{"id":1098,"date":"2023-09-08T18:10:37","date_gmt":"2023-09-08T18:10:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/learn.hydrologystudio.com\/studio-express\/?post_type=ht_kb&p=1098"},"modified":"2026-04-08T13:59:43","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T13:59:43","slug":"how-to-manage-your-license","status":"publish","type":"ht_kb","link":"https:\/\/learn.hydrologystudio.com\/studio-express\/knowledge-base\/how-to-manage-your-license\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Manage Your License"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

All Hydrology Studio software, including those in the Suite, must be installed directly from the Hydrology Studio website\u2019s Download page<\/a>. This installs the Trial version. From there you\u2019ll need to activate the software using your purchased license key. This turns the Trial version into a full working version.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You will use the same License Key to activate each install. There is no need to install a license server as everything is accounted for on the Hydrology Studio license server. There\u2019s nothing else you need to do. Please note that each program in the Suite will have a unique license key.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Access Your License Keys<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After completing your purchase, a new user account will be created for you, allowing you to access your personal account page where you can manage your Profile and License Keys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To access your new keys, please visit our website at https:\/\/www.hydrologystudio.com\/<\/a> and then select \u201cMy Account\u201d. Log in using your new username and password. Once logged in, click \u201cView Licenses\u201d under “Your Purchases” to access your keys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Click the yellow key icon to expose the license key. Double-click. Then right-click, select Copy.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll see a separate row for each program purchased. Below is a description for some of the column heads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Item<\/strong> \u2013 Indicates the software product purchased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key <\/strong>\u2013 Click on this image to expose the license key. This is where you can copy and then paste it into the corresponding program to activate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Status <\/strong>\u2013 \u201cInactive\u201d indicates the key is available but has no current activations. \u201cActive\u201d means the key has current activations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Activations <\/strong>– Active \/ Allowed Activations. The key above indicates that 5 seats are available to use but only 2 of the 5 are currently activated. Three are unused and available. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Expiration <\/strong>– Shows the expiration date of a subscription-based program. Legacy perpetual licenses will show “Lifetime”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Manage Sites<\/strong> – Hydrology Studio’s licenses are node-locked or user-based. Please note that a user is referred to as a Site. When a license key is registered (activated) the activation is tied to a unique digital fingerprint consisting of the user’s machine name and user name. This link will display the status of current user’s license, i.e., active or inactive and will allow you to mange activations remotely. See Remote Deactivations below for more information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hydrology Studio Suite Master Key<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Bundled purchases, “Suite”, made after October 1st, 2025, will show a master key as shown below. This key is used only by the license server. Do not attempt to use it<\/strong> to activate or deactivate your software. Use the indented “Child” keys instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Use the Child Keys to activate or deactivate your software, not the Master Key as shown in the red box above.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How to Activate Your Software<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Upon launch, the program checks for the registration License Key. If it is not active, an activation screen appears like the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Enter (paste recommended) your License Key to register your software. Once the key is entered it is stored and you won\u2019t be reminded again. Please note that activations cannot be done remotely. It must occur on the PC where the software was installed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If Your Registration Fails<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you get an error while attempting to register or activate your software it may be due to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. A firewall setting on your PC which is blocking communications with our online license server. Please disable the firewall to unblock.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. You have already used up the available number of seats you purchased. You may need to deactivate a license on a previously installed PC or purchase additional seats. In these cases you will see an error message, “No Activations Left”.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. The license key has expired. Once a key has expired, you cannot renew it. You must repurchase a new subscription where you\u2019ll receive new keys.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Activating on Another Computer<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    All Hydrology Studio licenses employ a simplified floating license server that allows you to move licenses from one computer to another with just a few mouse clicks. Your software can be installed on as many devices as you want, but you can only use it simultaneously up to the number of seats purchased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For example, if you purchased 2 seats and have 4 users, all users have access, but only 2 can use the software simultaneously. At any time, you can deactivate one (or any) of the installs and reactivate it on another computer; a co-worker, in a branch office, at home, a laptop, or on a new computer for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Keep in mind that the Hydrology Studio License Server does not manage this for you as it does not have access to your computers. However, this is easily accomplished right in your software. Follow these two steps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. Deactivate an Activated License<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Go to any computer (or from the “My Account” portal as described herein) that has an active license and deactivate it. This will release it so that it can be re-activated on any other computer. There\u2019s no need to uninstall the software. Once deactivated it will simply revert back to the Trial version. No data will be lost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Choose Manage License\u2026<\/strong> from the Application File Menu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Then click [Deactivate]<\/strong> on the Register window.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    2. Activate the License on Other Computer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    On the \u201cOther\u201d computer, assuming you have the software installed as a Trial version, choose Manage License\u2026<\/strong> from the Application File Menu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Then click [Register]<\/strong> on the Register window. Your License Key will need to be entered only on the first activation. It will be automatically stored for future uses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Done. The new computer can now use the software. Repeat back and forth as needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Important!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    You need to deactivate your license prior to decommissioning the computer or uninstalling for whatever reason. They do not automatically deactivate. Users must manually deactivate and re-activate them. When users don\u2019t deactivate them and then they terminate, those licenses are then tied up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For example, if the software was active on an employee’s PC and the employee leaves your company, or your PC fails, you’ll need to deactivate the license remotely as describe below, Remote Deactivations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It is also important to know that “Seat” refers to “User”, not a specific computer. So if you have two user profiles on the same computer, and you want both users to have concurrent access, it will require two seats or activations. One for each user profile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Remote Deactivations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Hydrology Studio’s license server allows you to deactivate a license remotely. This is an effective way to monitor who is currently using the software and to recover seats that may not have been deactivated prior to decommissioning a PC. Use this feature to free up lost seats so they can be activated again by simply clicking Deactivate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"
    Click “Manage Sites” from the View License table.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Once you remotely deactivate a license, the Activation ID (the Site) will be removed from this table, and the user’s software will return to Trial Mode upon its next launch. The total activation count will decrement by one. For example, 2 \/ 2 to 1 \/ 2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    How to access and manage your license keys including activating and deactivating<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"ht-kb-category":[17],"ht-kb-tag":[46,43],"class_list":["post-1098","ht_kb","type-ht_kb","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","ht_kb_category-getting-started","ht_kb_tag-deactivate-license-remotely","ht_kb_tag-no-activations-left"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/learn.hydrologystudio.com\/studio-express\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ht-kb\/1098","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/learn.hydrologystudio.com\/studio-express\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ht-kb"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/learn.hydrologystudio.com\/studio-express\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/ht_kb"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/learn.hydrologystudio.com\/studio-express\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/learn.hydrologystudio.com\/studio-express\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1098"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/learn.hydrologystudio.com\/studio-express\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ht-kb\/1098\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1191,"href":"https:\/\/learn.hydrologystudio.com\/studio-express\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ht-kb\/1098\/revisions\/1191"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/learn.hydrologystudio.com\/studio-express\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1098"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"ht_kb_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/learn.hydrologystudio.com\/studio-express\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ht-kb-category?post=1098"},{"taxonomy":"ht_kb_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/learn.hydrologystudio.com\/studio-express\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ht-kb-tag?post=1098"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}