- What versions of Avid Software take advantage of the new Avid Software Licensing Feature?
- Why is Avid changing from dongle based security to software licensing?
- I have noticed that there is now a trial mode selection on my Avid Media Composer v4.0 software. What does this mean?
- Why am I unable to run the editor software on more than one system at a time?
- Do I have to have internet access in order to use the new software licensing feature?
- Will I have the option to continue to use my dongle if I upgrade to the new version?
- I thought you were eliminating the dongle, but when I launched my software, there is still an option to continue to use my dongle.
- What if I choose to continue using my dongle, then decide that I'd rather use Software Licensing?
- Can I purchase another activation code at a lower cost instead of purchasing another copy of the software?
- Do I need to purchase an Avid Support Contract in order to activate my system by phone?
- Who do I call if I’m having difficulty with the software but I don’t have an Avid Support Contract? Do I need to buy a per-incident?
- I have decided to use the software activation system. What happens to my original dongle system ID and serial number?
- Will you retain this system information in Avid’s database?
- Can I use an activation code more than once?
- Who do I contact if I need help with my Avid Web Store purchase?
- How do I upgrade my software if I am an Avid Support customer?
- How do I upgrade from Avid Xpress Pro to Avid Media Composer v4.0?
- I’ve used the trial for 30 days and wish to purchase Media Composer v4.0. What can I do?
- What happens if I upgrade but need to go back to an earlier version? Can I reactivate my dongle?
- What do I do with my dongle after it has been deactivated?
- How do I get software licensing support 24x7?
- Will major releases moving forward require new Serial Numbers/Activation codes?
- Can I use an activation code in one location (NYC, for example) then deactivate and have someone in another location (LA) use the same codes to run their system?
- What if I need to run the trial for longer than 30 days? Or if my trial runs out before I am done evaluating the software?
- Can I work on a project in the full version that was created in the trial version?
- What will happen to my license if my motherboard dies?
- What will happen to my license if I disable my Network Interface Controller (NIC) card?
- Is there anything I should know if activating on a laptop?
- What will happen to my license if my hard drive crashes, and I replace it?
- What happens if I don’t upgrade my Avid DVD or Avid FX to versions that don’t require the dongle? How will the software know I have these installed or will I need to use the DVD and FX dongles?
- If I am experiencing problems with software activation, can I use the trial version?
- If I activate on a system, then have a problem with it, could I use a new serial number/system ID on that system and activate it?
- What happens if I forget to deactivate my system due to swapping hard drives, cloning systems, moving to another system, or swapping operating systems in a dual boot environment?
What versions of Avid Software take advantage of the new Avid Software Licensing Feature?
Starting with Avid Media Composer v3.5, Newscutter v7.5, and Symphony v3.5 as well as the new v4.0/v8.0 now take advantage of the new Avid Software Licensing Feature. These versions include any hardware components that are attached to the system (Ex. Adrenaline, DX, Mojo SDI, Mojo).
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Why is Avid changing from dongle based security to software licensing?
Avid is changing to a software based licensing scheme based on customer feedback and reports of dissatisfaction with the dongle based system. Dongles have proven to be unreliable and customers are demanding a system that provides more stability for their business. In addition, dongles in certain environments that have many users, can become lost or stolen, therefore require costly dongle replacement charges.
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I have noticed that there is now a trial mode selection on my Avid Media Composer v4.0 software. What does this mean?
With the introduction of Avid Media Composer v3.5 and v4.0, we have introduced a trial version of the editor that will activate at no charge. After the trial period expires (v3.5 = 14 days, v4.0 = 30 days ), a user may purchase the complete Avid Media Composer product from Avid as a software download only or a physical shipping kit with manuals and 3rd party applications or they can uninstall the software. The trial can be downloaded here.
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Why am I unable to run the editor software on more than one system at a time?
Avid systems are sold with a single user license. You can move the license from one computer to another but just like when using a dongle, only one license is allowed to be used at a time per activation code.
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Do I have to have internet access in order to use the new software licensing feature?
