[Why does Poweramp need to verify license through Google Play when Poweramp Unlocker is installed?]

2 hours ago, andrewilley said:

Market was the old name for the Play Store in the early days of Android. Maybe the original version on your device is just too old to work at all now?

Yes, you could buy a new licence from the Poweramp website, but you would still need a live internet connection and to have the same email account present on your device for that to work. Please see http://support.powerampapp.com/knowledgebase/articles/324284-restore-Poweramp-purchase for what you'll need.

Andre

Here's something I hadn't noticed before, FWIW.  I went into Settings>Applications>Running services and tapped on Poweramp. It shows 3 things running:

• Headset Micro Service
• Poweramp
• Google Play Store

When I scroll all the way down it says, "Service LicensingService in use."

I guess I'll just let it set there for a while. I'm losing hope, though.

[Why does Poweramp need to verify license through Google Play when Poweramp Unlocker is installed?]

22 minutes ago, andrewilley said:

As I said earlier, I do know that some newer updates of the Play Store can cause issues on very old builds of Android, and a fix some people reported was to roll it back to the original Google Marketplace (or whatever it was then called - the one that was installed with the ROM anyway). Then install the app from that store app (not from an APK file) and then install the unlocker app. Leave for a while (with a live internet connection the whole time) and after a few days you should be able to re-update the marketplace/Play Store app again if you wish.

Andre

As I reported above, uninstalling the "Updates' to the play store app downgrade it to an app called 'Market' and it doesn't even load.

On the PA website there is a purchase option to 'Buy Directly' which states that no Google services are required. Can I just buy another license through that method? Is there any reason PA vs 2 should not activate with that method?

[Why does Poweramp need to verify license through Google Play when Poweramp Unlocker is installed?]

31 minutes ago, andrewilley said:

If you are using the Play Store unlocker, you need to have initially installed the Play Store download of the main app (not an APK downloaded from the website here). It will know you have an older version of Android and only install v2. Once validated, you can over-install downloaded APKs, but there's no point as it would be the same version that Google supplied.

Wiping cache should not have affected anything, it should simply have rebuilt what it needed again without the old clutter.

Andre

OK--I can't remember 100% as it's been 2 years, but it was working. I happened to find an apk of vs 2 on my computer which is why I thought maybe I installed from the apk.

I think it's a Play Store issue, though, and I'll tell you why. While trying to get a working music player over the past couple weeks, I bought one called Neutron. That one must use a similar verification mechanism as PA because after the trial period expired that one will not validate either.

I wonder whether maybe the verification software got moved to a different server, or under a different IP, or something, and that's why the connection can no longer be made.

[Why does Poweramp need to verify license through Google Play when Poweramp Unlocker is installed?]

4 minutes ago, andrewilley said:

PA v2 is a legacy product, there will be no more development on it now. However it should still be possible to install it on even-more-legacy hardware.

Andre

I understand that. It appears to me that this whole issue is related to connection to the Play Store. On the PA website there is a purchase option to 'Buy Directly' which states that no Google services are required. What if I just buy another license through that method? Due to the older Android version I need PA vs. 2 and I know the app works because I've been using it for two years. Is there any reason PA should not activate with that method?  THX

[Why does Poweramp need to verify license through Google Play when Poweramp Unlocker is installed?]

My problem may not be exactly in step with the point of the thread. However, let me say this. I have an older Galaxy S that is not even activated with a cellular carrier; I bought it second hand solely to use as a music player.

To set it up, I connected via wifi, installed the necessary Google Play related apps so I could install a music player. I might have installed the Poweramp vs. 2 app from an apk on the Poweramp site, but I bought and installed the Unlocker through Google Play for sure (it shows in my account). At some point the license activation succeeded. I can't recall whether activation occurred immediately, or whether there was a delay, as this was 2 years ago.

So, after activation, I disconnected the phone from wifi and used it regularly, almost daily, as a music player in my car with no internet or cellular connection. This included many power cycles and I never had a problem using Poweramp. Very, very rarely did I ever connect to wifi again...maybe 4 times over 2 years when I was curious as to whether there might be any updates needed for anything on the device.

I did not have any problems until I read something somewhere that said you might get better performance out of your phone if you did a 'Wipe cache' which allegedly wasn't supposed to affect functionality of anything. Who doesn't want better performance? Well guess what? It did affect something because after doing that I started having this license validation problem. (At least I think that's what caused the problem.)

If I deviated a little from the original point of the thread, sorry. I think Max is following my issue though. But, thanks.

[Why does Poweramp need to verify license through Google Play when Poweramp Unlocker is installed?]

Thanks, maxmp. Well, here's what I can tell you.

There is definitely an internet connection.

• I believe the internet connection is stable as I have a modern router and am within 4 feet of it, my tablets connect fine.
• I can browse the web using the Browser app on the phone.
• I can open Play Store, it connects, shows my account name, installed apps, I can install new apps (tried it)

When you say, " Ensure you can open Play app, it loads list of songs..," how would the Play app load a list of songs?

Open Play app

• Done. It shows running in Task Manager

It’s logged with proper google account.

• Yes. Correct account verified on phone and on Play Store web page.

Then start/exit Poweramp two times.

