Activation - A Refresher Course
by Jeannette Cook
Customer Service Representative, Alpha Software, Inc.

As over 60% of the inquiries to customer service are Activation-related, Alpha thought it may be a good idea if Alpha reviewed some of your most frequently asked questions on this subject.

In addition to providing answers here, you may also find answers in the Help section of Alpha Five, under Activate Alpha Five.

First, let us take a moment to clarify the following terminologies: License Number and Activation Key.

The 16-digit number provided to you at the time of your order was your license number. This number is the most important number to relay to a customer service person. Your last name, and order number are helpful, but providing us with your license number will get you up and running faster. Make sure you keep this number in a safe place. If lost, we will charge you to replace this number -often at the new license price.

Your activation key is easily distinguished from your License number, in that it is composed of both Letters and Numerals.

The following is a sample License Number: 9876012355551212

The following is a sample Activation Key: 1A 2B 3C 4D 5E 9F 0G 7H 8E 3E 4A 5E 6N

Your license is proof of your purchase, if you will; your activation key is proof that you have registered your software with us.

Please note that your activation key(s) is (are) tied to the machine(s) on which you installed A5v5.

Alpha's Licensing permissions allow the end-user to install a Single User License onto (2) machines.

For each License we permit 2 Activation requests.

This key is unique, and will only work for the machine it was issued for. If you have a workstation and a laptop, you were issued 2 activation keys. Should your machine's name change for any reason, the activation key will no longer work -and alas, A5v5 will shut down until you enter your activation key.

The above is important enough to repeat: Should your machine name change, the activation key issued for that machine will no longer work.

The following scenarios can change your machine's name:

You buy a new computer.
You replace your computer's hard drive (due to drive failure, a computer virus, lease maintenance, etc.)
You change your operating system (from, let's say Win98 to WinXP)
You are on a network, and the rascally IT person changes your computer's network name.

REAL LIFE SCENARIO

(Sorry, I don't mean to jinx anyone here...but Blaster and Worm viruses have made this a frequent occurrence):

You installed A5v5 on your workstation at work, and your laptop at home...

You are at work, open a virus, infecting your computer.

The IT department in an effort to eradicate the virus, reformats your hard drive, wiping your computer clean. They reinstall all software, including Alpha Five.

Alpha Five requests your License Number. You type in the 16-digit number.

Alpha Five requests an activation key. You type in the activation key that was issued for this computer. A message appears, stating that this "Activation Key is not valid for this computer."

What do you do? You contact Alpha's Customer Service with the following information (the more information you give us, the faster we can get you up and running.) Most of this info is provided to you in the Help section of A5, in About Alpha Five.

We need:

Your 16-License Number
Your OLD machine's name (so we can remove it from our log.)
Your NEW machine's name (so we can issue an activation key for the new computer.)

I know most people never knew what their machine's name was, but, we will need to know. A little legwork before you call us, can reduce the frustration of the process.

How can you determine your "old" machine's name?

Well, I can think of (2) ways:

1. As you are reading this article, make a note of your machines' current names. Be specific, and note which name is for the laptop, and which for the workstation. If you manage a network with multiple users, I strongly advise that you do this now, before calamity strikes.

2. If you did activate originally on 2 computers...you've only replaced one. Go to the other computer where A5 is installed, launch A5, go to Help, About Alpha Five, and note the name. When talking us, tell us you cannot remember the old machine's name, but you do know that your require a valid activation for (other machine's name) could we delete the other (old) in the log, and issue a new activation for (new machine name.)

How can you request a replacement activation key?

Phone: (781) 229-4500, Selecting Customer Service / Sales at the menu prompt

Email: custserv@alphasoftware.com

Please remember to provide us with the following information in your request:

Your 16-License Number
Your OLD machine's name (so we can remove it from our log.)
Your NEW machine's name (so we can issue an activation key for the new computer.)