This article provides a tutorial on transferring a legacy Zemax softkey license from one machine to another. This process requires your source and destination machines have internet access.

If you are working on a machine without internet access, please see "Activate or transfer a softkey license on a machine without internet access."

If you are using Ansys-licensed versions of Zemax software, see Ansys Zemax licensing overview and guides instead.

Authored By Don Dickinson

Article Attachments

(PDF) Transferring a license in a version before Aug 2016

 

Before getting started

Before proceeding, please read:

If you are using Ansys-licensed versions of Zemax software, see Ansys Zemax licensing overview and guides instead.

To follow the instructions in this article, you will need:

• A Zemax legacy license (serial numbers L1XXXXX or T1XXXXX) that is not a physical USB license. You can identify your license type using the guide located here: How to identify your legacy Zemax license.
  
  
• A Zemax application or the Zemax License Manager from 16.5 (Sept 2016) or higher. If you are using an Ansys-licensed version of Zemax software (2022 R2 or newer) , see Ansys Zemax licensing overview and guides instead.
  
  
• An internet connection and optionally an email account to receive the license transfer code
  
  
• Access to the machine the license is currently activated on.
  If your currently licensed machine has been lost, stolen, or had a hardware or software failure, it cannot be transferred to a new machine and is subject to the Zemax Licensing Policy. Contact Zemax support if you want to see if your license can be recovered first,

Common network license transfer questions

If you have a network license that is installed on a server, here are some common questions and things to know before transferring it. 

Question	Answer
Can I transfer a network license if it's in use?	Yes, network licenses may be transferred to a new keyserver machine. Before initiating the transfer, you should ensure that there are no active license sessions on the license. To view active sessions, see "How do I monitor and control usage of the network license?"
Can I transfer a network license if there are currently seats checked out?	Yes, you may transfer a network license even if there are checked-out seats (ones taken off the license server to use offline ). Once the checked-out seat's loan period ends, the client's checked out license seat expires regardless of the host location of the network license. To return a checked-out seat early, the client machine simply needs visibility to the new network license location.
Can I transfer a checked-out seat on a client machine?	No, checked out seats are locked to the machine that checked out the license. The "transfer away" button is unavailable to indicate this. You will need to check the license seat back in and check it out on a different computer.

Preparing to transfer

Note: The license transfer process changed in OpticStudio 16.5 and in the Zemax License Manager released after August 2016. The transfer process is not compatible between new and old versions. Before beginning transfer, you need to verify you are using compatible License Manager versions on the source and destination computer.

If your currently licensed machine has been lost, stolen, or had a hardware or software failure, it cannot be transferred to a new machine and is subject to the Zemax Licensing Policy. Contact Zemax support if you want to see if your license can be recovered. 

1. On the source computer (where the license currently is activated), open the Zemax License Manager. Make note of the date at the top. 
2. On the destination computer (where you want to move the license to), open the Zemax License Manager. Make note of the date at the top.
3. If both Zemax License Managers are...
   1. ...dated after August 2016, move to the section "Transfer a license using OpticStudio versions released after August 2016." 
   2. ...dated before August 2016, see the attached PDF at top of this article for the transfer procedure. 
4. If only one computer uses a license manager before August 2016, you will need to update the Zemax License Manager. You can get the ZLM from the Zemax downloads section. Once installed, there will be a new "Zemax License Manager" folder in your Windows start menu, separate from the OpticStudio folder. Once both versions are dated after August 2016, proceed to "Transfer a license using OpticStudio versions released after August 2016." 

Transfer a license using OpticStudio versions released after August 2016

The transfer process for versions after August 2016 has 2 primary steps:

1. Push the license away from the currently licensed machine (source machine). You will be given a transfer code and the option to email the code. The license will "live" on the Zemax License Server indefinitely until you complete step 2.
   
   
2. Retrieve the license from the Zemax License Server to any machine of your choosing using the transfer code generated in step 1.

Now, we will walk through the complete details for each step in this process.

Transferring the license away

To transfer a softkey license away from a machine:

1. On the currently licensed machine (source machine), close OpticStudio if it is currently open. 
2. Launch the Zemax License Manager (ZLM) on the source machine from Start...Programs...Zemax OpticStudio or (for network licenses) Start...Programs...Zemax License Manager. 
3. Ensure that the date at the top of the ZLM is after August 2016. If it is dated July 2016 or earlier, see the attached PDF at top of this article for the transfer procedure.
4. Navigate to the License Information or Send License tab. Locate the license you would like to transfer in the list. It must be type "Local" (and therefore located on this machine) or the transfer button will not be available. On the right-hand side of the license details, you will see a Transfer Away button.
5. Press Transfer Away.

6. If the license you are transferring is a subscription license, you will get this prompt telling you that if you are transferring to a different user, they must be authorized by the License Administrator.
   
