Licensing, activation and deactivation

Two ways of ASTER reactivation are possible.

1. By spending the limit of serial number activations. It occurs always when ASTER is activated via the Internet as defined in ASTER License Activation. This method is acceptable only in case of PC replacement or replacement of your PC’s processor.

2. Without spending the limit of serial number activations.

You have to use this method when there have been no changes in equipment configuration. It may be required after OS reinstallation. For ASTER reactivation in this case it is sufficient in a new OS to run the reg file that ASTER offers to store after reactivation by the first method. Make sure to store it in order not to spend activations in the future, after OS reinstallation. A good choice is the generation of an image of HD system partition from OS (adjusted if possible) which will allow in a matter of minutes to restore the system after any malfunctions including virus infection etc. and gain time on restoration. A number of activations fulfilled is given on the page in section Serial number parameters.

There are different types of licenses for the ASTER program:

• Basic – Pro license for 2, 3 or 6 workplaces:
  • valid for a lifetime;
  • supports the increase in the number of workplaces by activating another basic license;
  • license transfer to other equipment is supported;
  • can be activated, or transferred to another PC only in its entirety - partial activation on several computers is not supported;
• Home – Home license for 2 workplaces for a period of 1 year:
  • is an annual subscription, i.e. to continue using after 1 year, you will need to purchase a new basic or home license;
  • supports only 2 workplaces and cannot be expanded to more places;
  • Since version 2.28, it can be deactivated and transferred to another PC;

After activating the license key, it is attached to the HWID of the equipment and this information is stored on the activation server. In the future, the license key can only be used on the PC on which it was activated, and in order to restore the license (for example, after reinstalling Windows), it is enough to activate ASTER with the same key.

HWID consists of serial numbers of HDD ¹⁾ and CPU, any other equipment can be changed without loss of license.

Using the deactivation procedure, you can transfer the license to other equipment​​​​​​​​​​​​​​. ²⁾

¹⁾ HDD or SSD on which Windows is installed

²⁾ for example, to a new PC, or to replace the HDD / CPU​​​​​​​

1. The new ASTER version allows for deactivating the license, for example, for transferring to the other hardware.
Below are listed the events when you have to perform deactivation on which completion the current activation codes become invalid and you will obtain new ones instead:

a) Transfer of the ASTER license to the other computer
b) CPU replacement
c) Replacement of the hard disk with Windows where ASTER is installed
d) Transfer of Windows from one hard disk to another.
e) Rejection of the product and request to refund money.

In other events of the change of equipment (for example, addition/replacement of network cards, memory upgrade, etc.), deactivation is not needed.

In case of an unforeseen replacement of HDD or CPU (as a result of failure thereof), you have to contact the support team and submit the technical report and ASTER activation codes which have been used on this computer.

If several ASTER licenses have been activated on a single PC (for example, through error) you may select the ones you wish to deactivate.

2. Software reactivation in cases when deactivation is not required (for example, after reinstallation of the operating system on the same HDD) may be carried out as many times as you wish using the available activation code (i.e. the same as during the first ASTER installation).

It should be emphasized that the ASTER license is intended only for one computer. That is, in the name of the license ‘Pro-2’ (Pro-x), the number 2 (x) is not the number of computers on which the license can be used, but the number of workplaces that can be organized on one computer. Each computer requires a separate license.

The second important point that the user should understand, and this is very important: what is a ‘computer’ from the point of view of ASTER licensing?

From the ASTER licensing point of view, a computer is a simple thing:

• the serial number (hardwired into the hardware, and not generated by the program as a result of formatting or other OS commands) of the physical disk (and not a logical partition like C:, D:, etc.) on which Windows is installed (not a disk, on which, for example, ASTER or something else is installed). Further - “S/N of the system disk.
• type of central processing unit (CPU) (namely, the type, the processor does not have a unique serial number, it was, but the paranoiacs of privacy immediately canceled it when it appeared; and it was the central one, and not the separate graphics (GPU), which is in video cards). A type includes many specific things, such as the number of cores, the set of instructions to be executed, the technology, the frequency, the type of GPU integrated into it, etc. If you buy a different processor and it has a different ‘product number’, or ‌it’s not a Core i5, but a Core i7, then it is most likely a different type of CPU. You should also know, usually, the motherboard is replaced along with the processor, so replacing the motherboard will most likely result in a replacement of the processor type.

