Additional Activation Keys

Very important: The services in this page are provided with no technical support. Any question or assistance requires a standard technical support token and is limited to the current Manifold release only. Licensees contacting manifold.net without a standard technical support token or for non-current releases may lose access to additional activations.

Manifold products are copy protected using a Serial Number and Activation Key system as described in the Licensing and Serial Numbers pages. A serial number allows installation on one machine, but there are up to five activations allowed to deal with tasks like replacing a failed hard disk, upgrading to a new Windows edition or re-loading Windows or moving the installation to a new computer. If Manifold is installed on one computer as licensed, normally five activations are plenty to enable use of a Manifold license for many years even without utilizing occasional upgrades to newer products that may be offered.

However, some users will run licenses for extremely long spans of time, perhaps in the case of a runtime license embedded in a legacy application that runs well and will not be replaced. Other users may have exceptionally bad luck with disk drives or hardware. To assist with such needs manifold.net provides additional activations in two forms: automatic free additional activations for all Manifold versions and manually purchased additional activations via the $50 Extra Activation Keys product, which is available only for the current version of Manifold.

One year after issuance each Manifold serial number automatically gains the ability to get one more activation key, if fetched via the automated Activation dialog built into Manifold System or via the manual activation process as described in the Activation Keys and Serial Numbers help topic. If that additional key is used, another key automatically becomes available one year later. If the availability of an additional key every year does not suffice, beginning one year after a serial number is issued users may purchase two additional activation keys via the Extra Activation Keys product for the current edition of Manifold once ever year thereafter. This enables even very old Manifold licenses to continue being used despite the passage of many years or despite equipment failures or Windows upgrades.

Extra keys do not authorize extra users: Each activation key does not authorize an extra user. It simply authorizes a re-installation for the same single user in the event of a hard disk crash or other required re-installation. If you use extra activation keys to attempt to use the same serial number to run Manifold on more than one machine by more than one user at the same time, sooner or later Manifold will detect a licensing violation and your serial number will be revoked and you will lose all licensing rights.

Before purchasing the Extra Activation Keys product users should check their serial numbers on the Serial Number Status Page. The page will report the date the serial number was issued and how many activations have been used. If any activations are available, do not purchase the Extra Activation Keys product. Instead, use the free activations that are remaining. If no activations are available and it is more than one year since the serial number was issued, do not purchase the Extra Activation Keys product either: if you request an activation for the serial number it will be automatically granted as an additional key for that year. Only purchase the Extra Activation Keys product if you have used up the free additional activation key granted each year.

Very Important: A license for a Manifold product provides only five activations. The provision of either a free additional activation key every year or the availability of a paid Extra Activation Keys product is a voluntary marketing promotion by manifold.net that is provided at the sole and exclusive option of manifold.net and which may be withdrawn at any time for any reason or for no reason or for any licensee. By way of example and not limitation, the voluntary provision of free additional activations or availability of paid extra activations will be rescinded for those licensees who do not cooperate with published procedures, such as the tech support process or limitations on that process. Manifold.net would like to provide additional benefits to responsible users and will take measures to protect responsible users from higher costs imposed by irresponsible users.

Check your Serial Number

Before proceeding, please check the status of the serial number you are attempting to use on the Status Page. This page will report the product authorized by that serial number, the date the serial number was issued and how many activations are left on that serial number.

• Check the date the serial number was issued. - If that date is less than one year ago, no additional activation keys will be issued.
• Has the serial number been revoked? - If a serial number has been revoked, no additional activation keys will be issued for that serial number.

Serial numbers are revoked when they have been traded in for a discounted upgrade. For example, if you trade in your Personal Edition serial number to obtain an Upgrade to x64 product, the old 32-bit serial number is revoked when your new Personal x64 serial number is issued. You cannot continue using the old 32-bit serial number. Instead, use the new x64 serial number.

Automatic Additional Activations

Once all of the original five activations have been used up, if it has been more than one year since the serial number was issued additional activation keys will become available at no charge at the rate of one additional activation key every year subject to the following considerations:

• Are all activations used up? - If all five original activation keys have been used up and it is more than one year since the serial number was issued, then the activation system will automatically issue a new activation key if you attempt to activate the serial number.
• Dialog or web site access only. - Additional keys are provided only if fetched via the automated Activation dialog built into Manifold System or via the manual activation process as described in the Activation Keys and Serial Numbers help topic. No other provision of free additional keys is possible.
• One free key per year. - If a free activation key has been issued in the past year, no additional free keys will be issued until one year has elapsed since the prior free key was issued.
• All Manifold editions are covered. - All Manifold editions using activation keys are supported. This includes old versions like 6.50 or 7.00, and it includes extensions such as Business Tools, Geocoding Tools and Surface Tools. Runtime licenses and License Server licenses get a free additional key available every year as well.
• Free keys do not accumulate. - Additional keys provided at no charge do not accumulate. If it has been five years since you last activated your 6.50 license serial number you do not now have the ability to fetch five activation keys for that serial number in the next few days. One additional key may be fetched with the next additional key becoming available 365 days after that first additional key was fetched.
• No support for non-current editions. - No technical support of any kind is available for Manifold products older than the current Manifold editions offered in the Products page. Free benefits from manifold.net are voluntarily provided only to those users who do not abuse the support system: if you contact manifold.net regarding free additional activations for a non-current edition, such as Manifold 7.00, the serial number at issue will be permanently revoked from the additional activation system for either free activations or paid extra activation keys.
• Tech support token required. - Free additional keys are provided without technical support. If you have any questions or require any assistance regarding free additional keys for a current release you must provide a standard technical support token for assistance. If you do not provide a standard technical support token when contacting manifold.net regarding a free additional key, a token will be automatically debited. If no tokens are available for automatic debiting, the serial number at issue will be permanently revoked from the additional activation system for either free activations or paid extra activation keys.
• Developer tokens required. - Questions or assistance involving additional activation keys for Runtime licenses or License Server installations require a developer level technical support token.
• Abusers lose access to additional activations. - Licensees who do not observe the limitations on technical support services will lose access to additional activations for all serial numbers for which they are licensed. Organizations should not entrust their serial numbers to individuals who will be unable to utilize a standard technical support token or otherwise follow published tech support procedures, since failure to follow published procedures may deny access to additional activation keys for those serial numbers.

The Extra Activation Keys Product

Very important: The Extra Activation Keys product is available only for the current release of Manifold System, Release 8.00. It is not available for non-current Manifold System releases.

The $50 Extra Activation Keys product which is listed in the Services section of the Online Store provides two additional activation keys for a qualifying Manifold serial number. Add the product to your shopping cart and then during checkout provide the qualifying serial number for which you would like two additional activation keys. If your serial number does not qualify for this product, the order will not be accepted. When your order is processed, normally the same or the next business day, you will receive a serial number email notifying you two additional activation keys have been added to the specified serial number.

Although the Extra Activation Keys product has some similarities to the free additional keys process, there are significant differences and important considerations as follow:

• Check the serial number. - Before proceeding, please check the status of the serial number for which you intend to order extra activations on the Status Page. Please verify the product this serial number specifies is for the current edition of Manifold, it was issued more than one year ago and that this is the serial number for which you want to procure extra activation keys. The Extra Activation Keys product is not refundable, so please take a moment to assure that the extra activation keys you will procure are for the serial number you would like to have more activations. Organizations should not entrust this task to inattentive staff, as such people are given to ordering extra activation keys for serial numbers that have plenty available instead of ordering them for serial numbers that might have run out.
• Existing activations need not be used up. - If all five original activation keys have not been used up you can still take advantage of this product so long as it has been more than one year since the serial number was issued. However, most licensees don't want to pay more for extra keys they cannot use.
• Extra keys do not authorize extra users. - Each activation key does not authorize an extra user. It simply authorizes a re-installation for the same single user in the event of a hard disk crash or other required re-installation. If you use extra activation keys to attempt to use the same serial number to run Manifold on more than one machine by more than one user at the same time, sooner or later Manifold will detect a licensing violation and your serial number will be revoked and you will lose all licensing rights.
• Online Store procurement only. - The Extra Activation Keys product must be procured on the Manifold Online Store with payment by credit card. No other purchasing methods are available for this product. This product is not refundable and does not qualify for discounts.
• One procurement per year. - Beginning one year after a serial number has been issued, the Extra Activation Keys product may be procured once every 365 days for that serial number.
• Only the current edition is covered. - The Extra Activation Keys product is available only for the current release of Manifold System, Release 8.00. It is not available for non-current Manifold System releases.
• All editions and extensions are covered. - Extensions for the current edition of Manifold are covered as well as Runtime licenses and License Server licenses. However, it does not make economic sense to order this product for Geocoding Tools since the cost of a fresh Geocoding Tools serial number that provides five activations is only $50. Most users will order the Extra Activation Keys product only for the Business Tools or Surface Tools extensions. However, some users who don't want to change a Geocoding Tools serial number which is marked in their records as being in service in a particular machine may want to utilize the Extra Activation Keys product to acquire two more activation keys for that Geocoding Tools serial number even though it is not the best bargain.
• Extra keys will accumulate. - Additional keys procured via the Extra Activation Keys product will accumulate. If you have four activation keys available from your original procurement and then after one year procure the Extra Activation Keys product and then after another year procure it again, if you do not use any activations you will have eight activation keys available, the four original ones and then two plus two more.
• No support for non-current editions. - No technical support of any kind is available for Manifold products older than the current Manifold editions offered in the Products page. The benefit of additional keys via the Extra Activation Keys product is voluntarily provided by manifold.net only to those users who do not abuse the support system: if you contact manifold.net regarding the Extra Activation Keys product for a non-current edition, such as Manifold 7.00, the serial number at issue will be permanently revoked from the additional activation system for either free activations or paid extra activation keys.
• Tech support token required. - The Extra Activation Keys product and the activation keys it adds are provided without technical support. If you have any questions or require any assistance regarding the Extra Activation Keys product you must provide a standard technical support token for assistance. That is a requirement for any question, whether or not the person contacting manifold.net considers it "tech support." For example, a user who wants to know why a particular serial number did not suffice during an attempted procurement of the Extra Activation Keys product must provide a tech support token. If you do not provide a standard technical support token when contacting manifold.net regarding the Extra Activation Keys product, a token will be automatically debited. If no tokens are available for automatic debiting, the serial number at issue will be permanently revoked from the additional activation system for either free activations or paid extra activation keys.
• Developer tokens required. - Questions or assistance involving additional activation keys for Runtime licenses or License Server installations require a developer level technical support token.
• Abusers lose access to additional activations. - Licensees who do not observe the limitations on technical support services will lose access to additional activations for all serial numbers for which they are licensed. Organizations should not entrust their serial numbers to individuals who will be unable to utilize a standard technical support token or otherwise follow published tech support procedures, since failure to follow published procedures may deny access to additional activation keys for those serial numbers.

