How I Cracked Lightworks 14.5.0 and Regretted It

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A friend of mine tried to crack Lightworks Pro to save money, but it turned out to be a big mistake. He wanted to make professional videos but didn’t want to pay for the software because it seemed expensive. So, he found a cracked version of Lightworks Pro 12.6 online, but it wouldn’t even open. Frustrated, he kept searching and eventually found a cracked version of Lightworks 14.5.0 that seemed to work.
Lightworks doesn’t need a super powerful computer to work. It runs on Intel and AMD systems. To make sure it works well, you should use Windows 8 or newer, macOS 10.14 or newer, or Linux Ubuntu 20.04 or newer. Your computer needs at least 4GB of RAM, 200MB of free space for installation (plus extra space for your projects), and a screen resolution of 1920x1080 or higher.

At first, it looked like everything was fine. He started editing a video and thought he had gotten away with using pro tools for free. But soon, things started to go wrong.

Lightworks kept crashing, especially when he was doing detailed work. He lost hours of progress because the autosave feature didn’t work. Some of the cool tools, like special effects and transitions, were either broken or completely missing. When he tried to save his video, it was even worse. The software wouldn’t export high-quality videos properly - either it failed, or the videos ended up corrupted and unusable.

lightworks crack alert

Things got even worse when my friend’s computer started running really slowly. The cracked version of Lightworks came with hidden malware that messed up his system. Random pop-ups kept showing, and he got a lot of security warnings. He tried for hours to fix his computer, but it never worked as well as before.

After weeks of frustration, he gave up and bought the official version of Lightworks Pro. The licensed version worked perfectly - no crashes, all the features were available, and it even got regular updates to keep it running smoothly. Plus, he had access to tech support and tutorials that helped him learn how to use it better.

Looking back, he realized cracking the software was a huge mistake. It caused so much trouble and wasted a ton of time. If he’d just bought the licensed version in the first place, he would have saved himself a lot of stress.

Expectation VS Reality

#1 Easy Setup

My friend thought installing the cracked version of Lightworks would be quick and easy, so he could start editing right away.

Instead, it was super complicated. He had to turn off his antivirus, change some computer settings, and follow a long guide just to make it work. Even after all that, the first version he tried (Lightworks 12.6 Pro) didn’t open at all.

#2 Full Functionality

He believed the cracked version would have all the same tools and features as the official one, so he could make professional-looking videos.

While the software opened, many important tools were either broken or missing. For example, the color editing tools didn’t work, and some effects weren’t available at all.

#3 Smooth Editing Experience

lightworks crack failed

He expected the cracked Lightworks to run just as smoothly as the real version, without any problems while editing.

Instead, the cracked version kept crashing, especially during complicated projects. He lost hours of work because the autosave feature didn’t work properly. It was really frustrating.

#4 High-Quality Exports

He thought he’d be able to save his videos in high resolution, just like with the licensed version, so his work would look amazing.

But exporting videos in high quality was a disaster. The software either failed to save the video or created files that were unusable. His videos ended up looking much worse than he wanted.

#5 Reliable Performance

lightworks crack problem

He expected the cracked version to run smoothly on his computer, making editing easy and fun.

Instead, the cracked software slowed down his entire computer. Other programs became slow, and his system was full of annoying pop-ups and malware. Editing became way harder and more annoying than he thought.

#6 Access to Updates

My friend thought that, even though he was using the Lightwork crack, he’d still get updates that make the software better.

He was stuck with an old version, and as bugs kept showing up and new features came out for the official version, he couldn’t fix anything or get any of those cool updates.

#7 Technical Support

He thought that if he had any issues, he could ask customer support for help like people with the real version do.

Since he didn’t have the real license, he couldn’t get any help from support. Whenever something went wrong, he had to figure it out on his own, which was super hard without help.

#8 No Risk of Malware

lightworks crack error

He thought the cracked version of Lightworks wouldn’t cause extra problems, and that his computer would stay safe.

The cracked software actually had hidden malware that caused pop-ups, and security issues, and made his computer slow down. He spent hours trying to clean his computer, but the problems kept coming back.

#9 Hassle-Free Use

He imagined the cracked version would let him use the software without annoying interruptions or messages asking him to buy it.

But, every time he opened this color grading software he kept getting messages asking him to activate it or buy the real version. These reminders made everything more frustrating and time-consuming.

#10 Threat to Intellectual Property

He thought that using the cracked software would let him make professional projects without worrying about people stealing his work.

But without the official license, his work wasn’t protected by copyright law. If someone took his videos or ideas, he couldn’t do anything about it or claim ownership. This made him realize his work could be stolen without him having any legal rights to it.

Free Alternatives

If you're looking for other options like Lightworks, there are plenty of good free Lightworks alternatives, that work for both beginners and professionals.

Lightworks has a free version that lets you export videos in 720p HD without a watermark. If you want more features, higher-resolution exports, and other tools, you can pay for the Pro version, which starts at $13.99 a month. If you get a yearly plan, you get 2 months free every year.

When comparing Lightworks vs Shotcut, Shotcut doesn’t have as many professional features, but it still lets you do things like multi-track editing, video effects, and transitions, and you don’t need to pay extra for higher resolution exports. However, Shotcut doesn't have the same polished look or advanced features that Lightworks Pro does.

When comparing DaVinci Resolve vs Lightworks, both are great for professional editing. They offer tools for color grading, editing multiple cameras, and exporting high-quality videos. Both software have free versions with basic features, but you can pay for more advanced tools. DaVinci Resolve has an easier interface to use and offers up to 4K exports in its free version, which is better than Lightworks in that way.

If you compare Kdenlive and Lightworks, both are good video editing software for Windows and Mac. They let you edit multiple video tracks at once and have tools like trimming, transitions, and effects. However, Kdenlive might not be very stable on weaker computers because it’s an open-source software. On the other hand, Lightworks can be harder to learn at first.

When comparing Lightworks and VSDC, both allow you to edit videos in any order, use multiple tracks, and offer lots of video transitions and color correction. However, Lightworks Pro is more difficult to learn because it has a more complex interface and professional features that take time to get used to, even if you're already an experienced editor.

Adobe Premiere Pro has powerful features like advanced color editing, multi-camera editing, and special effects. The software also supports many video and audio formats for importing and exporting.

Adobe Premiere Pro doesn’t have a free plan, but it does offer a 7-day trial. It's more feature-packed than Lightworks, making it a better choice for professionals working on big projects. It also works well with other Adobe tools and has a lot of plugins to choose from.

Eva Williams

Writer & Gear Reviewer

Eva Williams is a talented family photographer and software expert who is in charge of mobile software and apps testing and overviewing in the FixThePhoto team. Eva earned her Bachelor’s degree in Visual Arts from NYU and work 5+ years assisting some of the city’s popular wedding photographers. She doesn't trust Google search results and always tests everything herself, especially, much-hyped programs and apps.

Read Eva's full bio

Tetiana Kostylieva

Photo & Video Insights Blogger

Tetiana Kostylieva is the content creator, who takes photos and videos for almost all FixThePhoto blog articles. Her career started in 2013 as a caricature artist at events. Now, she leads our editorial team, testing new ideas and ensuring the content is helpful and engaging. She likes vintage cameras and, in all articles, she always compares them with modern ones showing that it isn’t obligatory to invest in brand-new equipment to produce amazing results.

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