There comes a time when you may need to move a license of SOLIDWORKS to a new machine. This can be for something as simple as upgrading to a faster machine or in the wake of an unfortunate system crash. This can also apply to software like Visualize or Composer. When you are moving a license there’s two different ways a license can be unattached from a machine. Let’s take a look at them both in detail.
2 Ways to Move a License
1. Deactivation
This is the standard way to move a license. This works by registering the license as no longer in use on the current machine, allowing you to install it elsewhere. Standalone licenses and the main network license need to be deactivated to move to a new machine. This is done by simply clicking the help button – a ? in a circle, going down to licenses, and then deactivating.
This is how you move a license at any time. The advantage is it’s easy and it allows you to later come back and reactivate the license. If you leave the serial number installed on the old machine as long as the license isn’t active anywhere else you can freely reactivate on a deactivated machine. This can only be done on the machine that’s activate and is not able to be done remotely. However, this is the way to move a license and still use it. Deactivation should be the first step in installing on a new machine, so you know the license is ready for use elsewhere. This can be done as you need to with a license, to serve the needs of mobility.
2. Disable
This is a totally different request. Unfortunately, sometimes a machine is no longer usable for reasons outside our control. Crashes, theft, damage, or even just not being deactivated before being recycled or reimaged do occur, despite our best efforts. You may try to install it on a new machine, and get an error that the activation count is exceeded, yet you can’t deactivate. What’s to be done here?
Call or email our tech support line and we can remotely disable a machine. This is only done in cases where deactivation is not an option. It is NOT a replacement for standard deactivation as once a machine is disabled it cannot be used with that serial number again. This is a step that cannot be taken by SOLIDWORKS users but by VAR representatives. While this is the only way to remotely remove a license it is not to be done for mere convenience. Disabling is an emergency measure, but one we want users to know exists.
As with any questions on licensing or SOLIDWORKS we are available to assist our customers. Please reach out to our support team for help on any licensing issues you may encounter. We’re always ready to help you with any SOLIDWORKS issue that may arise.