Advice

The following tips may help get the most out of the license rights you have acquired:

• Don't waste activations. - Make sure to read the installation instructions (contained in the installation.txt file within a downloaded Manifold installation .zip file) that accompany your Manifold release. Please read the Activation Keys and Serial Numbers help topic at least once, and refresh your recollection before a new Manifold installation by reading the Activation Guide web page.
• Plan system upgrades. - Plan system upgrades to avoid wasting activations. For example, don't upgrade to Windows 7 one week, install Manifold, and then upgrade to a new computer system the next week, requiring a fresh Manifold installation. Do both upgrades first and then install Manifold just once.
• Use existing keys. - If you have a 32-bit Manifold license and might some day want to upgrade to a 64-bit Manifold license, run on your existing license until you actually need the 64-bit license and then upgrade. That allows you to take advantage of all the installations available on your existing license in case you need them in the time before you actually begin working in a true 64-bit environment.
• Use a free additional activation before buying any activations. - Don't buy additional activations if you have a free activation key you can use. Check first on the Status Page to see what activations you have before buying any more.
• Upgrades can be a better deal. - Buying an Upgrade to x64 is only $50, but it gets you a fresh serial number with five unused activations. That's a lower cost per activation than buying two extra activation keys for $50.
• Upgrades can be acquired at any time. - The Extra Activation Keys product is limited to only once per year, but you can buy an Upgrade product at any time. If you have a reasonable upgrade path available to you (such as, from 32-bit product to 64-bit product), you can take advantage of that at any time.

Problems Ordering

Problems encountered when attempting to order the Extra Activation Keys product are usually very simple errors that are easy to avoid. The most frequent error is attempting to get extra activation keys for a serial number that has been revoked or to obtain extra activation keys for a non-current Manifold release (for example, something other than Release 8.00). Neither error can happen if the serial number was first checked on the Status Page.

If a serial number is not accepted for an Extra Activation Keys order by the Online Store, before doing anything else please first check the status of the serial number you are attempting to use on the Status Page. Note that a support token is required for any assistance ordering additional activations. Things to check to solve the problem immediately:

• If a serial number is invalid, that usually indicates a typographical error. Please make sure to copy and paste the serial number from the original serial number email message. Do not copy it from the Activation dialog, where it is masked with "X" characters to prevent theft. Copy it from the original serial number email message. Do not change the serial number in any way. Do not add spaces or change any characters in any way. Do not change upper case to lower case or vice versa. Do not delete hyphens or add letters or numbers. Do not change any characters in any way.
• Note the product authorized by that serial number: Is it a Release 8.00 product?
• Note the date the serial number was issued: Is it at least 365 days before today?
• Has the serial number already been used in the preceding 365 days to get additional activation keys? If so you cannot use it to place another Extra Activation Keys order until 365 days have passed since the last such procurement.
• If a serial number has been revoked, that usually indicates it has been traded in on an upgrade, such as an Upgrade to x64 or to a higher Manifold edition such as a Professional serial number being upgraded to Enterprise. Locate the serial number obtained by upgrade and use that serial number instead. If you didn't keep track of the upgrade you might be able to recover it using the Extended Key Recovery Service product if available on the Manifold Online Store.

Getting Assistance with Additional Activation Keys

All serial number and activation questions involving additional activation keys require a standard tech support token and are handled by email. Licensees calling by telephone for assistance with additional activation key services, either free or the paid extra activation keys product, will lose access to these programs.

If the tips in the above page do not help and if your inquiry relates to the current edition of Manifold System, please obtain a standard technical support token and follow the procedures in the Activation Support page to contact tech support for priority assistance, providing the tech support token with your inquiry. Questions involving additional activation keys for Runtime licenses or License Server installations require a developer level support token.

For general information on technical support for Manifold System, please see the main Support page.