Product License Activation Window: Serial number already entered and uneditable.

[Frank_Lemus]

Hello,

I am helping a client who needs to upgrade his serial number from his old one that he let expire under the new subscription model. When he starts up his application to input his new serial number he is presented with a window that shows his old serial number already entered and unable to edit it.

Where is his old serial number being stored on his computer so that I may remove that and allow him to be presented with the option to input his new serial number? Or, how can I update his serial number without doing a product uninstall?

I appreciate anybody's help on this issue.

Frank Lemus

[Mark.Lancaster]

I stole this wording/reply from my buddy @Darin.Green, so he takes all the credit for the steps.. 

This should help get your application working. Assuming you have a valid serial number/contract.

Close the application

Please note, folders of C:\Programdata and C:\Users\[Username]\Appdata (listed below) are hidden folders and you may need to adjust your viewing settings.

On your computer, navigate to: ​​C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\CLM\LGS\<Product_Key>_2017.0.0.F  [<Product Key> is the product key of the Autodesk Application you have]
Delete the LGS.data file.
Navigate to C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Autodesk\ folder
Delete the ADUT folder and it's contents
Start the application.

When you start the application, it will prompt you to choose one of the following:

Login - 30 day trial licenses
Serial Number - Standalone and Single-User activation
Network - Network License server for obtaining licenses from a machine on your network

Choose the option that matches your license.  Students will always select serial #.

[Frank_Lemus]

Thanks @Mark.Lancaster, and by extension, @Anonymous! I tried the steps you mentioned, and ran the application, and sure enough, the prompt to select one of the three options you mentioned showed up... but this has already been happening, and when I select Serial Number (he has a valid one, I double-checked) it gives me the window I posted a screenshot of above--still with the inability to change the old number.

It seems like the number is stored somewhere on the machine, but I don't know where.

I've tried deleting:

​​C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\CLM\LGS\<Product_Key>_2017.0.0.F
C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Autodesk\ADUT
C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Local\Autodesk\
C:\ProgramData\FLEXnet\adskflex_########_tsf.data
C:\ProgramData\FLEXnet\adskflex_########_tsf.data.backup
%TEMP% folder

I think the serial number must be stored in the registry, but I don't know where. Could this be a possibility? I know that in the past Autodesk products stored their serial numbers in a registry key, and that it was possible, at one point, to be able to change the serial number from there.

I did find this key:

\\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Autodesk\AutoCAD\Rxx.x\ACAD-0000:409 SerialNumber but,
firstly, I cannot change the value (which is all zeros) and secondly, this is under AutoCAD in the registry, and not PLNT3D (I can't remember the exact name of Plant 3D's key in the registry, but PLNT3D seems correct from memory.).

Frank Lemus

[Mark.Lancaster]

But the problem is...  If your client got a new subscription it would be term based.  Meaning the information you are showing is based on activating a perpetual license.   Term is activated by the Autodesk Account/ID and is a different process..   So what type of license is this?

[Frank_Lemus]

Hmm, what you say makes sense. We even tried signing in using the Sign In option from that window that shows the three activation options but after signing in it gives us a trial version of the software, anyway. I asked him if he is using the sign-in credentials of a user that has been allowed to use the software (since subscription-based product licenses are user-dependent) and he tells me yes. I'm going to go do a check on his contract manager's manage.autodesk.com account and verify this, now that you mentioned it, and get back with you on findings.

Also, as a general subscription licensing question, when a customer purchases a subscription-based license, they are still given a serial number to input. So if a sign-in is the only thing required, where does the serial number go? My understanding was that we would input the serial number and then sign in to make the product run.

Frank Lemus

[Mark.Lancaster]

@Frank_Lemus

The Sign-In option is for only trial since there's no serial # needed for running a trial.   That's all its used for.

You will need the serial #/product key info for perpetual and single user term based license

The other thing you may need to do..  Is remove the actual assigned Autodesk Account from the company's subscription and put it back on.

[Frank_Lemus]

@Mark.Lancaster

"The Sign-In option is for only trial since there's no serial # needed for running a trial. That's all its used for."
Okay, so then this option isn't appropriate for my client.

"You will need the serial #/product key info for perpetual and single user term based license."
I have this information already, but don't get a chance to input it into the program. This is where my issue is.

"The other thing you may need to do..  Is remove the actual assigned Autodesk Account from the company's subscription and put it back on."

Firstly, is this the process you were talking about in your previous response, above: "... Term is activated by the Autodesk Account/ID and is a different process..." and secondly, is the client's machine communicating through the Internet and getting the old serial number to pre-input into that window, so that removing the assigned Autodesk account from the company's subscription would make a difference?

Frank Lemus

[Mark.Lancaster]

@Frank_Lemus

Clarification...  The process of activating/authorizing a term based user is a different process than a perpetual license.  Meaning it has nothing to do with my suggestion of removing the user's account and putting it back on.   In the end sometimes we just had to resolve the issue by doing that but I would recommend that you reset the license like I instructed you to do..  Don't launch the application.  Remove the user and put them back in and then launch the application to get the 3 options.

[Frank_Lemus]

@Mark.Lancaster

Is remove the actual assigned Autodesk Account from the company's subscription and put it back on.

