I've changed my hardware (motherboard, graphic card, ok, almost everything) but didn't reinstall windows xp, and didn't uninstall Houdini Apprentice 9.1.148 before this. I've tried to uninstall Houdini and reinstall it but problem with license stays still. Now I'm trying with 9.1.156 but have no luck.
I'm entering keys manually but license administrator says he can't install SERVER key because I have SERVER key already. But in the installed license list there is no SERVER license, and in the information tab red light says “license server may not serve licenses”, and in the status line another red light says “invalid server key”. Both hserver.exe and sesinetd.exe are running.
I've tried everything before posting here and I've searched through this forum but couldn't find solution.
Here is diagnostic from license administrator:
Thank you!


Diagnostic Output:
==================
If you are having licensing problems, please save this information and email it
to support@sidefx.com.

License Administrator output:
=============================
Generated on: Tue Feb 26 14:50:43 2008
Local host name: bombey
Local server code: 25b95001
Local ip address: 192.168.1.73
Number of servers: 1
License server name: bombey (bombey.atrium.ru)
License server server code: 25b95001
Server ip address: 192.168.1.73
License server is running: Yes
May read licenses from server: Yes
Has SERVER license: No
License server version: 9.1.156
May modify server from this machine: Yes
Redundant server keys: 1
Name Code Redundant Connected Transmission OK
—- —- ——— ——— —————
bombey b5804bf9 no - -
License Administrator version: 9.1.156
Http proxy host: 192.168.1.2
Http proxy port: 3128
Using standalone mode: No
Can retrieve http://license.sidefx.com/index.php: [license.sidefx.com] No (ERROR: The web server did not recognize this request.
Please email support@sidefx.com with the following information:
Could not access page: license.sidefx.com:80/index.php
(HTTP 407).)

Installed licenses:
LicID Platform Product Ver Avail Expiry
—– ——– ——- — —– ——
942539ae Generic Houdini-Master-NonCommercial 9.0 0/0 15-aug-2007
+.+.+.+ bombey (license known to: bombey)
=== This license has expired ===
b5d90428 Generic Houdini-Master-NonCommercial 9.0 0/0 16-oct-2007
+.+.+.+ bombey (license known to: bombey)
=== This license has expired ===
47fd9ece Generic Houdini-Master-NonCommercial 9.0 0/0 20-nov-2007
+.+.+.+ bombey (license known to: bombey)
=== This license has expired ===
e067130a Generic Houdini-Master-NonCommercial 9.0 0/0 08-jan-2008
+.+.+.+ bombey (license known to: bombey)
=== This license has expired ===
3f2f9b08 Generic Houdini-Master-NonCommercial 9.0 0/0 08-feb-2008
+.+.+.+ bombey (license known to: bombey)
=== This license has expired ===
152d7c31 Generic Houdini-Master-NonCommercial 9.1 0/0 27-feb-2008
+.+.+.+ bombey (license known to: bombey)
bec7ef09 Generic Houdini-Master-NonCommercial 9.1 0/0 25-mar-2008
+.+.+.+ bombey (license known to: bombey)
215211ca Generic Render-NonCommercial 9.0 0/0 15-aug-2007
+.+.+.+ bombey (license known to: bombey)
=== This license has expired ===
0b4b7487 Generic Render-NonCommercial 9.0 0/0 16-oct-2007
+.+.+.+ bombey (license known to: bombey)
=== This license has expired ===
44b9b27c Generic Render-NonCommercial 9.0 0/0 20-nov-2007
+.+.+.+ bombey (license known to: bombey)
=== This license has expired ===
2d37e2ea Generic Render-NonCommercial 9.0 0/0 08-jan-2008
+.+.+.+ bombey (license known to: bombey)
=== This license has expired ===
ebfd8685 Generic Render-NonCommercial 9.0 0/0 08-feb-2008
+.+.+.+ bombey (license known to: bombey)
=== This license has expired ===
832417d8 Generic Render-NonCommercial 9.1 0/0 27-feb-2008
+.+.+.+ bombey (license known to: bombey)
157b6372 Generic Render-NonCommercial 9.1 0/0 25-mar-2008
+.+.+.+ bombey (license known to: bombey)

sesictrl -i output:
===================

—– SERVER bombey ——–

*** WARNING *** - No valid server lines found

Lic 942539ae: 0 “Houdini-Master-NonCommercial 9.0” Generic 15-aug-2007 +.+.+.+ bombey

