We have a Server 5.5V4 Japanese install running on an eMac that we
want to move to a better machine running OS X 10.4.8 or later in
anticipation of migrating to FM8 or 9 when we can afford it and the
database links can be reprogrammed. According to the web, this move
should be OK BUT every time we make the clean install on the new
machine and try to start the FM Setting application, we get a message
in Japanese to the effect that "Server cannot be started. A valid
installation key is required." Well, the installation key is paid for
and valid! We have found a description on the FM site saying this is
due to the presence of Upper-ASCII or double byte characters in the
path to the FM folder but this bug was fixed in 5.5V4. Well, it is
not. (At least not in the Japanese version!)
Another page at the Japanese FM site says that this can be fixed using
terminal commands (jeez) to move to the application folder and then
get into the Resources and edit the fms_registation as follows:

../fms_registration x-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx ./fmserverd

This stops display of the server cannot be started message but leaves
a spinning beachball.
Of course, 5.5 is no longer supported so calling FM Japan is no help--
not that they were ever anyhelp anyhow!
Has anybody got a fix for this problem?

On Aug 17, 1:57 pm, rocky <rockja... [at] mac.com> wrote:
> We have a Server 5.5V4 Japanese install running on an eMac that we
> want to move to a better machine running OS X 10.4.8 or later in
> anticipation of migrating to FM8 or 9 when we can afford it and the
> database links can be reprogrammed. According to the web, this move
> should be OK BUT every time we make the clean install on the new
> machine and try to start the FM Setting application, we get a message
> in Japanese to the effect that "Server cannot be started. A valid
> installation key is required." Well, the installation key is paid for
> and valid! We have found a description on the FM site saying this is
> due to the presence of Upper-ASCII or double byte characters in the
> path to the FM folder but this bug was fixed in 5.5V4. Well, it is
> not. (At least not in the Japanese version!)
> Another page at the Japanese FM site says that this can be fixed using
> terminal commands (jeez) to move to the application folder and then
> get into the Resources and edit the fms_registation as follows:
>
> ./fms_registration x-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx ./fmserverd
>
> This stops display of the server cannot be started message but leaves
> a spinning beachball.
> Of course, 5.5 is no longer supported so calling FM Japan is no help--
> not that they were ever anyhelp anyhow!
> Has anybody got a fix for this problem?

Solved our own problem. Turns out that 5.5V4 Japanese still has a
product key bug that remains unfixed to this day. The workaround
(posted in a obscure tech note at FM Japan) involved more command line
fixes to the config file. Not very impressed by this but we're
planning to get to FM8 server in the near future when I hope this
problem disappears (and new ones don't).