Thus, from the point of view of the ASTER licensing system, a computer is a pair of S/N system disk + CPU type. If at least one component in this pair is changed, the license becomes invalid. In the future, it is in this sense that the word computer in bold will be used. And what if something is planned to change, or has changed in this pair? Why, in general, can anything change in this pair?

1. You decided to upgrade your computer. You deliberately planned it and want to do it. Replace the CPU, motherboard, system drive, or install Windows on a different drive than before.
2. You are tired of the old computer, or are not satisfied with the performance of this computer, and want to install ASTER on a new one.
3. This happened not because of yours fault, but because the CPU or system disk got out of order.
4. You claim that you have not changed anything, and it's true, but the license still has disappeared!
5. You replaced one or both of the above components or tries to activate the license on a different computer.

In the first two cases, planned by the user, the user should deactivate the license by himself. It is very beneficial for both the user and us, ASTER developers, support service, dealers, resellers.

This is beneficial for the user because if certain conditions are met, the entire deactivation process (sending a deactivating request, deactivation itself, and receiving a key) will take only a few seconds. Without a tiresome process of contacting support, correspondence, and all events that require time and effort.

This is beneficial to us because by using this option the process in most cases is completely automated.

Paragraphs 1 and 2 are discussed below in the section on "The point of license deactivation".

As for paragraphs 3-5, then the intervention of the ASTER support service is necessary, which implies correspondence with the user, the obligatory provision by the user of the ASTER technical report, and possibly some other information. If because of communication with the user it becomes necessary to transfer the license to another computer (e.g. a new pair of CPU/system disk), the support service deactivates the license on the old computer and gives out a license activation code on a new computer. All of this (communicating with the user, finding out the source of the problem, performing a ‘manual’ deactivation) is quite time-consuming. Therefore, we emphasize once again that deactivation performed by the user himself, when he plans to change equipment, is very beneficial for both the user and us.

Notes to paragraph 4.

Sometimes it's not the user's fault. Usually, these cases are associated with updating Windows, and the reason for the problem arising out of nowhere is that sometimes when updating Windows, the representation of the disk serial number changes. The serial number itself does not change, but the string representation of this number, which the ASTER licensing system receives from Windows, may change. You need to remember this and be aware that this is not the user's fault, but some software specificity (Windows, not ASTER). Such cases are quite rare, and the user should not be deactivating the license before updating Windows. This problem should be solved by the support team quickly and with minimal effort. If such an inconvenience occurs, the 'downtime' time can be minimized by following the recommendations outlined in the section Recommendations to the user in case of a license failure.

Another reason for an unexpected license failure — is the specificity of the ASTER licensing system.

Technically, the licensing system allows the CPU to be changed up to two times, without activation failure. However, this only works as long as the ASTER license data (which includes information about the original CPU and the number of CPU replacements) is still kept on this computer and not destroyed. This data is stored in the Windows registry, and if it is destroyed, for example, due to complete reinstallation of Windows, the information about the original CPU disappears. A new pair of CPU/Disk appears and the activation attempt fails. This is what causes this sort of “delayed” license failure. But the user has already forgotten that he replaced the processor/motherboard several months ago, and is in a state of confusion.

Therefore, although the ability to replace the CPU without activation failure exists, we are strongly discouraged from using it. It is better to deactivate the license before replacing computer components.

Very important notes about paragraph 5.

