"COM error", "Windows Instrumentation Management" - activation key errors

[bryanwine]

I am using Wine 6.0.3 on Ubuntu 22.0.4 (64-bit) to run software written for Windows XP or above. The software can be obtained here :

http://www.gearifysoftware.com/

I have previously used winetricks 20210206 to get other pieces of software to run OK. The software runs as expected until the following: The "Activate" button produces an error that reads :

"A COM error occurred. TurboActivate requires Windows XP or above. If you're using newer then [sic] make sure the "Windows Management Instrumentation" Windows Servic[... message illegible...]" GUI options : OK, Cancel, and Apply[grayed out].

I have gone into winecfg and added the application to "Applications", selecting "Windows XP" to try getting this to work. I have looked around for clues as to network configuration, but I think asking about how to get this program to activate would be helpful. There should be an "activation request file" written out, but I am not seeing how to get this file. I have followed the instructions on the software's website to get a key and am in posession of the key, but the program seems stuck. I have not found anything about "Windows Instrumentation Management" either.

[jkfloris]

This program uses "TurboActivate." TurboActivate tries to make a fingerprint of the hardware and uses this as a key to activate the software. The software detects that it is running with Wine and therefore does not work.
With a newer version of Wine, TurboActivate gets a little further, but indicates that a network card is not enabled.

Maybe Wine's developers can work around this. You can file a bug report here.