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Questions about working with software that requires activation via the Internet and is usually distributed via the Internet.
1. Application activation (launch)
1.1 What is activation and what is it required for?
1.2 How can I launch (activate) an application that requires activation?
1.3 What is a Serial Number? I cannot find a Serial Number.
1.4 What is a Hardware Code? I cannot find a Hardware Code.
1.5 What is an Activation Key? I cannot find an Activation Key.
1.6 I have lost an Activation Key, what can I do?
1.7 How can I launch a protected application if I have changed the configuration of my computer after the application activation?
2. Protection drivers
2.1 Do applications that require activation via the Internet use protection drivers?
3. License transfer
3.1 What is the license transfer and how does it work?
4. General questions
4.1 Does protection of applications that require activation via the Internet prevent the operation of any other programs installed on a user’s computer?
4.2 Does such application protection gather any information about the user or the user’s computer without notification?
4.3 Does the protection send any information about the user or the user’s computer to the Internet without his knowledge?
4.4 Protection system used for my application does not support Windows XP 64bit or Windows Vista. What can I do?
5. I did not find an answer to my question
1. Application activation (launch)
1.1 What is activation and what is it required for?
Activation is a process of obtaining an Activation Key that allows running a protected application on a computer of an end user performing activation.
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1.2 How can I launch (activate) an application that requires activation?
The sole requirement for the activation of a protected software product is the presence of (unique) Serial Number that a publisher supplies to each purchaser along with the product or separately from the product. A Serial Number is used to activate the protected application and is entered to a special field when launching the application for the first time.
There are several ways to activate an application:
With access to the Internet.
- The application is activated automatically after a Serial Number is entered. Such activation process is invisible to user and is considered the most convenient and preferable.
Attention! At a publisher’s wish additional information can be requested to activate the product (e.g. to fill the registration form).
Details on automatic activation…
- By email
In this case you should contact the publisher’s product support service by email (an email address is indicated in one of the application windows) and send information necessary to activate the application (a Serial Number and a Hardware Code). Following this you will be sent an Activation Key you should enter to the corresponding field of the application window.
Details on activation by email…
- Activation on another computer. This method is suitable for those who cannot launch a protected application on his/her own computer because it is impossible to connect to the Internet, but can do that using another computer connected to the Internet (for example, at work or in a cybercafé).
In this case you should go to http://proactive.star-force.com using a computer connected to the Internet, and enter the same Serial Number and the Hardware Code; the latter should be obtained beforehand when launching the application on your own computer. After entering the Serial Number and the Hardware Code on the website, you will obtain an Activation Key; write it down. When back at home, launch the application once more, and enter the Activation Key to the corresponding activation window. The application activates successfully!
Details on activation on the ProActive website…
Without the Internet.
- By phone or by fax
In this case you should call to the publisher’s support service and tell the necessary data to activate the application (the Serial Number and the Hardware Code). Following this you will be sent an Activation Key you should enter to the corresponding field of the application window.
Details on activation by phone…
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1.3 What is a Serial Number? I cannot find a Serial Number.
It is a unique code applied to activate a product. At least one Serial Number defining the product license parameters is supplied along with each copy of a licensed product that requires activation.
A Serial Number must be supplied by a publisher when purchasing an application (usually by email).
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1.4 What is a Hardware Code? I cannot find a Hardware Code.
It is a code that contains computer parameters and is used to activate and deactivate an application manually. A Hardware Code for obtaining an Activation Key differs from a Hardware Code for obtaining a Deactivation Code.
A Hardware Code is generated automatically after a Serial Number is entered to the activation window.
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1.5 What is an Activation Key? I cannot find an Activation Key.
An Activation Key allows launching a protected application only on computer of an end user performing activation.
An Activation Key is obtained depending on how you activate the application: on the website (http://proactive.star-force.com) if you activate the application on this website (after entering a Serial Number and a Hardware Code); by phone if there is no Internet connection; by email if you activate the application by email (you indicate a Serial Number and a Hardware Code in your message).
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1.6 I have lost an Activation Key, what can I do?
If you have lost an obtained Activation Key, you can obtain it once more on the website using the same Serial Number and the Hardware Code. If the Hardware Code is also lost, you can obtain it from the support service by requesting a Hardware Code of last (or another) activation of the Serial Number.
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1.7 How can I launch a protected application if I have changed the configuration of my computer after the application activation?
StarForce has developed the License transfer technology for that. You can deactivate a protected application, change the configuration of your computer, and reactivate the application then, without contacting a publisher’s support service*.
The number of deactivations and reactivations is defined by the product publisher during the application protection.
Details on license transfer…
* The License transfer technology operates starting with version 4.07
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2. Protection drivers
2.1 Do applications that require activation via the Internet use protection drivers?
No! Since such applications require no optical media in the drive and do not check the uniqueness of such media, they require no protection against optical drive emulators, and therefore, do not use special protection drivers designed to work with optical media.
However, the drivers are employed sometimes, only when the application contains data files protected against viewing (pictures, wave and video files, etc.).
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3. License transfer
3.1 What is the license transfer and how does it work?
This process implies transferring a protected application to another computer, while saving the product license and the license parameters (unspent number of runs, the remaining license lifetime, etc.). The license transfer is performed by the application deactivation on a current computer and its reactivation on another computer.
You obtain a Deactivation Code during the application deactivation; it is necessary to enter this code to reactivate the application on this or another computer.
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4. General questions
4.1 Does protection of applications that require activation via the Internet prevent operation of any other programs installed on a user’s computer?
No!
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4.2 Does such application protection gather any information about the user or the user’s computer without notification?
No! Only the user himself can initiate the collection of data on his computer configuration, if it is necessary to solve some or other technical problem. Such information is sent to the publisher’s technical support service.
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4.3 Does the protection send any information about the user or the user’s computer to the Internet without his knowledge?
No!
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4.4 Protection system used for my application does not support Windows XP 64bit or Windows Vista. What can I do?
You possess an application protected by out-of-date StarForce protection versions, that is StarForce versions 1.xx, 2.xx, 3.xx. If your application is protected by version earlier than 3.05.000, unfortunately, you will only be able to launch such a program on 64-bit operating systems if a publisher or developer of the program releases an appropriate patch.
Starting with version 3.04.062, you should update the protection drivers to enable 32-bit Windows Vista version support. Use a special utility available on the StarForce website.
StarForce has implemented complete support for 64-bit operating systems and Windows Vista 32/64 bit starting with version 4.00.000; however, you may have problems if an application protection version has a number between 4.00.000 è 4.00.012 inclusive. If you have problems when launching the application protected by such versions, update drivers on our website.
Starting with version 4.00.013, StarForce protection supports all the 64-bit operating systems completely, as well Windows Vista 32/64 bit.
How to find out which protection version is used? See section 2.4.
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5. I did not find an answer to my question
Ask StarForce!
If you need technical support, please write to support@star-force.com
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