Start#1

• Popup: Can't verify Poweramp License.
• Tap 'Already Purchased'
• Shows 'Failed to Verify License' with orange triangle icon
• Google Play-Restore Purchase is gray (not selectable)
• Yandex Store-Restore Purchase is white (selectable, but I didn't buy through Yandex. Don't eve know what it is.)
• [Close app]

Start#2

• Popup: Can't verify Poweramp License.
• Tap 'Already Purchased'
• Progress indicator spins a few seconds, then:  Message 'Failed to Verify License' with orange triangle icon
• Google Play-Restore Purchase is gray (not selectable)
• Yandex Store-Restore Purchase is white (selectable, but I didn't buy through Yandex. Don't eve know what it is.)
• [Close app]

=====================================

Hey, what about this, guys. It appears to me that this whole issue is related to connection to the Play Store. On the PA website there is a purchase option to 'Buy Directly' which states that no Google services are required. What if I just buy another license through that method? Due to the older Android version I need PA vs. 2 and I know the app works because I've been using it for two years. Is there any reason PA should not activate with that method?  THX

 

 

 

 

 

[Why does Poweramp need to verify license through Google Play when Poweramp Unlocker is installed?]

OK, I went into  Settings>Applications>Manage Applications>Google Play Store and tapped 'Uninstall updates' (for this app only).

I'm not sure this was something good to do because it seemed to downgrade the app to something called 'Market'. The Market app would launch but would not load -- the progress indicator just sat there and spun, thus Google Play Store does not work at all anymore. So, what I am going to do is reinstall Play Store from the original apk that I had installed it from 2 years ago, which was the one I originally bought and installed PA from, which worked for 2 years until I did the 'Wipe cache' on the phone a week ago.

So, here is the progression of what happens when I get the validation error message. That "User Voice" message at the bottom. What is that?  Is it still a viable service?

Can't verify Poweramp License

Sorry, but Poweramp can't verify the

purchase through Google Play License

Verification/APM.

 

Cause: Failed to Verify License / Google

Play response -

ERROR_CONTACTING_SERVER

 

Already Purchased?  [Tapped]

Failed to Verify License [Tapped]

 

Failed to Verify License / Google

Play response -

ERROR_CONTACTING_SERVER

 

Get support [tapped]

Loading...      [The progress indicator just keeps spinning.]

 

There was an error connecting

to User Voice.

Please ensure Internet connection is OK, and try again

[The internet connection is good because I can connect to Google Play, etc.]

 

Close    [Tap and error window closes.]

[The progress indicator just keeps spinning.]

 

[Why does Poweramp need to verify license through Google Play when Poweramp Unlocker is installed?]

55 minutes ago, andrewilley said:

That is most likely your problem. Please clear data for the Play Store app and remove app updates to take it back to the original factory installed Play Store version, then install PA and the unlocker. Ideally leave it this way for 48  hours if you can, before re-updating the Play Store app.

Andre

OK. It will still be the same Play Store "version" that was on the phone when PA was originally installed and worked fine for 2 years; but those "updates" to the version, which probably happened automatically just through occasional Play Store app updates, will be removed. I will do that and we'll see how things go (I will insert this in the steps above). BTW, normally I do not leave the phone connected to the web day-to-day. This phone is not even activated, I use it strictly as a music player in the car. Thank you for your efforts, especially on a weekend!

[Why does Poweramp need to verify license through Google Play when Poweramp Unlocker is installed?]

Thank you for the replies. OK, I have some direction from Alex, andrewilley, and maxmp. I have tried to condense the suggestions into a plan of action.

- I have uninstalled both the app and the unlocker. (PA vs 2)

- I have verified that the current Play Store version on the phone is the same one that Poweramp was originally installed with--although it appears that there may have been updates applied which I could unstall but have not.

Please tell me whether the following looks like a good plan. Please adjust/correct as needed:

1. Make sure Android (2.3.5) Background App sync is on.            DONE: Yes, on.

2. Go into Settings>Applications>Manage App’s>Google Playstore:  Clear cache and data.      DONE.
        - What about Google Play services, do I need to clear cache/data there as well?

3. Launch Play Store. Make sure it fully loads, then install Poweramp app; Install Unlocker

4. Do not close Play Store. Leave it run in background.

5. Launch Poweramp.

6. Check Task Manager and verify that both Playstore and Poweramp are running multitasked.

7. Wait 20 minutes, check Poweramp to see whether validation succeeded.

8. If no validation, exit Poweramp and relaunch. Wait 20 minutes again, check validation.

9. If still no validation, exit Poweramp and relaunch, leave both Play Store and Poweramp apps running with internet connection for 48 hours.

10. If still no validation, report back.

[Why does Poweramp need to verify license through Google Play when Poweramp Unlocker is installed?]

I've used vs 2 for two years with no problems. I decided to do a 'Wipe cache' on the phone. Poweramp must have been storing some license related data in there because the next time I started up Poweramp I started having this license verification problem. I reinstalled the app and unlocker. Having to wait hours or days for it to do what it needs to do is ludicrous. I can't upgrade to vs 3 because of an Android version that is too old. Besides, it is not an app issue; it is this unrealistic verification mechanism. All my other apps are working fine.

This would definitely affect my decision to participate in any future paid upgrades.