About Activation

Welcome to the Mathcad® Activation Wizard! This Wizard will guide you through the process of activating Mathcad for your unrestricted use.

During the installation, you were prompted to activate your installation with Mathsoft. This ensures you have a properly licensed copy of Mathcad. If you do not attempt to activate Mathcad during the installation, you will be prompted to activate the first time you run Mathcad.

If you are not sure you want to keep Mathcad, you can take advantage of the trial activation. During your trial period, you will be able to use Mathcad normally; however, you will be prompted to activate your installation when starting Mathcad. At the end of your trial period you will need to either activate Mathcad or forgo usage of the software.

Once activated, Mathcad will continue to check that a valid license is properly installed. If for some reason the license is damaged, Mathcad will automatically prompt you to reactivate.

Mathsoft is a trademark and Mathcad is a registered trademark of Mathsoft Engineering & Education, Inc.


Damaged License File

Your license file is damaged.

Occasionally, Mathcad may tell you that your license file is broken and needs to be repaired. In most cases, this is due to a change in your hardware configuration.

When your license is broken, you must repair it before you can resume using Mathcad. If the problem computer has Internet access, you may opt to repair the license automatically by querying the activation server. If you do not have Internet access, or are experiencing a problem with automatic activation, you can also opt to repair your license manually, by emailing Mathsoft, or calling or faxing the numbers provided in the Contact Mathsoft dialog.


Mathcad Has Been Activated

Congratulations, Mathcad is now activated and ready for use.

Mathcad has been successfully activated. Once this happens, you should not need to attempt activation again unless a problem occurs, such as:

Your license file is damaged

If your license file is damaged – possibly due to disk errors – Mathcad will need to reactivate itself and create a new one.

Your hardware configuration changes

When activating, Mathcad requires a unique hardware identifier – that is, a method of uniquely identifying the computer onto which you are installing Mathcad – when generating your activation key. If the particular hardware item used to generate this identifier is replaced, your license file will no longer work.

You move your copy of Mathcad to another computer

If you replace your computer, or move your licensed installation of Mathcad to another computer, Mathcad will need to activate itself again.

If one of these problems occurs, Mathcad will automatically prompt you to reactivate.


Mathcad Has Been Activated

Mathcad is now activated and ready for use.

At this point, you have successfully activated your installation, and Mathcad is ready to use. You can return to the Mathcad Installation main screen to install Internet Explorer 6 or Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.


Trial Licenses

In order to use Mathcad, your installation must be first activated. There are three possible types of activation:

•	Automatic

•	Manual

•	Trial

When you opt for a trial activation, your copy of Mathcad will be activated for a limited period of time; at the end of this trial period, you will need to either activate Mathcad permanently, or remove the software from your computer. During the trial period, you will be reminded to activate Mathcad every time the program starts up. If you do not wish to activate Mathcad when this happens, select Activate Later to continue using your trial activation.


License Has Expired

Your copy of Mathcad has not yet been activated and the evaluation period has expired. Mathcad requires an active license to run. How would you like to activate Mathcad?

Once your trial activation expires, you must activate Mathcad in order to continue using it. You can activate Mathcad in one of two ways:

Automatic Activation

When you elect automatic activation, Mathcad gathers the information necessary to process your activation request – your license number, product code, request code, and a unique hardware identifier – and sends it to the activation server, which uses the information to generate a permanent activation key. This activation key is returned to your computer and permanently activates your installation of Mathcad.

Manual Activation

If you opt for manual activation, you must provide Mathsoft with the information necessary to process your activation request – your product name, license number, product code, and request code. This information will be used to generate a unique activation key , which will permanently activate your installation of Mathcad when you enter it into the wizard.


Inconsistent License

The license file that enables Mathcad to run is in an inconsistent state because the clock on your computer has been set back. Please reset the system clock to the correct time and try starting Mathcad.

The system clock on your machine is not consistent with your Mathcad activation. When this happens, Mathcad cannot verify the integrity of the license file, and will not start up. To solve this problem, please make sure your system clock is set properly, and restart Mathcad. If you receive this message in error, please contact Mathsoft Technical Support.


No Valid License

Mathcad cannot be run because you do not have a valid license installed on this machine.

For some reason, the activation application has been unable to locate a valid license file on your machine. This can happen for several reasons:

•	Your license file has become corrupted.

•	Your trial activation has expired.

If your license file has become corrupted, reactivating should clear up your problem; if it does not, please contact Mathsoft Technical Support for assistance.