If you have several ASTER licenses installed on different computers, and you do not keep track of where and which license is activated, then if there is any problem with the ASTER license, please do not randomly try the available set of activation codes (if you remember them). Such chaotic actions make it very difficult for the support service to identify the ‘problematic’ license and solve the problem. In this regard, it is very important to keep a record of license activations (where and which license was activated), be sure to record this information.

Where‌ this information is absent, you should be strongly encouraged to act not chaotically, but purposefully. This can affect the time to fix the problem.

It is quite simple:

1. For the start, to make an inventory of working, valid licenses, i.e. find active licenses. To do this, on each computer where ASTER is installed, open ASTER (ASTER Control - program)
   - select the ‘About’ tab.
   - press the ‘My Activation IDs’ button.
   - a table will appear listing the licenses activated on this computer and their status. The ‘Valid’ state shows that the license is active:
   
   
2. In performing step 1, you will make for yourself a list of working licenses and a map of their use (where and which license is installed).
3. By combining the received list with the complete list of their licenses, you can easily identify the ‘missing’ licenses, and with this complete list, you should contact the support service.
4. Be sure to save the received license usage map and update it on time!

License deactivation is required to transfer a license from one ‘computer’ to another ‘computer’ (i.e. from one 'system disk/CPU' pair to another pair).

This ‌happens during the deactivation process:

1. The existing ASTER license activation code gets blocked, which prevents its use on the computer, on which the license was previously activated.
2. Instead of the old activation code, you will receive a new code that you can use to activate ASTER on a different computer.

For a better understanding of the point, you can draw an analogy with a bank card and a bank account to which the card is tied. In this analogy: the card number—is the license activation code, the account is the ASTER license (with all its attributes: user registration data, license type, number of the workplace, license validity period, and other information).

When a card is replaced, as a rule, the account to which this card is linked (license read) does not change. In most cases, the card number (license activation code) – changes. A new bank card requires activation, during which access to its owner account is allowed. Likewise, when activating an ASTER license with an activation code, a process takes place that allows the use of the license, with which the activation code is associated, on the computer, on which the activation takes place. This binds the activation code to the computer hardware (drive and processor). Thus, the activation code gets tied to this computer, after which this code will not work on another computer.

Considering the fact that the ASTER license is tied to the system disk and the type of CPU, it is easy to plan simple rules, establishing the cases when deactivation is necessary:

1. Replacing the drive where Windows is installed.
2. Replacing the processor (possibly with the motherboard)
3. Reinstall Windows on a different (physical) drive
4. Transferring a license to another computer.

In all other cases, deactivation is not required!

It is not required when updating Windows on the same system drive. In this case, as a rule, the license information is saved on the drive, and no additional actions are required to save or restore it.

It is also not required to do so, even for a complete “from scratch” reinstallation of Windows, as long as it will be installed on the same drive. You just need to reactivate the license, using the same activation code, that was previously used on this computer (therefore it is very important to remember, which activation codes were used on each computer!)

Replacing or upgrading equipment, except for the system drive and CPU (increasing the amount of RAM memory, adding new drives, replacing non-system drives, upgrading and adding video cards, etc.)
also does not affect the license performance in any way, and deactivation is not required.

It is recommended to refrain from unnecessary deactivations, since unjustified abuse of deactivations, lowers the user's rating in the system for automatic processing of deactivation requests, and may lead to a refusal to automatically process such requests for you. (See - License deactivation by yourself)

The most preferable and fastest deactivation option – is deactivation initiated by you yourself in the ASTER GUI, on the computer on which the license is currently active. You cannot initiate the deactivation of the license in the GUI if it is not already active on this computer, this is a fundamental moment.

Therefore, if you plan at least one of the actions 1)-4), listed in the section "When deactivation is not needed", then you need to carry out the procedure for deactivating the license, by initiating it from the GUI.

The deactivation procedure is documented on the ASTER website: https://www.dokwiki.ibik.ru/en/v2/core/ugd/ugd_licensing#deactivate_aster_licenses

Briefly, the procedure is‌:

1. You request to deactivate the license.
2. This request comes to the activation server and is ‌processed by the server automatically or processed by the ASTER support service.
3. You receive a notification about the end of the processing of his request.
4. You complete deactivation and receive a new code (or codes, if the deactivation of several licenses was requested), which you can use to also reactivate the second license on another computer.