I was confused about this statement, at first, but now I understand you are referring to having the contract manager go into their manage.autodesk.com account then remove and re-add the user into the list of users who can use the software. Correct me if that's not what you meant, but I think this is what you mean by saying "activating/authorizing" in one of your previous responses.

I would recommend that you reset the license like I instructed you to do.

Are you talking about removing the ​​LGS.data file and the ADUT folder? I did that, and I didn't open the application, then...

Don't launch the application. Remove the user and put them back in and then launch the application to get the 3 options.

I think you're talking about removing the user under the contract manager's manage.autodesk.com account, is this correct? Done.

The problem persists, and selecting the middle button labeled Serial Number is still pre-populated with another serial number, and I am unable to input the correct serial number to open the application long enough to sign in with the user's activated/authorized account.

My problem has always been that I cannot change the serial number from that window that gives me the three options for activation.

Frank Lemus

[Mark.Lancaster]

@Frank_Lemus

I will tag @Darin.Green to see if he has a solution for you...

[Frank_Lemus]

@Mark.Lancaster

By the way, I appreciate your help with this issue, Mark. I look forward to hearing from Darin, if he's available.

Frank Lemus

[Darin.Green]

Thanks for pinging me @Mark.Lancaster!

@Frank_Lemus

The location where the serial number is being stored, is here:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Autodesk\AutoCAD\R20.1\ACAD-F017:409

There should be a key SerialNumber which you can change then delete the ADUT folders again and launch the application.

[natasha.l]

Hello @Frank_Lemus,

Sorry to hear you are encountering an issue trying to us update the serial # this information. 

1. At the top-right of the screen select the drop-down triangle next to the User Name to display a drop-down list "About _____ License".

2.Click “Manage License...” to open the License Manager screen.

 3. Locate the product and click “Change license type” next to the product, it will close.

 4. Then locate the "Update" link next to License Details

I hope this was helpful, please let me know how it goes. 

[Frank_Lemus]

@Darin.Green@natasha.l

Thank you Darin and Natasha, I've been contacting my client over the course of the day to get a chance at running the latest steps you both have suggested here, but an opportunity to try your steps hasn't arisen today. I'll continue to work on this after the weekend, when we are both available again. I'll keep you all posted.

Frank Lemus

[Frank_Lemus]

@Darin.Green@natasha.l

My client couldn't find time today to talk about this issue. I will keep you all posted within this week if I get a chance to run through your steps.

Thank you for your patience.

Frank Lemus

[natasha.l]

Hello @Frank_Lemus,

Thank you for keeping us posted. 

[Frank_Lemus]

@Darin.Green

There should be a key SerialNumber which you can change then delete the ADUT folders again and launch the application.
I navigated to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Autodesk\AutoCAD\R20.1\ACAD-F017:409 and changed the Serial Number from the right pane, then removed the C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Autodesk\ADUT folder. The entire process didn't resolve the issue with changing the serial number on the Plant 3D activation window. The old serial number is still showing up.

@natasha.l

I followed the steps you suggested to arrive at the License Manager screen. Here is what I see, however:

So, a bit different on what we are seeing. (I removed his Autodesk ID for privacy) I know we see that he is using a trial now, but this wasn't how it always was. He was using a valid subscription-based serial number. He let that expire, and re-purchased another serial number (again, subscription-based) and this is when all the issues began. The trial is just the only way he can use his software at this point, until it runs out.

The problem remains on finding where in the computer the old serial number is being stored, because AutoCAD Plant 3D keeps finding this old serial number to put it up on the screen time and again.

Thank you for all the help this far, guys.

Frank Lemus

[Frank_Lemus · Accepted solution]

@natasha.l@Darin.Green@Mark.Lancaster

Thank you all for your input, none of the options provided resolved the issue, so the client has decided to do a clean uninstall and re-install of his Autodesk Plant 3D software.

For anyone reading this post searching for the resolution to this problem, let me re-state the issue:

There is no option to replace the pre-inputted serial number after the serial number has expired and needs to be replaced. Keep in mind, that these are subscription-based serial numbers. The window you see below gives the option to use an activation code, but that only applies to perpetual licenses, so that's not a solution to this issue since, again, this is a subscription license.

The pre-inputted serial number is being stored somewhere on the machine, but we don't know where it lives. Here are the locations they do not live at:

File/Folder Locations:
​​C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\CLM\LGS\<Product_Key>_2017.0.0.F\LGS.data
C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Autodesk\ADUT
C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Local\Autodesk\
C:\ProgramData\FLEXnet\adskflex_########_tsf.data
C:\ProgramData\FLEXnet\adskflex_########_tsf.data.backup
%TEMP% folder

Registry Keys:
\\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Autodesk\AutoCAD\Rxx.x\ACAD-0000:409
\\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Autodesk\AutoCAD\R20.1\ACAD-F017:409

There might have been some confusion about what my problem was by the responders, but even following the instructions provided didn't work, those instructions were:
* Go to the contract manager's manage.autodesk.com account then remove and re-add the user who needs access.
* "Change license type" found under the Help | About section.

I really appreciate all the help given, the final resting point to "solve" this issue is to do a complete reinstall of Autodesk Plant 3D, in our case.

Frank Lemus

[natasha.l]

Hello @Frank_Lemus,

Thank you very much for your feedback & contribution. It's to bad there wasn't another option, a clean uninstall can resolve a variety of random issues. Glad you figured this would resolve it and the client is up and running. 

Keep posting.