If your trial activation has expired, you must decide whether or not to permanently activate your installation of Mathcad. If you decide to activate Mathcad, you must complete either an automatic activation or a manual activation.


Activating Automatically

Mathcad is now contacting the activation server at Mathsoft to obtain your license automatically. This should only take a moment ...

If you have Internet access, you can have Mathcad attempt to activate itself automatically be communicating with a special activation server on the Mathsoft web site. This activation server is specifically set up to process activation requests only, and does not store personally identifiable information.


Contact Mathsoft

Now contact Mathsoft to obtain your activation key. You'll be asked to supply the request information below. Click on the 'Contact Info' button below for more information on how to contact Mathsoft by either telephone, fax, or e-mail.

If you opt for a manual activation, you must provide Mathsoft with the information presented in this dialog; without it, your activation key cannot be created. (This information is still sent to Mathsoft when you opt for an automatic activation, but is not presented to you at any point.) To simplify this process, Mathsoft provides a form for you to fill out, named contact.txt, which is available from this Wizard. If you purchased Mathcad within the US or Canada and are attempting to activate Mathcad manually, you should open this file, fill it out, and submit the information in one of three ways:

•	Print and fax the file to Mathsoft at 1-800-289-5075.

•	Email the file to activation@mathsoft.com.

•	Call Mathsoft Engineering and Education at 1-800-827-1263 and read off the information when prompted.

If you purchased Mathcad outside the US and Canada, please contact your local authorized Mathcad distributor for your activation code. Contact information for Mathcad distributors is available at:

http://www.mathcad.com/buy/International_Contacts.asp

If you do not have web access you can contact MathSoft International for assistance by either:

•	Emailing activation@mathsoft.co.uk.

•	Faxing +44 (0)1276 475552.

•	Telephoning +44 (0)1276 450850.

In order to insure that your activation key is created correctly, please take care in copying the information in this dialog; any error in transcribing your request code, product code, or license number will cause your activation key to fail when you attempt to enter it.


System Error

In the event of a system error, refrain from activating Mathcad until you have rebooted your machine. (You can use a trial activation in the interim.) Rebooting should clear the source of your system error. If you cannot activate Mathcad after rebooting, please contact Mathsoft Technical Support.


Corrupt License File

The License file that enables Mathcad to run was damaged and has been deleted. Please restart Mathcad to obtain a new license.

Occasionally, the license file verifying your activation of Mathcad may become corrupted. This occurs most commonly because:

•	There is a problem with your hard disk.

•	The C_DILLA folder on the computer has been deleted.

Re-activating Mathcad should fix the problem. If it does not, please contact Mathsoft Technical Support.


Server Error

The activation server denied your request for a response code for the following reason ...

If you see this dialog, then the activation server has received your activation request, but is unable to process it for one of the following reasons:

No Product Code Submitted

The product code field on the Check Your Product Code page of the activation wizard was empty. In order to process your activation request, you must provide a product code. To resolve this issue, return to the Check Your Product Code page and enter the product code you used during installation.

Invalid Product Code

The product code you provided on the Check Your Product Code page of the activation wizard is not correct. In order to generate your activation key, your product code must be entered correctly. To resolve this issue, return to the Check Your Product Code page and check that you have entered the product code correctly.

Maximum Number of Activations Exceeded

Each product code is valid for two activations. Once you exceed this limit, you will no longer be able to activate your installation of Mathcad. To resolve this issue, please contact Mathsoft Technical Support.

A Server Error Has Occurred

The activation server has received your request, and the information provided was correct. Unfortunately, the server experienced a problem either in generating your activation key or in transmitting it to you. To resolve this issue, wait a few moments and then reattempt activation. If this does not resolve the problem, contact Mathsoft Technical Support.


Network Error

Mathcad was unable to contact the license server at Mathsoft. Please check that your internet connection is working properly and try again.

If you have opted to activate automatically, Mathcad will attempt to contact the activation server at Mathsoft and provide the necessary information in order to process your request.

In order to activate Mathcad automatically, you must have an open Internet connection. If you go on-line through a LAN at work or another type of always-on connection (Cable modem, DSL, etc.), make sure that you are properly connected and resubmit your activation request. If you go on-line with a dial-up connection, you should manually open your connection before attempting to activate Mathcad.

You may also receive this error if your browser's root certificate has expired. If this happens, your browser cannot properly authenticate the certificate on our activation server and initiate the encrypted SSL connection necessary to carry out your activation request. To fix this problem, we recommend you upgrade your browser to the most recent version. Mathcad ships with Internet Explorer 6 on the CD, which does not suffer from this problem.