The procedure may be ‌complicated: “Why not reduce it all to reduce it all to paragraph 4, you just click on the button, and receive a new activation code?”.

In fact, in most cases it will be just like that: a conscientious user will receive a new activation code within a few seconds if a request will be processed by the server automatically, as is stated in paragraph 2.

Thus, the whole point is in paragraph 2: will the request be performed in automatic mode, or will there intervention of the support service be required, with all the costs ensuing from this (you are waiting while your request is processing, correspondence between the support service and you).

In addition, we want to remind you when this deactivation procedure is performed: it is performed when you have planned a change in the system drive/CPU pair. The keyword here is “planned”.

First, it may happen that you have planned (for example, a computer upgrade), but this will not be done right now, but a little bit later (when you will receive new hardware). And you want to continue using ASTER, right until the scheduled event occurs.

Second, since you have planned these changes, then you can also schedule the transfer of the license (realizing that just like stated in paragraph 2, the process may take some time).

Therefore, the fulfillment of paragraph 1 (deactivation request) does not entail immediate blocking of ASTER on the computer. Until you have not completed step 4, you can continue to use the license.

And only after performing step 4 (completion of deactivation), ASTER will stop working, and you will receive a new code to activate the license on another computer.

You should be informed about these four steps, and it is recommended to execute the deactivation request in advance, to insure against the manual execution of step 2. As a result, losing time while waiting for the processing of this request.

And now, let us give you some info about the deactivation procedure in the ASTER GUI itself.

To request license deactivation:

1. Open ASTER, inside the GUI go to the ‘About’ tab, and press the ‘Register’ button.
2. In the ‘ASTER Activation dialog’ window, select the ‘Restore/Deactivate’ tab and click on the ‘Prepare Deactivation’ button:

If you look closely, you can see that this window summarizes the content of our multi-page document ☺.

3. The deactivation dialog will appear:

In the upper part of the window, there is a text informing about cases when deactivation is needed, and when it is unnecessary, and it is not desirable (undesirable events are underlined in red).

Then a little instruction.

Further, there is a table with active licenses on this computer. If there are several lines on the table, you can select which licenses you want to deactivate (by default - all of them), using the checkbox to the left of the activation code.

Then there is a text field, in which you need to indicate an intelligible and relevant reason for deactivation.

FURTHER - ATTENTION!

The next two fields are the registration information of the end-user (license-holder), Name and Email, which will ‌generate a new activation code, and link the license to the license-holder. By default, these fields are filled with data from the deactivated license.

1) This data is displayed on the “About” page in the license information.
2) This data is then used to auto-fill the fields in various support requests (such ‌a request to deactivate a license).This is especially important for Email, since it is through it that communication with the support service will go.

If the you will forget to correct the auto-filled fields, the answers of the support service will go to an unknown person.

Accompanying note: The name–is not necessarily personal. Here you can enter, for example, the name of the company for which the license should be registered (and Email, in this case, it can be an official email address of the company).

Note: Currently, once a license has been activated, it is not possible to replace the end-user credentials of this license. And the deactivation process can change this data. In the reason's description for deactivation, in this case you will have to enter something like: ‘I want to change my Information’ and specify the required Name and Email. And it is advised to make such a request, not earlier than a week after activating the license, so that the request will be processed automatically.

The next field (Notify me by this email)–an E-mail address, which will be used for communication between you, the support service, and the ASTER licensing server, in ‌processing this specific request. By default, it is filled with data from a deactivated license. Be sure to indicate the actual address here. You probably understand by yourself how important this is.

The picture above is just an example with a ‘dealer’ key. Neither the name nor the emails have anything to do with me, as an end-user, moreover, they seem to be – fake. Let's correct them, on the assumption that we want to get the new license to be linked to ‘IBIK Software OU’, with ‘official email’ ibik@ibik.ru.

