Product activation FAQ
What is activation?
Product activation is a mechanism for actively registering software licenses over the Internet.
Product activation discourages illegal copying of software by requiring license confirmation (activation) each time the software runs on a new machine.
How does it work?
Activation is a step on top of usual registration: after the license key is entered, a connection is made to a server on the Internet. A connected computer can be activated instantly.
As long as the software stays on the same machine, no activation will be necessary again. Should the configuration of the machine change significantly, i.e. because of a disk crash or otherwise loss of registration info, then you may need to repeat the activation.
Activation identifies the computer in a practically unique manner, by collecting hardware characteristics such as a network card's MAC address or a hard disk's serial number. Hardware information is combined into an identifier that serves as a practically unique "signature" of your installation. This is what we call "Installation ID".
The "Installation ID" is sent to a server, which in turn responds with an "Activation key" that completes the procedure. If the computer on which the software will run is not connected to the Internet, please contact us to carry out the procedure manually.
How do you protect user privacy?
By not retrieving information that could identify any person. The hardware characteristics that we collect are used solely for the purpose of software activation, and is never shared in any way.
Can I actually see what is sent during activation?
Sure. Choose manual activation and you will see your Installation ID.
Do I need to run special software?
No. An active Internet connection is all that is needed.
My computer is behind a firewall. Will this be a problem?
No. Activation uses http's default port (80) that is not blocked by firewalls.
Is activation possible without an Internet connection?
It's somewhat painful and takes time, but yes. You can activate by email or even by fax (not recommended but possible as last resort). You will have to send us your installation ID and we will send back the activation key that will finish the process.