No, you do not need Internet access. You can activate the software by phone or by using another computer's Internet connection.
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Will I have the option to continue to use my dongle if I upgrade to the new version?
Avid allows two options when upgrading your software. If you already own a system with a dongle, then you can choose to continue using your dongle, or use our new software activation key. If you chose to use the software activation key, your dongle will be deactivated and can not be used moving forward. New units only have the software activation option.
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I thought you were eliminating the dongle, but when I launched my software, there is still an option to continue to use my dongle.
Avid allows two options when upgrading your software if you own an existing system with a dongle. You can choose to continue using your dongle, or use our new software activation key. If you chose to use the software activation key, your dongle will be deactivated and can not be used moving forward.
- Upgrading to a Different Editing Application
Dongle - If you are performing an upgrade from a different Avid editing application, for example, Avid Xpress DV to Avid Media Composer, Avid Xpress Pro to Avid Media Composer or Avid Media Composer to Avid Symphony, you must update the dongle first. Then you can choose to use the Software Application Activation, but it is not necessary to update to the Software Application Activation.
- Upgrading to a New Version of the Same Editing application
If you are performing an upgrade from the same Avid product, for example, Avid Media Composer to Avid Media Composer, Avid NewsCutter to Avid NewsCutter, or Avid Symphony to Avid Symphony, you can choose to continue using your existing dongle, or use the Software Application Activation process. If you choose the Software Application Activation process, it is not necessary to update your dongle first.
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What if I choose to continue using my dongle, then decide that I'd rather use Software Licensing?
Please see the following Knowledge Base Answer for step by step instructions.
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Can I purchase another activation code at a lower cost instead of purchasing another copy of the software?
No, you must purchase another copy of the software. Users purchase a single user license and that license can only be used on one system at one time.
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Do I need to purchase an Avid Support Contract in order to activate my system by phone?
No. Anyone with a valid copy of an Avid editing application can activate his or her license over the telephone. Please see the contact instructions in the following answer.
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Who do I call if I’m having difficulty with the software but I don’t have an Avid Support Contract? Do I need to buy a per-incident?
For software licensing help – including missing serial numbers or system IDs, unsuccessful activations, deactivation issues (forgetting to deactivate, unsuccessful deactivations, etc.), questions regarding the upgrade or activation process, or any other question regarding software licensing – you do not need to purchase Avid Support. Avid Support is available to you via the same phone numbers used to activate your software over the phone.
If you are calling from within the Americas - Dial 1-800-800-AVID (2843)
If you are calling outside of the Americas - Dial +31 20 654 5530
For any other issues regarding your upgrade, including software installation, failing hardware, malfunctioning features, or any other troubleshooting needs, you must purchase some form of Avid Support, either in the form of a one-time Service Access Code, or a year Avid Support Contract.
To purchase a one-time Service Access Code, please visit our online store: store.avid.com
To purchase a Support Contract, please contact your local sales office: www.avid.com/company/offices
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I have decided to use the software activation system. What happens to my original dongle system ID and serial number?
When you upgrade using a software license, you receive a serial number with your upgrade kit (affixed to the yellow card/ label in your installation guide). Your original dongle system ID remains the same for your upgrade.
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Will you retain this system information in Avid’s database?
Yes. Avid keeps track of all system IDs and the serial numbers for licensed copies of Avid editing software.
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Can I use an activation code more than once?
No. You can only use an activation code once per active system. However, you should keep a record of your activation code in case you need to restore a system following a hardware failure. Call Avid Customer Support if you need to restore your system. The activate and deactivate options allow you to install your activation code only once on one system at a time. If you wish to use your activation code on another system you must deactivate the software you are using and activate it on another system. It is acceptable to keep multiple installs of Avid Media Composer Software on multiple systems, but you may only have one active system running at a time.
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Who do I contact if I need help with my Avid Web Store purchase?
If you purchase a software download or a physical shipping kit from the web store and have a question pertaining to your order, please check Webstore help for answers to some of the most common questions concerning webstore orders:
http://store.avid.com/us/index.cfm?page=support/support
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How do I upgrade my software if I am an Avid Support customer?
