A number of questions relating to the Directory Opus licence are regularly asked on the forum - the most common ones are answered below.
-
What if I have a question that is not covered below?
Please email sales@gpsoft.com.au if you have a question relating to licencing, purchasing or upgrading that isn't covered below.
The forum is for technical support while sales and licencing questions are best handled individually via email.
Free laptop licence
-
I've installed Opus on my desktop, can I also use it on my laptop?
If you bought Opus for home use then yes, you can. Standard Opus licences come with a single free personal laptop licence. The free laptop licence is for personal use only; if you purchased Opus for business use (including under the GOLP corporate licencing scheme) then it doesn't apply.
You can also add additional installs to your licence if you need to run Opus on more computers than are covered otherwise.
-
I don't have a laptop! Can I use the free laptop licence on my desktop?
Personal licences for Opus include a single free personal laptop licence, in addition to the number of installs purchased. The idea being, you buy a licence to use on your desktop and you can also install it on your laptop as well. If you have two desktops and no laptop then that's fine, we don't mind if you use your laptop licence on a desktop.
-
Can I use the free laptop licence at work?
The answer to this is generally no. Not only is the free licence specifically designated for a "personal" laptop (i.e. one that you own), but the licence terms don't allow the one licence to be used at home and work as well. The one exception to this would be if you take your own laptop in to work every day.
Sharing licences
-
Can I use a dual licence at home and work?
As above, the answer to this is generally no. A multiple install licence is only intended for use at the one physical location. So if you have two computers at home, a dual licence lets you install and use Opus on both, but you would need a separate licence to also install it on your work PC.
-
Can I buy a dual licence and share it with my friend/brother/mother/cousin?
Unless the person you want to share the licence with also lives with you, the answer to this is no. They would need their own licence - but feel free to drop us an email at sales@gpsoft.com.au to see if we can do you a deal
Virtual machines
-
I want to use Opus on a virtual machine or dual-boot system, do I need another licence?
Generally, you do not need additional licences for VMs or in a dual-boot scenario. In general, one physical machine equals one install licence. That is, the physical machine the VM or VMs run on must have a licence, and you can also use these licences in the VMs. But you can't move a VM to another physical machine unless that machine also has a licence covering it.
The exception to this would be when using a hosted VM like a Microsoft Azure cloud server, in which case you would need a separate licence for that virtual machine.
If you aim to install Opus on a Terminal Server or similar machine with multiple concurrent users, please contact us for licencing details.
New computer / adding licences
-
I've got a new computer, how do I move my licence over?
There's nothing special you need to do. Simply uninstall Opus from your old machine (make sure you backup your configuration first using the Settings / Backup & Restore command) and then reinstall on your new machine using your existing licence certificate. If you've lost your certificate you can have it resent using the self-service support page on the GPSoftware support website.
-
How do I buy additional install licences?
You can add installs to your licence (to either two or five) by logging into the Licence Manager page on the GP Software support website. You'll need your registration code which you can find using the Help / Licence Manager command.
-
I bought Opus and didn't get my licence in email - why not?!
Generally our system sends your licence in real time, as soon as payment is made - so most likely, it's been caught by your spam filter - please check there first. Note that when paying by PayPal, we've noticed there's often a delay of a few hours between when you complete payment and when our system gets told about it - so if you paid by that method please be a little more patient. If you haven't got your licence within 24 hours you should definitely email us at sales@gpsoft.com.au and we'll look into it for you.
Optional features
-
How do I add USB Export or Advanced FTP to my licence?
You can add the optional Advanced FTP feature or USB Export licences from the Licence Manager page on the GP Software support website.
-
I paid for the FTP or USB feature but it doesn't work!
Add-on functions are controlled by the program certificate that you install into your copy of Opus. If you added on these features after your licence was issued you should have received a new program certificate via email. This needs to be installed using the Help / Licence Manager command to enable the new features. If you didn't get the new certificate you can retrieve it from the Licence Manager page on the GP Software support website.
-
I'm evaluating Opus and want to try Advanced FTP but it's not enabled!
You're probably still using the default evaluation (or "stock") program certificate, which is installed automatically when you install the program. This lets you run Opus for 30 days without a licence, but the Advanced FTP feature isn't enabled as part of that. You can register for a free 60 day evaluation and the FTP features are fully enabled as part of that. If you've already registered for a 60 day trial and it's still not working, you probably haven't installed the new evaluation certificate which you should have received by email. Use the Help / Licence Manager command to install it.
-
I've already bought Opus, can I try the Advanced FTP feature?
Yes you can, simply go to the Licence Manager page on the GP Software support website and you can add an Advanced FTP trial to your purchased licence.
-
I already paid for Advanced FTP, do I need to pay again when I upgrade?