And during the deactivation process, we will use my real address ‘svkotov2003@mail.ru’.

And as the reason for deactivation, we will indicate ‘Transferring a license to another computer’:

That's it, we now have completed the request text. You can click the 'Send' button, to send the request.

So, we clicked on the Send button and sent a request. What's next? If it was sent successfully, you will immediately receive a notification inside the ASTER GUI:

It contains a unique request number. You can ignore it, it probably will have no use for you, but you can save it just in case. And then there is a small instruction. An error may occur when sending a request (the internet and network, unfortunately, are prone to failures). Here we recommend you repeat the request and send it twice.

If‌ it is not possible to break through the connection issue, contact ASTER support. Although there is a ‘Support Request’ button in the error message itself, in this case clicking on it will probably generate an error again, as the source of the problem – is a malfunction of communication with the activation server. In this case, you will have to contact the support service alternatively (by using your email).

What should you do next, how long and what to wait (as indicated in the previous screenshot)?

There are two possible outcomes:

1. The activation server has nothing against processing the request automatically.
2. For whatever reason, the server refuses automatic processing, and it is assigned to the ASTER support service.

In the first option, the request processing takes several seconds, and you will see a notification message inside the ASTER GUI, if of course you do not close the GUI, and won't leave the computer within these few seconds.

In the second option, the waiting time is not defined, and in addition, the support service may have questions for you, if you have any “wrongdoings ☺’.

When filling out the request, we put a checkmark on the ‘Notify me by email’ box. This is this email that will be used by the activation server and support service, to inform you about the progress of processing your request. So we advised you to open your mailbox, which you specified by yourself, and periodically check for letters from the activation server (from the address upgrade@ibik.ru with a subject, containing the words ‘Deactivation Request’).

At the moment, the processing of deactivations of time-limited licenses (including “Home”) is not fully automated (this shortcoming will be corrected soon).

Therefore, the activation server redirects such requests to the ASTER support service for ‘manual’ processing (paragraph 2).

And we received a message like this on our ‘notification email’ (svkotov2003@mail.ru):

--------------------------------
Deactivation Request received

Activity ID : 8210619
Ticket : {343135d7-2e79-4cb3-aa41-5cfedeb1d918}

Customer Name : IBIK Software OU
Customer Email : ibik@ibik.ru
Notification Email: svkotov2003@mail.ru

Customer Language : en
Brand : ASTER

Customer Message :

Moving license to other PC.
Deactivation demo.

===========================================
Sorry, automatic processing of your
deactivation request is rejected.
Reasons for refusal:

There is a time limited key in the request

Please wait until you request is processed
by ASTER support personnel.

Don't uninstall ASTER or change
hardware of this computer until you get
reply on this request!
-------------------------------

The second half of the letter indicates the reason for the impossibility of automatic processing (There is a time-limited key in the request) and instructions (to wait and change nothing).

‘Waiting’ doesn’t mean hanging around the computer all the time. You can go and do your personal things, while sometimes checking your mail for new messages on this topic, or inside the ASTER GUI, where you will receive a notification message about the completion of processing your request. If you receive any clarifying questions from the support service – you have to answer, without your response, the further processing of the request will be suspended.

When events develop according to paragraph 1, you also receive an email, but with more positive content:

===========================================
Your request has been processed automatically.
Your ASTER license deactivation request has been processed.
To finish deactivation process on the old hardware:
- Go to 'About' tab of the ASTER Control application
- Press 'Register' button
- Select 'Restore/Deactivate' tab
- Press 'Deactivate Licenses' button
- Confirm your intention
You will see new replacement Activation ID in the message dialog
confirming successful deactivation.
Save this new ID in a safe place.

It contains instructions for further actions (about finishing the deactivation process).

When your deactivation request is processed, you will see a notification in the ASTER GUI:

This notification also contains instructions you can follow if you are ready immediately to complete the deactivation process.