The upgrade process hasn’t changed for valid Support customers, except that you now have the option of moving to a software license when you upgrade rather than using a dongle license. See the following Knowledge Base article for complete instructions if you have an active support contract and are upgrading your system.
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How do I upgrade from Avid Xpress Pro to Avid Media Composer v4.0?
Because your system needs to have a dongle attached to upgrade, we have provided these steps to upgrade from Avid Xpress DV or Xpress Pro Pro to Avid Media Composer:
- 1. Go to store.avid.com and purchase the upgrade Avid Xpress DV or Xpress Pro to Avid Media Composer software v4.0 (Download only).
- You will receive an Authorization Code and link to the Order Details on the order confirmation page and also receive this information via email.
- Go to Order Details page and enter the Authorization Code. This page will show the following information (this will also be sent via email).
- A link to download page for the Media Composer 4.0 Installer (Mac or PC)
- An upgrade Key (to get the dongle updater from Avid Xpress DV or Xpress Pro to Media Composer 4.0)
- A serial number (to upgrade the dongle to Media Composer 4.0 software)
- Instructions to perform the upgrade
- Download Media Composer 4.0 (either Mac or PC), and install the software.
- Go to avid.com/upgrade and use the product key/upgrade key located on the order confirmation to get a dongle updater (Avid Xpress DV or Xpress Pro to Media Composer 4.0).
- Upgrade the dongle using the DongleManager. If you have questions on this procedure, please go to www.avid.com/dongle
- Launch Media Composer v4.0 and enter the serial number (the system ID from the dongle will be pre-filled in the dialog).
- Click OK to deactivate the dongle.
- Run Media Composer v4.0 with the software license.
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I’ve used the trial for 30 days and wish to purchase Media Composer v4.0. What can I do?
You can choose from two purchase options.
- Option 1: You can choose to purchase Media Composer as a download from the online store. This is a full version of Media Composer without the third-party bundle. You can choose to purchase the third-party bundle as a separate item. However, the bundle is only available as a physical shipment.
- Option 2: You can choose to purchase a full, physical shipping version of Media Composer. This version is also available in the online store.
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What happens if I upgrade but need to go back to an earlier version ? Can I reactivate my dongle?
Once you have activated your software license, your dongle no longer runs your Avid editing application. If you need to roll back your license to a dongle version of the software, you must contact Avid Customer Support.
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What do I do with my dongle after it has been deactivated?
Once you’ve activated your software license, your dongle cannot be used to run your Avid editing application. However, if you have third-party software or plug-ins that require a dongle, you should keep it attached to your system so those applications can function properly.
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How do I get software licensing support 24x7?
Customers with a valid 24x7 Support Contract should use the same support phone numbers they normally use to reach Support. Customers without a 24x7 Support Contract should visit the Avid Knowledgebase, where the answers to many licensing questions can be found.
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Will major releases moving forward require new Serial Numbers/Activation codes?
Yes. Avid will release new activation codes with major releases. This is very similar to the dongle needing to be upgraded when going from one major version to another. Example: Media Composer 3.5 to 4.0. Minor releases will not require a new serial number/activation code. Example: Media Composer 4.0 to 4.0.2.
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Can I use an activation code in one location (NYC, for example) then deactivate and have someone in another location (LA) use the same codes to run their system?
Yes. The activate and deactivate process works well in this situation. However, you must remember to deactivate one system before activating another.
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What if I need to run the trial for longer than 30 days? Or if my trial runs out before I am done evaluating the software?
The free trial has a 30-day limit. After the 30 days expire, you must purchase a copy of the software in order to run your Avid application. The trial version cannot be reset.
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Can I work on a project in the full version that was created in the trial version?
Yes but only in the current shipping version. While the trial version is fully functional bins will not open in older versions of the editor. Example: Bins created in v4.0 will not open in v3.0/7.0 or v3.5/7.5.
