Problems With License Activation

Applies to TestComplete 15.68, last modified on October 16, 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.

You may face this problem if TestComplete encounters an error when activating your license. The licensing procedure includes the following steps:

  1. The TestComplete licensing subsystem transfers the license key to the Sentinel LDK License Manager service.

  2. The Sentinel LDK License Manager service forms an activation request and sends it to the SmartBear web site (addresses ls1.smartbear.com and ls2.smartbear.com, port 443).

  3. Then the service receives the activation code in response and activates TestComplete.

Activating TestComplete Node-Locked license
Activating TestComplete Floating User license

If the activation fails, this means that an error occurred on one of these steps. TestComplete will display a message box notifying you about the problem. Below are some recommendations for resolving typical problems:

  • Make sure the Sentinel LDK License Manager service is running on the License Manager PC. The service is started automatically after the License Manager utility or TestComplete is installed. If this service is not running, activation is impossible.

    To determine whether this service is running, open the Control Panel | Administrative Tools | Services window and see if the services list contains the Sentinel LDK License Manager service and that the service is running.

    If the service is not running, try to start it. If this does not help, reinstall TestComplete and try again.

  • Check if you activated your license on a physical computer.

    If you activated your license on a virtual computer, check whether your license is not blocked and your instance of TestComplete can use the license. For more information, see Using TestComplete on Virtual Machines.

  • Check that your License Manager PC has an Internet connection:

    • Verify that you have a working Internet connection. Check that the network cable is connected to your computer and check that you can open web sites (for instance, you can try opening https://smartbear.com).

    • Check that the firewalls or proxies running on your computer and local network allow activation requests to the URLs ls1.smartbear.com and ls2.smartbear.com, and port 443. To determine whether a firewall (or proxy) blocks the port 443, try connecting to the My SmartBear section of our web site (https://my.smartbear.com).

      Ask your network administrator for help with configuring the firewall or proxy settings, if needed.

    • Some proxy servers and firewalls may require that you specify a user name and password for the connection. If you do not specify them, the activation will fail.

      Please ask your system administrator on the proxy server specifics. If your proxy requires authentication, try activating the license again and enter the proxy user name and password in the License Management wizard.

  • Make sure your License Manager PC is configured to use TLS 1.0 for its Internet connections:

    • Launch Internet Explorer on your License Manager PC and select Tools > Internet options.

    • On the Advanced tab, find the Security > Use TLS 1.0 option and make sure it is enabled.

  • The activation fails if the license key has already been used earlier. For information on how to resolve this problem, see The License Key Has Already Been Used for Product Activation.

  • TestComplete activation fails if you specified invalid activation data. For information on how to resolve this problems, see The Activation Information Is Invalid.

    If you are using a Floating User license, you should activate it on the License Manager PC only. There is no need to activate it on other workstations, on which TestComplete instances will run.
  • You may face issues when activating a license if another license is already active on the computer. To learn how to activate multiple licenses on one machine, see Activating Additional Licenses.

If you are unable to activate your TestComplete license for some reason, contact our Support Team.

You can try resolving the problem by using the Licensing Troubleshooter on our web site:

Licensing Troubleshooter

See Also

Troubleshooting
Getting Help With Licenses

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