I have apprentice licenses for 9.5 as well as 10. I also have a HD license for Houdini 9.5. Both are giving me the message from the License administrator that the “license server does not have a valid SERVER key”.

I have killed both home files and reinstalled to no avail.

Please, how do I get my H9.5/10 back. I am jonesing bad!

Windows XP x64 is the op sys in question.

Please help. Thank you.

David.

Go visit the FAQs page from our main web site Support menu.

In the LICENSE MANAGEMENT faq there is a section on rebuilding the server key. I copy-pasted this one part for you but please have a quick read of the faq. Most common installation issues and questions are addressed in these FAQ's.


Q.How do I reinstall the SERVER key?

A. Sometimes the SERVER key may become invalid if you change the computer name or upgrade your hardware. Changing the computer name is not advisable unless all the licenses have been returned. Most common reason for invalid SERVER key, then, is hardare upgrade that changes the server code (server id).

To install a new valid SERVER key for your computer, please follow these steps:

1. Open the License Administrator (hkey)
2. Select File -> Install Licenses
3. Log in
4. In the dialog box click on the “Licenses” tab
5. Select the checkbox to reinstall the SERVER key
6. Press Install button

This should reinstall the new SERVER key for your computer.

Jeff,

Thanks for the info. I had looked at all this but it no worky. Let me explain:

1. Open the License Administrator (hkey) THIS WORKS!

2. Select File -> Install Licenses THIS WORKS!

3. Log in It is RIGHT HERE where the whole app hangs up and I have to kill the “hmaster” process.

What's more is that I noticed this all when I was trying to download a color scheme form Edit –> Color Settings. When I hit “download” the app hangs up and I have to kill the process. Huodini became more and more wierd, fussy and hard to deal with as a couple of days went by. Last night was when the licenses finally gave out.

I have a sneaky suspicion that this has something to do with a Microsoft message I had about a week ago that told me I had to re-activate Windows.

The message said that my hardware configuration had changed so much that I had to reactivate. Now, I had replaced my motherboard . . . over a YEAR ago! But other than normal driver and Windows updates . . . nothing, nada, zilch, zippo. In either event this all seemed to happen after that reactivation a week ago.

I am not sure why connecting to the internet license server would hang the application. One workaround is to manually install the keys. You can obtain your new SERVER key by following these instructions:
http://www.sidefx.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=936&Itemid=319 [sidefx.com]

And then you can reinstall your HD LICENSE keys by following these ones:
http://www.sidefx.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1208&Itemid=273#install-nointernet [sidefx.com]
except, instead of redeeming, click on the already redeemed license ID link, and then copy-paste-the keys as described here:
http://www.sidefx.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1208&Itemid=273#install-manual [sidefx.com]

old_school
Go visit the FAQs page from our main web site Support menu.

In the LICENSE MANAGEMENT faq there is a section on rebuilding the server key. I copy-pasted this one part for you but please have a quick read of the faq. Most common installation issues and questions are addressed in these FAQ's.


Q.How do I reinstall the SERVER key?

A. Sometimes the SERVER key may become invalid if you change the computer name or upgrade your hardware. Changing the computer name is not advisable unless all the licenses have been returned. Most common reason for invalid SERVER key, then, is hardare upgrade that changes the server code (server id).

To install a new valid SERVER key for your computer, please follow these steps:

1. Open the License Administrator (hkey)
2. Select File -> Install Licenses
3. Log in
4. In the dialog box click on the “Licenses” tab
5. Select the checkbox to reinstall the SERVER key
6. Press Install button

This should reinstall the new SERVER key for your computer.

this way worked for me, thank you very much.