As of release 3.5 or later, you can upgrade from any version of the application PrefEdit App (licenses were sold by Apple in the Mac App Store) to the full version of PrefEdit at no cost. The only requirement is that you’ll have to keep the licensed copy of PrefEdit App on your computer. The license of PrefEdit App will then be interpreted as additional license also valid for PrefEdit and automatically unlocks both programs. This makes sure you can continue to use the latest versions of PrefEdit without any hassle. There are no further legitimation checks or re-purchase steps necessary. The additional license for PrefEdit is provided to you as a courtesy for users who have been disappointed by Apple’s policy to no longer permit distribution through the App Store.
We have collected a list of frequently asked questions in this context:
You simply don’t need to care about your old version of PrefEdit App. You only need to make sure you won’t delete it from your computer. It is no problem to have both applications present on your system, you can even store them in the same folder. If you like to ensure that the system always selects the latest version of PrefEdit when you double-click one of the supported documents (like property list files, for example), do the following:
PrefEdit has more features than PrefEdit App and has not been censored by Apple. You won’t need to confirm that the application is entitled to open your folders with preference files the first time you use the program. If you like, users with administrative rights can save files which are protected by permission settings. The program has additional menu items to review your license or to check for the latest updates.
Apple will no longer inform you about updates of PrefEdit in the App Store application. Instead, select the menu item PrefEdit > Check for updates in PrefEdit itself from time to time to get information about the availability of a new version.
Yes, if you don’t like to see PrefEdit App in the Applications folder, you can use the Finder to move the application to any other folder on any local hard disk permanently connected to your computer. You’ll need administrative permission in order to perform the transfer operation. The application must still be “readable by everyone”, however, so cannot put it into a protected folder or a DMG disk image.
The two applications have different licenses with different user agreements and both are still valid for the program they belong to. As a courtesy, you have received an additional license for PrefEdit for free in case you are a legitimate user of PrefEdit App. To review the End User License Agreement of PrefEdit, double-click the downloaded DMG distribution file.
Yes, this will be handled correctly. The registration window in PrefEdit automatically confirms that your license can be used for all Macintosh computers you own.
Apple needs to confirm that you are eligible to use PrefEdit App on the new Mac. To do this, launch PrefEdit App. macOS will ask for your Apple-ID to unlock the App. After you have done this, quit PrefEdit App and launch PrefEdit. PrefEdit will now be unlocked, too.
Unfortunately we cannot guarantee this. PrefEdit App may still be visible in the section Store > View my Account > Purchased of the App Store when you sign in, so you can download it from there. However, this is under sole discretion of Apple and the App may disappear any time.
No, unfortunately this is technically impossible. The App is protected by Apple’s Digital Rights Management and can only be downloaded and unlocked via the App Store.
In this case you’ll need to purchase a separate license for PrefEdit from the reseller offering this product. For detailed information, select the menu item Help > Purchase Registration Key…. To enter the registration data after you have purchased and received it, drag PrefEdit App to the Trash, empty the Trash, then launch PrefEdit.
Further Information: Registering and Unlocking the Software