Lic b5d90428: 0 “Houdini-Master-NonCommercial 9.0” Generic 16-oct-2007 +.+.+.+ bombey

Lic 47fd9ece: 0 “Houdini-Master-NonCommercial 9.0” Generic 20-nov-2007 +.+.+.+ bombey

Lic e067130a: 0 “Houdini-Master-NonCommercial 9.0” Generic 08-jan-2008 +.+.+.+ bombey

Lic 3f2f9b08: 0 “Houdini-Master-NonCommercial 9.0” Generic 08-feb-2008 +.+.+.+ bombey

Lic 152d7c31: 0 “Houdini-Master-NonCommercial 9.1” Generic 27-feb-2008 +.+.+.+ bombey

Lic bec7ef09: 0 “Houdini-Master-NonCommercial 9.1” Generic 25-mar-2008 +.+.+.+ bombey

Lic 215211ca: 0 “Render-NonCommercial 9.0” Generic 15-aug-2007 +.+.+.+ bombey

Lic 0b4b7487: 0 “Render-NonCommercial 9.0” Generic 16-oct-2007 +.+.+.+ bombey

Lic 44b9b27c: 0 “Render-NonCommercial 9.0” Generic 20-nov-2007 +.+.+.+ bombey

Lic 2d37e2ea: 0 “Render-NonCommercial 9.0” Generic 08-jan-2008 +.+.+.+ bombey

Lic ebfd8685: 0 “Render-NonCommercial 9.0” Generic 08-feb-2008 +.+.+.+ bombey

Lic 832417d8: 0 “Render-NonCommercial 9.1” Generic 27-feb-2008 +.+.+.+ bombey

Lic 157b6372: 0 “Render-NonCommercial 9.1” Generic 25-mar-2008 +.+.+.+ bombey

Serv bombey b5804bf9
redundant: no
connected: no
transmission successful: no


hserver -l output:
==================
Hostname: bombey
Uptime: 1:36:33
License Server: bombey
Server Version: sesinetd9.1.156
Version: Houdini9.1.156
ReadAccess: +.+.+.*
WriteAccess: +.+.+.*

544 of 2047 Mb available
CPU Usage: 2% load
0 active tasks (4 slots)



licenses file:
==============
## Side Effects Software License File
#
# For license information, please contact:
# Side Effects Software Inc.
# 123 Front St. West, Suite 1401
# Toronto, Ontario, Canada
# M2J 2M2
# licensemanager@sidefx.com
# http://www.sidefx.com [sidefx.com]
#
# NOTE: This file may be modified by the licensee
#

hserver -l output:
==================
Hostname: bombey
Uptime: 1:36:33
License Server: bombey
Server Version: sesinetd9.1.156
Version: Houdini9.1.156
ReadAccess: +.+.+.*
WriteAccess: +.+.+.*

544 of 2047 Mb available
CPU Usage: 2% load
0 active tasks (4 slots)



licenses file:
==============
## Side Effects Software License File
#
# For license information, please contact:
# Side Effects Software Inc.
# 123 Front St. West, Suite 1401
# Toronto, Ontario, Canada
# M2J 2M2
# licensemanager@sidefx.com
# http://www.sidefx.com [sidefx.com]
#
# NOTE: This file may be modified by the licensee
#

The license is tied to some of your hardware. Swapping the hardware out invalidated your Server Key.

To remedy this, simply open up the License Administrator, RMB on one of the licenses, return it then redeem it. This should install a new server line.

There is an FAQ on the download site that covers all of the options available to you to get you up and going again.

Thank you jeff!

Finally managed to delete these licenses! I didn't know the location of license file. Now, after reading FAQ I know it - cwindows/keys. I've just delete this folder and manually enter new keys. I couldn't return them since I don't have any account on license.sidefx.com, so I've just delete them
But I think deleting these files is not dangerous only in Apprentice case… If you delete commercial licenses it may cause some problems to get them back.

Yes you are correct. Apprentice users can start from scratch.

HD users on the other hand will need to get these kinds of issues sorted through Side Effects. HD users don't loose your login info.

yup, HD users don't loose the information because they have a login to the licensing services website (service.sidefx.com). They can log in retrieve the license keys (by clicking the link next to the license ID) and re-install them in the License Administrator using File > Manually Enter Keys. But that's just in case they loose the whole file.

Usually, when the License Administrator indicates that the server has NO VALID SERVER LICENSE, as is in your case, you can just comment out the SERVER lines in the license file (place ‘#’ at the beginning of the SERVER line). New correct server licenses will be installed next time you run Houdini.