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Changing Product Keys?

8 REPLIES 8
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Message 1 of 9
FT398
33962 Views, 8 Replies

Changing Product Keys?

Is there a way to change the product key of an existing installation? We have recently upgraded our network AutoCAD Architecture licenses to suite products and as a result, they no longer support the existing 'standalone' Architecture products. If I reinstall ACA2012 using the product key of the suite then it will get a license no problem as you would expect but as I have in the region of 200 users in multiple offices, the process of reinstalling software for each and every one of them would be a long process.

 

Obviously we will over the coming weeks be rolling out newer versions of the software to our users and all this will then be no problem but in the interim I need to try and keep users active with the minimum of disruption so it would seem that simply changing the product key on a machine would be a quick and simple way of allowing our old installs to use the new licenses until such time we can get around to them to do an upgrade.

 

So, does anybody know if this is possible to achieve in any way or is it impossible?

8 REPLIES 8
Message 2 of 9
JTBWorld
in reply to: FT398

As far as I know you need to reinstall for this.

The info I think is saved in this dat file:

Windows Vista/Windows 7/Windows 8
C:\ProgramData\FLEXnet\adskflex_00691b00_tsf.data
C:\ProgramData\FLEXnet\adskflex_00691b00_tsf.data_backup.001


Windows XP
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\FLEXnet\adskflex_00691b00_tsf.data
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\FLEXnet\adskflex_00691b00_tsf.data_backup.001

 

If you want to experiment you can locate and delete the .data file and the backup file and start the product and see if you have any chance to reenter it but I think this will just reactivate the license on the machine.


Jimmy Bergmark
JTB World - Software development and consulting for CAD and license usage reports
https://jtbworld.com

Message 3 of 9
FT398
in reply to: JTBWorld

Jimmy. Thanks for the reply.

 

I tried your suggestion initially on one of my XP machines and removed those files but sure enough the product still licensed itself in its normal manner afterwards. I did however note that the files didn't actually reappear which I would have expected them to do.

 

I then had a look at a Win7 machine and the folder in question didn't actually exist, evemn as a hidden system folder so it led me to the conclusion that those files weren't the ones that controlled the product code. So I had a look around for possible candidates and had a try with the ProductInformation.pit file. I took a copy of this file from a machine which was already running Architecture under the Building Suite product code and put it on one running the base Architecture product, restarted CAD and BINGO!! - the machine was now running a Suite license.

 

So far I have only tried this on the one machine so I'm not going to assume it is a 100% solution just yet but given that I took the file from a 64bit Win7 machine and transferred it to a 32bit WinXP machine then it looks like there is a good chance I will have a workable workaround and even better, if it does indeed work I can use the one fix to sort out our Navisworks and Revit licenses too which is a bonus.

 

Thanks again Jimmy for the nudge in what is hopefully the right direction.

Message 4 of 9
WM_Ron_Allen
in reply to: FT398

Did you by chance try this on other machines? Did deleting the PIT file work?

 

We have similar conditions where a suite was mistakenly installed - and it would be really nice to simply delete this file and reenter the serial/product code...

 

~TIA

Ron Allen
Ware Malcomb Bim
Message 5 of 9
TravisNave
in reply to: WM_Ron_Allen

If you delete the PIT file, you will absolutely need to reinstall.  If you delete the licensing info according to the post above, you *might* be able to reactivate properly. 



Travis Nave Send TravisNave a Private Message                                             Need help in your post? Mention me with @TravisNave



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Message 6 of 9
dgorsman
in reply to: WM_Ron_Allen

Check with your reseller and/or AutoDesk subscription support.  I *think* I saw a post in here where they mentioned they could issue licenses on a limited basis to handle previous non-suite versions to handle a reasonable transition period.  YMMV.

----------------------------------
If you are going to fly by the seat of your pants, expect friction burns.
"I don't know" is the beginning of knowledge, not the end.


Message 7 of 9
FT398
in reply to: WM_Ron_Allen

The way I went about fixing this for all our machines was a bit long winded but ultimately gave me exactly the outcome I was after.

After realising that I could transfer the pit files between machines I set about creating a 'master' pit file that I could distribute to all our machines. I did this by installing a copy of every one of our Autodesk products that could be licensed using a suite license on to my own machine using the relevant suite product code. This meant installing current and previous releases of AutoCAD, Simulate and Revit with each install adding its relevant data to my pit file. Once I had got every product installed I then copied my pit file to each of our machines (approx 180) and now they are all succesfully using our suite licenses.

Message 8 of 9
TravisNave
in reply to: FT398

Brilliant!


Travis Nave Send TravisNave a Private Message                                             Need help in your post? Mention me with @TravisNave



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Autodesk Forums:
FLEXnet License Admin | MSI Cleanup Utility | .NET Framework Cleanup Tool | IPv6 NLM Fix | adskflex.opt Options File | Combine .LIC Files
Message 9 of 9
jimb
in reply to: FT398

Worked great had the wrong product key but the right serial number. Used one of the other cad techs  pit file with the same license and there you go.

thanks.

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