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What will happen to my license if my motherboard dies?
If you were unable to deactivate your license before a motherboard failure, please contact Avid Customer Support so Avid can manually deactivate the system. Once this is done, you can use the original system ID and Serial number – not activation code – to reactivate.
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What will happen to my license if I disable my Network Interface Controller (NIC)?
If you did not deactivate your license before changing the NIC configuration on your system, your software will not start successfully. Enable the NIC configuration used when you first activated your license. Then, deactivate your copy of the software, disable your NIC card, and reactivate your license.
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Is there anything I should know if activating on a laptop?
Activations for laptops work the same way as they do for desktops, with the same options available. It is recommended, however, that you utilize your onboard NIC rather than a USB card etc. to Activate, as the application requires the NIC that was used for activation to be enabled when launching the software. That means that if you have an Aircard and use that to connect to the internet during activation, the Aircard will need to be connected and enabled every time you want to launch the software. For further information on how to properly configure a laptop for software activation, please see this knowledgebase article: Activating A Software License on a Laptop[290115]
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What will happen to my license if my hard drive crashes, and I replace it?
If you were unable to deactivate your license before a hard drive failure, you can use your original activation code, along with the system ID and serial number, to restore your system. If you have problems reactivating your Avid software following a hardware failure, please contact Avid Customer Support.
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What happens if I don’t upgrade my Avid DVD or Avid FX to versions that don’t require the dongle? How will the software know I have these installed or will I need to use the DVD and FX dongles?
If you upgrade your Avid editing application and use software licensing to activate it, but do not upgrade the dongle license of Avid DVD by Sonic or other dongle-based applications or plug-ins, you must continue to use the dongle for those products.
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If I am experiencing problems with software activation, can I use the trial version?
Yes, but only if the trial version has not been activated. Once the trial version is activated, it will expire in 30 consecutive days and cannot be reset.
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If I activate on a system, then have a problem with it, could I use a new serial number/system ID on that system and activate it?
Yes, but it depends on the specific cause of the problem you’re experiencing. If you are having trouble activating your license, contact Avid Customer Support.
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What happens if I forget to deactivate my system due to swapping hard drives, cloning systems, moving to another system, or swapping operating systems in a dual boot environment?
- Swapping hard drives back and forth (example: government site)
The Avid editing application will not start on the new system. Replace the original drive, deactivate the license, then swap drives and reactivate the software.
- Cloning systems
The cloned system will not be able to start the software until the original license is deactivated.
- Moving to another system
If you’re moving from a system where the license remains active to a second system that runs the same copy of the software, go back to the first system and deactivate the license, and then reactivate it on the second one.
- Swapping operating systems in a dual boot environment
Reboot to the original operating system, deactivate your license, then reboot to the new OS and activate the software. Only one version of the software license can be run at a time.
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- What should I do to prepare for a reinstallation or upgrade of my Avid editing software?
- Why do I receive the error message "Failed to Get Activation Code Attributes" after reinstalling or upgrading to a new version of the editor?
- Why do I receive a KCAV Failed to get Activation Code Attributes?
- What happens if I lose my System ID and/or Serial number?
- Why is my Serial Number displayed with the last 5 digit’s “XXXXX” in the Get License Info tool?
- Where can I view the system ID and Serial number information on my system?
- How do I deactivate a system that is not connected to the internet (ex. Government or Educational Sites)?
- Can I run my older software versions with my 4.0 or 8.0 software license?
- What happens if I don’t deactivate my previous software license before upgrading to the latest version of software?
- What if I chose to continue using my dongle, then decide that I'd rather use Software Licensing?
- My motherboard has died, how to I reactivate my license?
- My Network Interface Controller (NIC) has died, how do I reactivate my license?
- My hard drive has crashed and I've replaced it, how do I reactivate my license?
- I forget to deactivate my system due to one of the following scenarios. What should I do?
What should I do to prepare for a reinstallation or upgrade of my Avid editing software?
Please see the following Knowledge Base Answer for best practices to uninstall and reinstall Avid editor software with software licensing.
