PDF-XChange Co Ltd :: Knowledge Base :: I Have a Problem with Activating Keys for "All Users"

KB566
Jun 20, 2024 03:29 PM

I Have a Problem with Activating Keys for "All Users"

Symptoms

I have installed the software with a valid license key but I can’t find a way to activate the key for "all users".

Cause

Activation is always a "per user" requirement - it cannot be done for "all users" under any circumstances. Activation involves setting a flag in a user's HKCU registry, and therefore can be done only as the target user. The process of installing/applying a license key to a device is distinct and separate from activating it for users. Setting up a fully licensed instance of the software is a two step process - the key must first be installed on the device, and then subsequently activated by every user.

Installing/Applying Licenses

This is the process of passing a license key (as a file or string) to a PDF-XChange product. Installing a license key results in the key being stored in the Windows registry in HKLM, HKCU, or both HKLM and HKCU.

Keys can be applied during application installation, or post installation.
Keys can be applied on a per machine or per user basis:

Per Machine

A per machine key is one that is stored in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Tracker Software\Vault
Requires administrative rights.
Can be performed during or post installation.

Per User

A per user key is one that is stored in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Tracker Software\Vault
Cannot be applied during installation, as the elevated rights users required for the installer does not have access to HKCU.
Per user keys must be applied post installation, and from within a user session - either scripted or manually via the application GUI.

Activating Licenses

This is the second step in the process of setting up users with an installed license. Please note:
Activation is always a per user process. It requires write access to a user's HKCU registry in order to set an 'activated' flag for that user. Licenses cannot be activated for "all users" on a device.
Activation creates a hash of machine-specific variables to tie licenses to devices, and registers it against the license key on our activation servers.
Users can activate their keys on exactly two devices. Any attempt to activate a third device without first deregistering one of the existing activations will result in a failure.
Activation can be performed silently by and admin, or manually by users via the application GUI.

Resolution

Allow Users to Activate Manually

The process of activating a license key manually is detailed below:

On the first run after installing a key, users will be prompted with an 'info bar' to activate their license key:

First run key activation prompt

When the Activate License Key button is clicked, the Preferences dialog box will open:

Users should then click the Activate button, and they will then be prompted with the following options:

Activation choices

The Activate via Internet option is the simplest approach. Users can simply click the button to activate the license key.

The Activate Manually (Offline) option is for users that do not have an internet connection, as detailed here.

Further information about options for activating license keys is available here.

Use a Group Policy or Script to Perform the Activation Silently

Activation can also be performed silently and transparently in a managed network environment, by Group Policy or user side script. Information on how to do that is available here.

Using a Group Policy to silently activate results in users not seeing the 'info bar' detailed above. Instead, the software is already activated when it is first opened.

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