Manual Activation Procedure

Applies to TestComplete 15.70, last modified on December 17, 2024

This page refers to key-based licenses — a legacy license type used in TestComplete until version 15.48. For information on the current, ID-based license type, see SmartBear ID-based Licenses.

During automatic activation, the license management modules exchanges data with the SmartBear web server automatically. If you cannot use automatic activation for some reason, you have to send data yourself. This topic describes how you can do this.

In our explanations, we will call the computer, where you are going to activate the license, the License Manager PC because it becomes the License Manager after the activation succeeds.

The entire procedure is very similar for Node-Locked licenses and for Floating User licenses. The only difference is that the License Manager PC is the computer where TestComplete is installed for Node-Locked licenses; and for Floating User licenses, the License Manager PC is the computer where a special License Manager utility or one of TestComplete instances is installed.

Requirements

  • Manual activation implies that you manually exchange files between the SmartBear web server and the License Manager PC. To be able to do this, you need to have a computer that has a working Internet connection. You will use this computer as an intermediary between the License Manager PC and the SmartBear web site. You will send files from the License Manager PC to the intermediate computer and then to the SmartBear web site, and will download files from the web site to the intermediate computer and then transfer them to the License Manager PC.

    The intermediate computer must have access to the My SmartBear section of our web site (https://my.smartbear.com). Please make sure that firewalls and proxies working inside your network allow access to this web site.

  • Install TestComplete (or the standalone License Manager utility) on the License Manager PC. This will install licensing modules needed to perform the activation. If you are activating a Floating User license, we recommend that you use the License Manager utility.

Notes:

Manual activation steps

1. Start activation on the License Manager computer
  1. Open the License Management wizard on the License Manager PC:

    • If you are going to activate the license via TestComplete, launch TestComplete on the License Manager PC. The TestComplete licensing subsystem will search for an active license.

      If an active license is not found, TestComplete will display a message box informing you about this. To open the License Management wizard, click Activate in this message box.

      If an active license is found, you can run the License Management wizard by selecting Help > Activate or Deactivate License from the TestComplete main menu.

    – or –

    • If you are going to activate the license using the stand-alone License Manager utility, launch it on the License Manager PC. To do this, click the operating system’s Start button (or Windows button). Then select All Programs > SmartBear > License Manager > Activate or Deactivate License from the consequent menu. The utility is similar to the TestComplete License Management Wizard.

  2. If your computer is not connected to the Web or does not have access to the SmartBear licensing web sites (https://ls1.smartbear.com or https://ls2.smartbear.com, port 443), TestComplete will display a notification message and will suggest using offline (manual) activation. Choose using the offline (manual) activation mode.

  3. The wizard will display some information about the manual activation process. Click Next to proceed. The wizard will pass on to the next page where you need to specify the file name.

2. Collect info about License Manager PC

To generate activation data, we need some information about your License Manager PC’s hardware. The wizard collects this information automatically and saves it to a .c2v file on your computer. You will see the file name in the wizard.

If you are activating the trial license, the wizard will also display the trial license key. Remember it or write it down.

3. Exchange data with SmartBear website

Now, you need to pass the file storing the hardware-specific data of your License Manager PC to the SmartBear website. To do this:

  1. Transfer the .c2v file generated in the previous step to the intermediate computer.

  2. On the intermediate computer, launch any web browser and open the following URL in it (this URL is also mentioned in the License Management wizard running on the License Manager PC):

    https://my.smartbear.com/manual-license-activation/

  3. On the opened web page, specify your license key and the name of your .c2v file. Click Send File. This will upload the file to the SmartBear web site. Note that transferring the file may take some time.

  4. The web site will process the file and generate activation data for your License Manager PC.

    After the web site generates the activation data, it will display a download link for the file that stores this data (this file has the .v2c extension). Download the .v2c file to the intermediate computer.

  5. Transfer the .v2c file with activation data from the intermediate computer to your License Manager PC.

4. Apply the activation data

After you have downloaded the activation data file and copied it to your License Manager PC, you can apply the activation data to this PC:

  1. On the License Manager PC, click Next in the License Management wizard. This will display the wizard’s next page with an edit box on it.

  2. Specify the name of the activation data file (.v2c) in the edit box and click Activate. This will save the activation data on the License Manager PC.

5. Final steps

If the activation succeeds, the wizard will display a page notifying you that the license has been successfully activated. You can close the wizard then.

In case of an error, the wizard will display a message notifying you about the problems. Try to solve the problems and activate the license again. For information on how to solve possible problems, you can use the Troubleshooting and How To section.

TestComplete Platform, Modules and add-ons are licensed separately, that is, you need to repeat the activation procedure for each license key you have.

Note

If you activate a license on a remote machine, then you can generate a .c2v file for that machine and apply a .v2c file to it using your browser:

  • The License Manager that is running on the remote machine should allow remote configuring (allowed by default).

  • To get a .c2v file, open the http://remote-machine:1947/_int_/devices.html page and click C2V for the Local row. You then need to send this file to SmartBear.

  • To apply a .v2c file that you receive from SmartBear, open the http://remote-machine:1947/_int_/checkin.html page, specify the .v2c file name there and click Apply File.

See Also

Activating Licenses
Activating Additional Licenses
Troubleshooting
How To

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