DR17 beta9

I note two things with beta 9 which were the same for beta 8 but not previous versions.
1) The DR project server does not get installed
2) DR only goes to first startup page "checking license" and and does not go further.
I have tried both the cards and the dongles and neither works.
My only solution has been to go back to beta 7 which starts up fine.
How have others got this to work? (please be explicit)
my system is described below... I also have allowed DR and any related application though firewalls

1. That's now a separate installer, and works with the Free version as well as Studio.

2. That is certainly not normal, as evidenced by the number of folks reporting issues with both 8 and 9. (I use both a dongle and a code myself, work and personal machines.)

1) thanks Jim, I found the separate installer
2) also tried installing latest version of desktop video for my decklink card, but still same problem with beta 9 sticking on "checking license" page (also saw the thread "checking license")
this is same for both activation card (I have 3) and dongle (I have 2)
still using beta 7

Did you fully uninstall current version before loading new DR17B9 ? I uninstall everything before loading new version and I think there was a post that said this to be the advice from Beta 5.

From Peter Chamberlain's release notes at the top of the forum:

Yes, completely removed all related programs, rebooted and then installed.
I thought it might be my pihole (add blocker), but I watched that and no blocked communications showed up and I saw the communication to www.blackmagicdesign.com go ok.

Another thought I have is if there is anything in Windows that might be interfering? I have turned off many of the Windows "crap" programs, but these have been off for a while and were off when using previous versions of DR. Up to DR17 beta7 have all started fine. It has only been beta8 and beta9 that have this issue... stopped at "CHECKING LICENSES".

Agaig... does DR17 beat9 depend on any of the Windows programs that previous versions have not?

I'm not aware of any. I also disable all the telemetry crap that MS includes with Windows 10.

Were this my issue, I'd focus on the dongle. It's the simplest.

BMD does fight against piracy by invalidating counterfeit dongles in upgrades. Did you acquire yours on eBay maybe?

Jim, I also got the telemetry disabled.
One dongle came with a camera, the other from B&H.
Two cards came with cameras and another when I bought the Speed Editor from B&H.

Also I have been deactivating the license before installing beta9... the program asks for license, then after entering it stops with "CHECKING LICENSE" page.

For now still back on beta7 where everything seems to work fine.

I did not de-activate the license when updating. I just uninstalled the old stuff and loaded the new. If you do not have a license installed it can not verify.

Man, there's nothing obvious for why neither dongle nor codes work. It's gotta be something specific to your system, but I can't even imagine what.

The best idea I have at this point is to wipe the OS and start with a Clean Install.

For me, to get past the 'Checking Licenses' I did the following on a Mac.

1. Make a backup of your preferences ~/Library/Preferences/Blackmagic Design/DaVinci Resolve
2. Delete the file dblist.conf in the same folder from above
3. Start DaVinci Resolve
4. After Resolve successfully starts, re-connect to your database. Mine is located at /Library/Application Support/Blackmagic Design/DaVinci Resolve/Resolve Disk Database

Now for me, here's the thing. If I close out and try to restart again, I have the same problem. I also tried restoring from a backup database, but the same problem exists. I don't know if there's corruption in my DB but on the first restart and connect, everything seems fine.

Was looking into the dblist.conf mentioned by Ryan. Still cannot get beta 9 to get past "checking licenses".

I am now wondering if ... since it seems that some new directories are being used... will I now have a problem because my personal user directory is on another drive from my system drive. I've got 17 drives on my system but I think I have been careful assigning them properly. My user directory has worked fine for everything else, but it only takes one instance in the code to think my users are on the system drive.
???

I now have a problem because my personal user directory is on another drive

I think it's good advice never to do that. (At least on Windows.)