No you don't. Any optional features attached to your licence will carry across to your new licence at no extra charge.
Major upgrades
-
Why do I have to pay to upgrade to Opus 13?
Opus 13 is the last major upgrade released under the old "paid major upgrade model". The reason for this is that Opus 12 was released in 2016, almost 8 years before Opus 13 came out, and so your upgrade fee covers that 8 years of work. Going forward, new features will be released much more quickly and funded by ongoing upgrade subscriptions rather than another major upgrade fee in several years time.
-
I upgraded my single licence to Opus 13. Can I keep using Opus 12 on another machine?
Not with the same licence you can't, no. When you redeem your old Opus licence for a discounted upgrade, the old licence is cancelled. You would need to add an additional install licence if you wanted to use Opus on an extra machine.
-
I have five Opus 12 licences, can I just upgrade one of them to Opus 13?
Not really, no. As above, when you redeem your old Opus licence for a discounted upgrade the old licence is cancelled. So in this case, if you upgraded to a single Opus 13 licence you would lose your additional four install licences altogether. Of course, if you decide you don't need five licences any more this may be acceptable - the choice is yours.
-
I upgraded to Opus 13 but it still says I'm using Opus 12!
You probably just need to install Opus 13
Upgrading your licence isn't enough, you need to install the new program as well. You can download it here. -
I upgraded to Opus 13 and I hate it! Can I go back to Opus 12?
If you want, sure. Your Opus 13 licence can be used with Opus 12 (or even Opus 11, 10 or 9) if you really want. Installers for older versions. Opus 13 is much better though.
If you're having troubles with the new version please ask on the forum for help as we'd much rather get you up and running on the new version than have you go back to the old one in disgust. Also remember please there are no refunds after purchase, so if you're not sure whether you really want Opus 13 please evaluate it (for up to 60 days) first.
Upgrade subscriptions / Maintenance
-
What's an "upgrade subscription"?
Historically Opus has been sold under the "paid major upgrade" model. For example, if you bought Opus 9 in 2007 then when Opus 10 came out in 2011, you would need to pay (a discounted fee) to upgrade to the new major version. Normally if you had originally bought within a certain time window you'd get the upgrade for free but otherwise you'd have to pay.
This has been the most common model for commercial software ever since the dawn of the computer age, but it has a few disadvantages. The main ones are:
- It forces the developers to hold new features over for the next major version, rather than releasing them when they're ready.
- It means that once a few years have passed, prospective new users don't know when it's "safe" to buy in rather than waiting for the next major upgrade.
With Opus 13 we are moving to a model we call "upgrade subscription", where an annual fee is payable to keep getting updates and new features. Note that this doesn't equate to an annual major upgrade - new features will be released continuously, as and when they're ready. Only the subscription fee itself is annual.
One important point to note about this is that you don't need to keep paying to simply use the version you have. If you buy Opus 13 and then never renew your subscription you'll be able to keep using the version you have forever (subject to compatibility with new versions of Windows, of course).
-
How does the upgrade subscription work?
Simply put, when you buy Opus 13 (or upgrade from an earlier version), you'll get at least one year of updates included for free. After that, a nominal fee is payable annually to be able to install and use later releases. If your upgrade subscription expires you'll be able to keep using the version you have forever, but you won't be able to install new versions until you renew your subscription.
-
What happens if my subscription expires?
As above, if your subscription expires then Opus will keep working but you won't be able to install new versions. You can renew your subscription at any time, including after it's expired.
When renewing after expiration, you'll need to pay for the time you missed (capped at a maximum of one year), plus a minimum of one year ahead. So if your subscription expired 6 months ago, you would need to pay for at least 18 months subscription to renew for the next 12 months.
-
Do I have to renew if I get a new computer?
No you don't. You can always reinstall the most recent version your previous subscription entitled you to, even you haven't renewed it since.
For example, say you bought Opus 13 on August 1, 2024. You'd get one year of upgrades included, so this would let you install any versions released up until August 1, 2025 (actually slightly longer, as there is a small grace period).
If you get a new computer in June 2026 and want to install Opus on it, you won't be able to install the current version without renewing your subscription. But you'll still be able to install the version that was current on August 1, 2025.
-
Can I renew for more than one year? What about a lifetime subscription?
Currently you can renew your subscription up to three years in advance. We may offer a lifetime option in the future but currently do not. Note that discounts are offered for renewing for more than a year ahead.
To renew your subscription, login to the Licence Manager page on the GP Software support website.
-
What about corporate (GOLP) licences?
Bulk corporate licences have a similar concept (we call it a "maintenance plan" rather than "upgrade subscription", although the fundamentals are the same). Email sales@gpsoft.com.au for more information.