   You may transfer the license before authorizing them, but they cannot complete the transfer unless the License Administrator makes them an authorized end-user. See How do I add an End User for instructions on how to do so.

7. Next, a transfer key dialog will pop up. We recommend sending to the person you intend to receive the transferred license. If you are not sure who will use the license yet, use your own email address. You can always forward the transfer email to the next person when needed.
   
   Note: Zemax LLC does not save the email addresses entered during this process. They are only used to email the license transfer code to the new person. 

8. A dialog box will pop-up with a generated transfer code. This is the code that you will use to retrieve your license, so copy it and keep it in a safe place!
   
   At this point your softkey license has been removed from your current machine. It will be hosted indefinitely on the Zemax License Server.
   
   If you input an email address in the previous step, an email will also be sent addressed from license@zemax.com with the license number, transfer code and instructions to retrieve it. 
   
   Tip: If you misplace the transfer code or did not receive the transfer email, email support@zemax.com. They can locate the license transfer code for you. 
   
   

Retrieving the license from the Zemax License Server

After you have completed Step 8 above, your license will be temporarily hosted on the Zemax License Server. The continued steps tell how to retrieve the license. 

1. On the machine where you would like your license to be located (destination), close your Zemax software (OpticStudio OpticsViewer or OpticsBuilder) if it is running.
2. Launch the Zemax License Manager (ZLM). For OpticStudio users, it is located in Start...Programs...Zemax OpticStudio. For network license keys, open Start...Programs...Zemax License Manager. 
3. Check the date listed at the top of your ZLM window.
4. For ZLM versions dated May 2019 or later, continue to step 4a. 
   For ZLM versions dated Nov 2018 or earlier, move to step 5.
    

4a. Select Receive License.

4b. Paste in the code you received when you transferred the license away from its previous host machine. Be sure to paste the entire transfer code including all brackets, either () or |()|.

If your license is a subscription type, you will also be prompted to log in to your Myzemax account when completing the transfer.

4c. Click Activate

If Activate is greyed out, then you are trying to use a transfer code in a different format which is not compatible. Either you did to use the brackets included with the transfer code, or used an incompatible transfers codes that included brackets in the format {}.  

Note: If you get a "not authorized" error, the License Administrator at your organization will need to make you an end user of the license. See How do I add an End User for instructions on how to do so. If you receive any other error, check the "Frequently asked questions (versions after August 2016)" section below. 
 

4d. Once the transfer is complete, the license manager will go to the View License page and display the license. You can close it and launch your Zemax software. 

5. Receiving a license transfer in ZLM versions dated November 2018 or earlier:

5a. Click on New Key. 

5b. Paste in the code you received when you transferred the license away from its previous host machine. Be sure to enter the transfer code exactly as received, including brackets ().

5c. Click Apply License.

If Apply License is greyed out, then you are trying to use a transfer code in a different format which is not compatible. These transfers are codes that includes brackets such as {} or |()|.

• For transfer codes with {} brackets, update the Zemax License Manager or OpticStudio version on the destination machine and try again.
• For transfer codes with |()| you need to complete the transfer in a May 2019 (19.4) or newer Zemax License Manager. 

Frequently asked questions (versions after August 2016)

This section details some of the common questions that occur when transferring licenses using versions of the ZLM that were released after August 2016.

I get a certificate error when trying to apply the transfer code to the destination machine. What do I do?

Most commonly this means there is an issue with the underlying licensing software required to apply the transfer. There is a reference to this error in the article, "Solving softkey activation or transfer errors." 

I'm getting an error when I try to Transfer Away. What should I do? 

You cannot transfer a license while the license is in use. First, be sure the licensed Zemax application is not running on the machine hosting the softkey, or if a network license, that no client machines are using the license.

Feel free to contact Zemax support if you need any additional information or help. If you are still unable to resolve this issue, you can also use the offline transfer method.  

What happens if I transferred the license away, but I want it back on the same machine?

You can use the use the transfer code to retrieve the license from the Zemax transfer server on any machine, including the original host machine. 

What should I do if I lost my transfer code?

Contact support@zemax.com. Please include license key serial number (this should begin with "L1...") if possible. If you do not have that, please provide the company name, registered user of the key if known, and time and date it was transferred. We will help find the missing code for you.

 

Getting help

If you have troubles transferring your license, contact support@zemax.com for further help. Please include:

• Your license key number, such as L000001
• What you are doing - Are you transferring a license away? Receiving a license transfer? 
• Any error messages you have received
• A screen shot of the "License Information" or "Manage License" page in the Zemax License Manager.
• The Sentinel Keys page located at http://localhost:1947/_int_/devices.html. This page is also accessible by clicking "Launch Sentinel Admin Control Center" in the Zemax License Manager. 

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