This notification will appear every time you start ASTER GUI, so that you do not forget that the deactivation process needs to be completed.

It also contains a mention of canceling a deactivation request, which is mentioned in the canceling a deactivation request section.

The notification letter is sent to the email not immediately, but after some time, as an additional reminder.

To complete the deactivation process and receive a new activation code, you need to open the ASTER Deactivation Dialog window (“About” tab in the ASTER GUI, Register button) and then go to the Restore/Deactivate tab.

If your request has already been processed, the 'Deactivate Licenses' button will be active:

Press this button, and confirmation will be requested to deactivate the licenses you listed in the request:
Press the “Yes” button, the license on this computer will be deactivated, and after that you will get a new activation code for another computer:

Do not forget to copy and save the new activation code (and as for the old code – just forget about it).

Do not forget to copy and save the new activation code (and as for the old code – just forget about it).

Text selection and copy operation in this message box does work (TODO: to add a “Copy” button to this message box).

If you forgot about it, then pressing the 'Deactivate Licenses…' button again will remind you of the new code.

Now that you have a new activation code, you can take the planned actions (replacing hardware, reinstalling Windows on a different drive, replacing your computer, etc.).

And now you also can activate the license on a new computer, with a new activation code. On the “About” tab, you can see the new registration data (if you changed them, as in our example):

Sometimes it is necessary to cancel the request to deactivate the license.

Examples of such cases:

• You accidentally made a deactivation request.
• Deactivation is not required (for example, when updating or reinstalling Windows on the same drive), but you still requested an unnecessary deactivation.

The deactivation request can be canceled at any time until the deactivation process is not completed (the “Deactivate Licenses” button is not pressed).

To do this, you need to open the activation dialog (About→Register) and use the following keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+Shift+Alt+X (which means Ctrl, Shift, Alt, X keys are pressed simultaneously).

Confirmation of the operation will be requested:
And after the confirmation, the request will be canceled:

The previous large section was devoted to the planned transfer of a license, from one computer to another. Unfortunately, in reality, not everything can be planned, for example, equipment failure (in our case, the system drive or CPU/motherboard).

In this case, when trying to activate the license after the computer is restored to a working state, activation will be denied and the user will receive a message like this:

This message lists the most likely causes of activation failure (but not all). What should the user do?

If the situation is not a special case, as described in Special case: two system drives, section, then the answer is categorical and unambiguous: press the Support Request button, which means to send a support request. Do not send any messages by email, screenshots, etc. A support request contains an ASTER technical report, which in most cases is better than any words and pictures, it will allow to quickly find the source of the problem.

Press:

1. Enter your actual email (Don't forget about the importance of the correct address).
2. The request text is generated automatically based on the type of error. However, you can speed up the process if you supplement (or replace) it with your details (which is very desirable), for example, tell us which activation code you used on this computer earlier, as well as what happened before the activation failed (reinstalling Windows, upgrading hardware, etc.).
   
3. Press the 'Create and Send request' button, wait for a little, while the ASTER report is created and a request is sent to the support service. You will receive a message, about your request being successfully sent:
   :
   
4. This is an alternative step, to step 3, you can read more about it in the Problems with sending a support request section.
5. Now, wait for the support service to solve the problem. More about this in the Have to wait again.

In this section, we will talk about alternative ways of sending the ASTER technical report (see paragraph 4 of the previous section).

When performing the standard sending method, the 'Create and Send Request' button may cause an error, usually related to network problems. In this case, a support request can be sent alternatively (by using a regular email). But before submitting the request, you must create a technical report to attach it to the request as an add-on (attachment). To do this, in the Support Request window, use the ‘Create ASTER Report’ button. Press it, and wait until the program prompts you to save the report file on the computer disk. Save this (zip) file. Then in your email client, create an email with a description of the problem, change the subject name to ‘Activation Error’, attach the report file and send it to support@ibik.ru

There is one more subtle nuance. It may happen that when sending a request in the standard way, an error does not occur, but:

1. The request may not reach the ASTER support service.
2. Or the support response may not reach the sender of the request.

