Question: What is product activation?

Answer: Product activation is an anonymous, secure, and hassle free process that authenticates licensed users during the installation process. The process verifies that the serial number is legitimate, and has not been activated on more systems than allowed by the SolidWorks End-User License Agreement (EULA). It does not affect the ability of licensed users to use their software the way they have always done.

Question: What happens during product activation?

Answer: Product activation is a series of simple steps that takes place upon first launch of your SolidWorks product. Users enter their serial number, which is authenticated with the SolidWorks product activation system to activate the product. The entire activation process is quick and easy, and the majority of users will experience product activation only once.

Question: Who will be required to activate their products?

Answer: Activation is required for most of our SolidWorks 2006 standalone products. However, if you are floating your licenses using SolidNetWork License (SNL), you won't need to activate.

Question: How soon must I activate my product?

Answer: You must activate your product within 30 days after you first installed and launched your SolidWorks product. (Users working with an evaluation license equipped with product activation will have different timing requirements for the activation step).

Question: What happens if I don’t activate my product?

Answer: If you do not activate your product by the 30th day after you first installed and launched your SolidWorks product, it will stop working until you activate it.

Question: How do I activate my product?

Answer: You can activate your product 24 hours a day, seven days a week, either on the Internet or manually by email. Either option takes only a few short steps to complete.

Question: How does product activation work?

Answer: The activation process uses minimal information about the product and system to create a request for a product license. The license request is composed of the product's serial number, name, version and language along with the operating system name, version and language. In addition, a Hardware ID and Activation ID are created.

The Hardware ID is a mathematically computed one-way hash based on your computer's hard drive geometry and CPU family, and cannot be used to identify the make or model of your computer or its components. The Hardware ID is only used as an identifier for the machine, and never sent to SolidWorks.

The Activation ID is a 64-bit random number which is then down sampled to reduce the size of the activation request code. The Activation ID is only used to identify an individual activation request and contains no information about the product or hardware.

The license request is sent to SolidWorks either through a secure (SSL) Internet connection or by email. If the request is valid, a valid license is returned that enables the product immediately. The activation process is completely anonymous and never requests, collects, or transmits personal information. It does not scan your hard drive, and none of the information collected can be used to identify your individual hardware components.

Question: What happens if the activation server is unavailable when I try to activate?

Answer: In the unlikely event that the activation servers is unavailable, the customer will be asked to try back at a later time. The customer will be given a 30-day, unrestricted grace period in order to get their product activated. During this time, the customer may use their SolidWorks product without any
restrictions.

Question: What does SolidWorks do with the computer-specific information sent during the product activation process?

Answer: We use the computer-specific information only to verify that your product is used within the scope allowed by the SolidWorks End-User License Agreement (EULA). The information is stored in a database used only for product activation data.

Question: What products include product activation?

Answer: As of SolidWorks 2006 SP3.1, activation is included in all of our commercial products, with the exception of COSMOS products, PDMWorks standalone, PDMWorks Advanced Server and eDrawings Professional standalone.

Question: What if I have more than one computer? Does the license allow me to use the software on multiple machines?

Answer: The current SolidWorks End-User License Agreement allows the primary user, the one who uses that computer more than 80% of the time it is in use, to also use the Software on a portable or home computer while the original copy is NOT in use. This right is not affected by product activation and you will be able to install and activate your software on one work computer and one home computer.

Question: If I install and activate the software on two machines, can more than one person use the software on the second machine?

Answer: While you can install and activate your software on two machines, the secondary license is for the exclusive use of the primary user when he or she is working from home. Allowing an additional person to use your secondary license is in violation of the End-User License Agreement.

Question: If I install and activate the software on two machines, am I allowed to run both licenses at the same time?

Answer: While you can install and activate your software on two machines, The SolidWorks End-User License Agreement (EULA) does not allow concurrent use of the software on two different machines.

Question: Why is SolidWorks requiring customers to activate their software?

Answer: Product activation is a simple way to reduce and deter unauthorized use and casual copying of SolidWorks products with a minimal effect on our loyal customers.

Question: Do I need to be online to use SolidWorks software that includes activation?

Answer: Activation is a one time process which does require that you have Internet or email access. Once you have activated, you do not need to be online to use your software. If you wish to transfer a license, or repair your activation, you must be connected to the Internet or send request via email.

Question: Will activation ever require me to upgrade my product? Will SolidWorks ever stop activating products that require activation?

Answer: Activation is only used to verify a product's license the first time the product is installed. SolidWorks will support the activation of products throughout their lifecycle.