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Why do I receive the error message "Failed to Get Activation Code Attributes" after reinstalling or upgrading to a new version of the editor?
Please see the following Knowledge Base Answer for detailed instructions to resolve the error.
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Why do I receive a KCAV Failed to get Activation Code Attributes?
Please see the following Knowledge Base Answer for detailed instructions to resolve the error.
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What happens if I lose my System ID and/or Serial number?
Avid now provides a tool that allows you to obtain your System ID and Serial Number. The new “Get License Info” tool is located in the Avid Utilities folder. Clicking on this tool will display your System ID and Serial Number as well as your Adapter and Mac address used to generate the Machine ID.
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Why is my Serial Number displayed with the last 5 digit’s “XXXXX” in the Get License Info tool?
These digit’s are not displayed as part of our security feature to protect your serial number.. Displaying the full number would open your system to theft. If you need the full serial number, Avid has a database that contains this information and will provide it to you when requested.
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Where can I view the system ID and Serial number information on my system?
Avid provides a tool that allows you to obtain your System ID and Serial Number. The Get License Info tool is located in the Avid Utilities folder. Clicking on this tool will display your System ID and Serial Number.
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How do I deactivate a system that is not connected to the internet (ex. Government or Educational Sites)?
Deactivation requires an Internet connection. If your site does not provide a connection, please contact Avid Customer Support.
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Can I run my older software versions with my 4.0 or 8.0 software license?
No. A software license will only run one version of software. You can not install Media Composer 3.5 and Activate it with a 4.0 license; you must use your original 3.5 license.
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What happens if I don’t deactivate my previous software license before upgrading to the latest version of software?
Media Composer 4.0, Symphony 4.0, and Newscutter 8.0 introduce a feature that will deactivate the software license during the upgrade process if you forgot to deactivate it before upgrading. During the Activation process, you will see the following dialog: "As part of the upgrade process, we will deactivate your older version of Avid media Composer. Please continue to upgrade or cancel to exit upgrade process." This is normal. Simply click Continue to proceed with the upgrade process.
Please note: Media Composer 3.5, Symphony 3.5, and Newscutter 8.0 do not have this feature. If you chose to back rev for any reason from the latest version to the these versions, you must deactivate your software license before uninstalling. If you do not, the Activation of the older software license will fail.
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What if I chose to continue using my dongle, then decide that I'd rather use Software Licensing?
Please see the following Knowledge Base Answer for step by step instructions.
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My motherboard has died, how to I reactivate my license?
If you were unable to deactivate your license before a motherboard failure, please contact Avid Customer Support so Avid can manually deactivate the system. Once this is done, you can use the original system ID and serial number – not activation code – not activation code – to reactivate.
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My Network Interface Controller (NIC) card has died, how do I reactivate my license?
If you did not deactivate your license before changing the NIC configuration on your system, your software will not start successfully. Enable the NIC configuration used when you first activated your license. Then, deactivate your copy of the software, disable your NIC, and reactivate your license.
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My hard drive has crashed and I've replaced it, how do I reactivate my license?
If you were able to deactivate your license before a hard drive failure, you can use your original activation code, along with the system ID and serial number, to restore your system. If you have problems reactivating your Avid software following a hardware failure, please contact Avid Customer Support.
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I forgot to deactivate my system after swapping hard drives, cloning systems, moving to another system, or swapping operating systems in a dual boot environment? What should I do?
- Swapping hard drives back and forth (example: government site)
The Avid editing application will not start on the new system. Replace the original drive, deactivate the license, then swap drives and reactivate the software.
- Cloning systems
The cloned system will not be able to start the software until the original license is deactivated.
- Moving to another system
If you’re moving from a system where the license remains active to a second system that runs the same copy of the software, go back to the first system and deactivate the license, and then reactivate it on the second one.
- Swapping operating systems in a dual boot environment
Reboot to the original operating system, deactivate your license, then reboot to the new OS and activate the software. Only one version of the software license can be run at a time.
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