In the first paragraph, the following can be said. Some regional ASTER dealers have registered their independent support services (currently, this applies to dealers in China, Taiwan, Indonesia). In this case, the request is sent not to the central support service of ASTER, but to the regional branch of the support service. Unfortunately, at present, the regional branches do not have the technical ability to provide full support on issues related to licensing, and the response may be delayed.

Therefore, for licensing issues, we recommend contacting the central support service directly, i.e. the support@ibik.ru.This can be done in the following ways:

• Use an alternative way of sending a request, described at the beginning of the current section (by email, to the addressee support@ibik.ru).
• And if you have no problems with the English version of the ASTER graphical user interface, switch the ASTER GUI to English (on the 'General Settings' tab), and use the standard way of sending a request (the 'Create and Send Request' button). In this case, the request will be sent to the central support service (support@ibik.ru).

For paragraph 2 (the client does not receive a response from the support service): a response to the client is sent by a regular email letter. This is not a ‌reliable way: the client could make a mistake when specifying his mailing address, the message can be blocked by very aggressive filters during transmission, the letter can get into spam, etc.

Because of these potential issues in the communication between the customer and the support service, we recommend ‌our users do‌:

• Always check the spam folder in your email client.
• If you do not see any response to your request within 12 hours, do not hesitate to repeat it. Remind yourself (but see the little request at the beginning of the next section).

Yes, wait while the support service determines the cause of the failure and fixes the problem‌. Do not forget about the difference in time zones and the ‌current workload of the support service. Therefore, if you do not receive an instant response to your request, please do not start periodically to send the same request at short intervals. Do not aggravate the situation. But you also shouldn't wait for a very long time (more than a day, see the previous section)

But ‌you don't have to wait!

Let's think logically. What is the license tied to? To a pair of system disk/CPU.

If there are problems with the license, it means that something in this pair has changed.

Trial activation (30-day trial period) is also based on this pair. But if the license reacts negatively to a hardware change, the trial is, on the contrary, reacts positively! This means, that with a very high probability, you will ‌activate the trial period, and instead of waiting for your license to be reactivated, you will ‌continue using ASTER wasting no time, by temporarily using your new 30-days trial period, and with a very high probability, your license will be restored before the trial ends, thanks to this, you will have no downtime at the ability to use ASTER!

So, if the activation attempt was unsuccessful, and when starting ASTER GUI, you see the ‘Welcome to ASTER’ window, press the trial period activation button, and continue working with ASTER until your problem is solved by the support team:

The 'Welcome to ASTER' window may not appear. This happens ‌when the disk contains information about the previously used trial. It may persist if you did not change the system drive, and the reason for the activation failure is caused by something else. In addition, if you change the drive, but restore the system from its saved backup copy, the copy of the previous or another system drive (cloning).

In this case, you need to clear the old license information to delete the old interfering trial activation record.

Accompanying note: When cloning a system drive, we recommend that you always clean up the ASTER license information. Old license information can also cause some problems by itself. In addition, after cloning, (not required) but we still recommended giving the computer a new name, and not use what got inherited from the original drive.

To clear the license information on the “Workplaces” tab, right-click on the system unit image, and select the ‘Cleanup License’ option from the context menu.

While ‘waiting’ remember to check your inbox, to keep track of the progress of the solution to your problem, and to take part in it (support service may have questions that you can be obligated to answer).

This section deals with a fairly standard situation: you bought a new drive, installed it into the system, installed Windows on a new drive, and received an error when activating ASTER.

You forgot (or did not know about the need) to deactivate the ASTER license on the old system disk. But the old system drive remained in the computer.

If this is the case, and the old drive still contains Windows and ASTER, then you must boot the computer from the old drive and perform the deactivation procedure. As a result, you will receive a new activation code, which he can use to activate ASTER on a new disk.