GeeGee

Hi.

You don't have to have a one drive account on Win 11. It can be disabled and uninstalled from Windows. It is not however an easy to do operation if you are not that familiar with customising Windows. There are help sections on the Microsoft website such as the one here. Your processor is also listed as compatible with Win 11. It's just you won't benefit from the additional safe boot implementations that a TPM should provide. I too am loath to move from Windows 10 but may have to.

Hi Al.

I think it's just Windows 10 has been out for 10 years like previous versions and come to the end of what Microsoft thinks of as an operating systems lifespan despite it being touted as 'The last Windows operating system' which I think Microsoft never said themselves.

I think it's just come at a time of the 'perfect storm' for people's incomes. Everything has become more expensive over the past years, outstripping most people's average income and priorities changed along with expendable income. Computer purchases stagnated after the brief boom of sales during covid making most people feeling their machines were 'good enough for a few years more yet'. Other priorities such as finding an affordable place to live have taken a more predominant place in how people spend their income.

At least that's my take on things when I talk to the people I know.

emmrecs wrote on 10/8/2025, 9:49 AM

@m2005

That solution was suggested (by me) in the first reply to this thread but it's great to see a Magix employee participating here!!

@GeeGee

I understand what you say about Win 10; the whole situation is very unclear and M$ seems to be doing not very much to clarify it!

With reference to your requirements in a new PC; I have a (less than 12 months old) desktop which does include a discrete GPU along with a GPU on the CPU (so they are available) but I think Internal DVD drives are extremely rare, if available at all! In my situation, I took the internal DVD drives out of my old PC and now use them "externally" (whenever needed), connected via this unit, which has proved itself very useful since it can connect a variety of interface standards via USB3 to my desktop PC.

To add info to your Signature, click on the icon at the top of this page (that represents you!) and select My profile. On the page that opens you will see various options including "My Signature". Click on the blue EDIT button and put your computer data there. Doing so will ensure it always appears at the end of any post you make.

HTH

Jeff

GeeGee wrote on 10/8/2025, 10:07 AM

Thank you Emmrecs (Jeff?) - yes, found Signature bit earlier today and added it. Sorry if I'm not using this forum correctly.

Have looked at my Trial version and think I'm right that when you click on "Help" in the program, unlike old MEP13, context help is only online, not built into the prog per se. . Always found that so useful in the old prog. So not being online just wouldn't work with VDL26Plus anyway. Have just been informed that MS's ESU free extension has just been issued with "no catches" ref One Drive etc. in the past 5 days in the UK, so have decided to try enrolling and see what happens - may be too late. I know I can't learn to assess my Trial version in the time I've got (6 days now), unless I extend MS.

Please can you comment about whether you think my Signature hardware details are sufficient for VDL26Plus basic use. Thanks once again, I was getting desperate here - never posted, or even used a forum before now, not online very much nowadays.