Product activation FAQ
1. What is activation?
Product activation is a mechanism that uses the Internet to actively register software licenses.
Product activation aims to discourage casual copying of software by requiring license confirmation (activation) each time a copy of the software finds itself running on a different machine.
2. How does it work?
Activation is an extra step on top of the traditional registration process: when the license key is entered, a connection is made to a server on the Internet. A computer with an Internet connection completes the activation process in a couple of seconds.
As long as the software stays on the same machine no activation will be necessary again. If the configuration of your machine changes significantly or if the disk crashes and the registration info file is lost, then perhaps you will need to repeat the registration /activation procedure.
Activation needs to identify the computer, so as to know whether the software runs on the same or on a different computer. To this aim, identifying characteristics of the hardware are gathered, such as the network card's serial number, the serial number of a hard disk, etc. Hardware-based identifiers combined with an identifier of the software make up a compound identifier that serves as a "signature" of your machine. This is the so called "Installation ID".
The "Installation ID" is sent to a server via http, and the server responds with an "Activation key" that finishes the process. If an Internet connection is not available, the process can be carried out manually (by email or even by fax).
3. How do you protect user privacy?
By not gathering information that could identify you personally; by not gathering from your computer anything other than hardware id's.
4. Can I actually see what is sent to you over the Internet?
Sure. Choose to activate manually and you will see your installation ID.
5. Do I need to run any special software on my computer?
No; just an active Internet connection is needed.
6. My computer is behind a firewall. Will this be a problem?
No. Activation uses http's default port (80) that is almost never blocked by firewalls.
7. If I have problems with my Internet connection, can I activate my license otherwise?
Yes. You can activate by email or fax. Simply send in your installation ID and we will send back the activation key that will finish the activation process.