Question: Does product activation make the software harder to use?

Answer: Product activation is a simple one-time process. Most users activate their software as soon as they install it, and never have to worry about it again.

Question: Does product activation slow down my computer?

Answer: No. The core technology of product activation only runs when you run your SolidWorks software, and will have no noticeable affect on the overall performance of your computer.

Question: How long does product activation take to complete?

Answer: Product activation is a one-time process that is typically completed immediately after installation of the software. Internet activation typically takes 10 to 30 seconds to complete. Email activation takes about 10 minutes to complete.

Question: What if I can’t activate my software immediately by Internet or email?

Answer: Although most customers activate their software as soon as they install it, you have a 30-day grace period after your first launch to activate the product (evaluation and other products will have different timing requirements). The software, which is fully functional during this period, will automatically remind you to activate at regular intervals. After 30 days, the product will stop working until you activate it.

Question: My SolidWorks license currently requires a dongle; will I need to use a dongle with product activation?

Answer: No, products that use product activation do not require a dongle. However, you should not dispose of you dongle, because you will still need it to run previous versions that do not use product activation.

Question: What if I don't have an Internet connection?

Answer: You have a 30-day grace period before activation is required. Activating over the Internet is a quick, one-time process. If your computer is temporarily offline, you can activate the next time it's online. Once the product is activated, the activation process no longer needs to connect to the Internet. If you are installing on a computer that will never be connected to the Internet, you can activate your license by emailing your request file directly to SolidWorks.

Question: Does product activation prevent me from using my product after upgrading my computer or getting a new computer?

Answer: No. If you upgrade or replace your computer, you can transfer your license to the new or upgraded machine at your convenience. Simply deactivate your license through the Transfer License option in the Help menu; then, after upgrading or replacing your computer, reinstall the product and reactivate it.

Question: When is product reactivation required?

Answer: Product reactivation is required only under exceptional circumstances — if, for example, you upgrade or replace your computer, or if the activation process detects that the license has been tampered with. Reactivation is as quick, easy, and anonymous as the initial activation.

Question: My hard drive died. If I didn’t deactivate (transfer) the software license, will I be able to reinstall the product and reactivate it?

Answer: The software will successfully reactivate in most cases. If your attempt to reactivate fails, please contact your Reseller Support for help.

Question: I've heard that the activation technology stores data to the hard drive, outside the normal file system. Isn't that dangerous?

Answer: The activation technology uses a robust and proven algorithm to safely write its license data to an unused sector of the hard drive located in track zero. This technology has been used in a variety of software installed on millions of computers worldwide, and verified to be safe by independent sources.

This approach allows license data to remain safe even if the product or operating system require reinstallation. In rare cases where the algorithm determines that writing to track zero may cause a potential conflict, it uses an alternative file system based anchor for the license data.

Question: What technology did SolidWorks use to implement product activation?

Answer: The core licensing engine is based on industry standard product activation technology from Macrovision. SolidWorks worked extensively to customize the product activation technology and process to meet the needs of its customers and to provide the best possible experience.

Question: What if I would like to move the software to a new computer?

Answer: To move your software to a new computer you, first need to transfer your software license. Transferring your software license will immediately deactivate the software on your original computer so that you can activate your software on a new computer.

Question: What should I do if I want to reformat or upgrade my machine?

Answer: Before making any changes to your hardware or operating system you should first transfer your license from the machine. Transferring the license will deactivate the license on this machine in order for you to activate it on an upgraded or new computer at your convenience.

Question: How do I transfer my license?

Answer: You can move your software from your current computer to a new computer, open SolidWorks then use the Help > Transfer License feature. This feature deactivates the product on your current machine so it can be reactivated on the new machine. You then go to the new computer, install SolidWorks then start it and select Help > Activate to proceed with the activation process.

Question: What information is collected and transmitted in the product activation process?

Answer: We collect the minimum information required to successfully verify the product license for each product installation, which includes: the product serial number, name, version, and language; the operating system name, version, and language; and your computer’s processor and hard-disk type. This information is combined, encrypted, and then sent to SolidWorks for verification.

Question: Does the activation process ever send data to SolidWorks after I activate my product?

Answer: No. Activation is a secure and anonymous one-time process. After activation is complete, the license manager runs alongside the product for the sole purpose of verifying the integrity of the license file and the validity of the product license. The activation technology in the product never contacts SolidWorks except with your express knowledge and consent.

Question: How does SolidWorks keep this information secure?

Answer: We use the industry-standard Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) to transmit data to product activation servers that are both physically secure and have limited employee access.