Troubleshoot a Stand-Alone License Error

When you activate your Autodesk product, only the computer that you used to activate the product is licensed to run the product. If you make certain changes to your computer, your stand-alone license might fail. You will receive a license error and you will not be able to use your product. This section discusses ways in which you can troubleshoot a license error. Some license errors require you to reactivate your product. If you need to reactivate your product, the Product Activation wizard is displayed when you try to run the product. To reactivate your product, follow the instructions in the Product Activation wizard. The following topics offer more details regarding specific errors.

Hardware Changes

If you replace or reconfigure hardware on the computer where your Autodesk product license resides, the stand-alone license might fail. You will not be able to use your product. To prevent damage to your product license, use the License Transfer Utility to export your license file. After you make the hardware change, you can import the license file back. For instructions about using the License Transfer Utility, see Transfer Your Stand-Alone License on page 5.

NOTE If you get a license error when you change your hardware, you may have
to reactivate your license. See Activate Your Product on page 2.

Reinstalling an Operating System

If you reinstall your operating system on the computer where your Autodesk license resides, the license might fail. You will not be able to use your product. To resolve a license error in this case, you must reactivate your product. See Activate Your Product on page 2. To prevent a license error when you reinstall an operating system

NOTE If using Norton Ghost™ or another image utility, do not include the Master Boot Record.

1 Locate one of the following folders and make a backup copy:
■ (Windows XP) C:\Documents And Settings\All Users\Application
Data\FLEXnet
■ (Windows 7/Windows Vista) C:\ProgramData\FLEXnet
2 Reinstall the operating system and reinstall the Autodesk product.
3 Paste the license folder to the same location from which you originally
copied the folder in step 1.
You can now run your Autodesk product.

Changing the System Date and Time

Your product license allows for time changes to the system clock within two days of the current time. If you set your system clock back more than two days, the next time you start your product, you will receive a message that gives you the option of correcting the system clock. If you do not correct the system clock, you receive a license error.
To prevent a license error due to a change in system date and time

■ Make sure that your computer's system date and time are accurate when
you install and activate your Autodesk product.

Distributing Software Image to Multiple Computers


You can use the Deployment Wizard’s Stand-alone option to create a software installation image on your server. You can distribute this image by making it available on your computer network. During creation of this image, you are prompted for registration information, which is stored with the image and deployed to all installations. Additionally, you can manually distribute the software using the installation CD that comes with your Autodesk product. However, if your computers do not have an Internet connection, make sure the registration data for each computer matches exactly. Inconsistent registration data can cause activation
failures.

To prevent a license error when distributing software image to multiple computers

■ The distribution of applications using “ghosting” is not recommended, and can result in incomplete installations and activation problems.

Preserving Licenses on Re-Imaged Computers:


On a network license server, licenses are maintained on the server. No additional steps are needed to preserve network licenses. For stand-alone licenses, you need to export the licenses to a safe place before
re-imaging the computers. You can use the License Transfer Utility to export the licenses. After the re-imaging, import the licenses to the correct computer. Each license only works on the computer for which it was created.

How to use - AutoCAD License Transfer Utility

            Using the AutoCAD License Transfer Utility

The License Transfer Utility transfers a product license online from one computer to another, and ensures that the product works only on the computer that contains the license. The License Transfer Utility is a custom stand-alone installation option. During installation, a shortcut is created. A shortcut is installed once per product, per workstation. You may want to transfer a license to a computer temporarily (if you want to use an Autodesk product on your laptop, for example) or permanently (if the computer where you originally activated your Autodesk product is being replaced). You can leave the license on the secondary computer indefinitely, or you can move the license between computers as needed. License transfers rely on the product’s serial number. Before an Autodesk product can be exported, it must be activated with the serial number and product key. During license import, a previously activated and exported license is imported to a product or product suite installed with the same serial number. The activation is transferred to the import computer, completing the license transfer.

Exporting a license

The first step is to launch the LTU. It's on the Start Menu in the same program group as your application. The initial dialog will look like this

Click the Sign In button. After you have signed in (or created a new account and signed in), the next dialog will look like this:

 

                                                                                                                                                                         By default, you will only be able to import this license to a machine with the same serial number and the same Autodesk account. If you check the "Make the license available as a public import", then anyone can import the license. The AutoCAD install will still need to be done with the same serial number as the install from which the license was exported.

This next screen is confirming that the license was exported successfully.

Importing a license

Now you are ready to import on a different machine. Remember, the second install must use the same serial number. Start the same application (LTU) on the second machine, and after you log in, the license importing process will begin.
 

 
After this has completed, a confirmation dialog will appear letting you know that the license was imported successfully. 

Another ways:-

Export a License

1. A license is exported when the License Transfer Utility moves a product license from a computer to the online Autodesk server.

2.  The license can be exported as public or private. Exporting a license as public means that you are not reserving the license and anyone using the same serial number and their own user ID and password can import that license. Exporting a license as private means that you are reserving that license for yourself and the license can only be imported with the same serial number, your user ID, and your password.

NOTE An Internet connection is required to export a license.

To export a license

1 On the computer where you want to export the license, do the following:

■ (Windows XP/Windows 7/Windows Vista) Click Start ➤ All Programs

➤ Autodesk ➤ [Autodesk Product] ➤ License Transfer Utility.

1. The Export the License dialog box displays the Autodesk product name and serial number.

2 In the Export the License dialog box, click Sign In.

3 On the Log In page enter your Autodesk user ID and password and click

Log In.

4 On the License Export page, confirm the export information.

5 If you want to make the license available as a public import, click Make

the license available as a public import.

6 Click Export.

7 On the License Export Confirmation page, click Finish.

Import a License

A license is imported when the License Transfer Utility moves a previously exported product license from the online Autodesk server to a computer. When you have exported a product license from a computer, you complete the license transfer process by importing that license onto a computer. A license is imported when the License Transfer Utility creates an active license on a computer, allowing your Autodesk product to run on this computer. When you use the License Transfer Utility to import a license to a computer, you are not activating the product on the computer; you are simply transferring your activation to this machine.

NOTE An Internet connection is required to import a license.

To import a license

1 On the computer where you want to import the license, do the following:

■ (Windows XP/Windows 7/Windows Vista) Click Start ➤ All Programs

➤ Autodesk ➤ [Autodesk Product] ➤ License Transfer Utility. The Import the License dialog box displays the Autodesk product name and serial number.

2.  In the Import the License dialog box, click Sign In.

3.  On the Log In page, enter your Autodesk user ID and password and click Log In.

4. On the License Import Confirmation page, click Finish.

The license is now imported to the computer and you can run your Autodesk product on this computer. If you want to transfer the license to another computer, repeat the export and import procedures. To import a license to replace a trial license

1.  On the computer where you want to import the license, do the following:

■ (Windows XP/Windows 7/Windows Vista) Click Start ➤ All Programs

➤ Autodesk ➤ [Autodesk Product] ➤ License Transfer Utility.

1. The Update the Serial Number and Product Key dialog box displays the Autodesk product name and serial number.

2.  In the Update the Serial Number and Product Key dialog box, enter the serial number and product key to update your Autodesk product. Click Update. The Import the License dialog box displays the Autodesk product name and updated serial number.

3. In the Import the License dialog box, click Sign In.

4. On the Log In page, enter your Autodesk user ID and password and click Log In.

5. On the License Import Confirmation page, click Finish.

The license is now imported to the computer and you can run your Autodesk product on this computer. If you want to transfer the license to another computer, repeat the export and import procedures.