For more information on root certificate expiration, please check VeriSign's Periodic Root Certificate Expiration FAQ, located at: http://www.esign.com.au/repository/faq/rootCA_faq.shtml.


Bad Contact File

Mathcad was unable to find or display the file "Contact.txt".

The file contact.txt is a form outlining the information Mathsoft needs in order to process your manual activation request and provide you with an activation key. This file should be located in the directory in which you installed Mathcad. If you purchased Mathcad within the US or Canada and are attempting to activate Mathcad manually, you should open this file, fill it out, and submit the information in one of three ways:

•	Print and fax the file to Mathsoft at 1-800-289-5075.

•	Email the file to activation@mathsoft.com.

•	Call Mathsoft Engineering and Education at 1-800-827-1263 and read off the information when prompted.

If you purchased Mathcad outside the US and Canada, please contact your local authorized Mathcad distributor for your activation code. Contact information for Mathcad distributors is available at:

http://www.mathcad.com/buy/International_Contacts.asp

If you do not have web access you can contact MathSoft International for assistance by either:

•	Emailing activation@mathsoft.co.uk.

•	Faxing +44 (0)1276 475552.

•	Telephoning +44 (0)1276 450850.


Enter Your Activation Key

Now enter the 20-character activation key you have just received from Mathsoft.

Once Mathsoft processes your activation request, you should receive an activation key. Entering this key will complete the activation process, and you will have unrestricted use of your copy of Mathcad. This activation key corresponds to only the computer from which you initiated the activation request. You cannot enter an activation key created for one computer on another.

If you have not yet received your activation key, you may exit by pressing Cancel. As long as you do not attempt an automatic activation, you may return to this dialog to enter your activation key by reattempting a manual activation. If you attempt an automatic activation, the request code will be invalidated and the activation key you receive from your manual activation request will not work.

If you incorrectly enter your activation key, you will be prompted to re-enter it. If you have entered the activation key correctly, make sure you are using it on the correct computer. If the activation key and product code correspond to the computer on which you are attempting to activate Mathcad, please contact Mathsoft Technical Support.


Activating Mathcad

Mathcad is now contacting the activation server at Mathsoft to obtain your license automatically. This should only take a moment ...

When Mathcad starts up for the first time, it attempts to automatically activate by contacting an activation server on the Mathsoft Engineering and Education web site. If a successful connection is made, Mathcad will attempt to activate itself, using your product code and a hardware identifier unique to your computer.

If you have an open Internet connection, you should be able to activate Mathcad automatically.


Invalid Activation Key

You have not entered a valid activation key. Please check that you have entered the activation key correctly and try again.

The activation key that you entered is not valid, and your installation of Mathcad has not been activated. This is most likely due to a typo when entering the key. Dismiss the error dialog and confirm that you have properly entered the activation key sent to you by Mathsoft. If you are attempting to activate more than one installation of Mathcad, also confirm that you are entering the activation key on the proper computer. Activation keys are tied to a particular computer, and are not interchangeable.

If you have properly entered your activation key and are still seeing this error, please contact Mathsoft Technical Support.


Check Your Product Code

Please check that the 22 character product code shown below matches that found on the CD from which you originally installed Mathcad before proceeding to the next step.

The product code shown on this page of the Activation Wizard should match the product code you entered during the Mathcad install. Since the product code is used to generate your activation key, it is important that it appear correctly here before you proceed. If the product code does not match, the activation key you receive will not activate your installation of Mathcad.


System Error

In the event of a system error, refrain from activating Mathcad until you have rebooted your machine. (You can use a trial activation in the interim.) Rebooting should clear the source of your system error. If you cannot activate Mathcad after rebooting, please contact Mathsoft Technical Support.


SafeCast API Error

A SafeCast API error occurred.

If you experience a SafeCast API error during the activation process, please contact Mathsoft Technical Support for assistance.


Canceling an Activation Request

Activating Mathcad automatically will invalidate the request code that was generated earlier when you visited the 'Contact Mathsoft' page of this wizard. If you have already submitted this code to Mathsoft by fax or email and are waiting for a response, the activation key will no longer be valid either. Do you still want to activate Mathcad automatically?

If you are awaiting an activation key from Mathsoft to activate your copy of Mathcad, and attempt an automatic activation, your previous activation request will become invalid. Mathcad generates a unique request code each time you attempt a new activation; by making this new attempt, you invalidate the activation key you receive from your manual request.

If you attempt another manual activation – for example, to enter your activation key – you will not run into this problem. A new request code is only generated when switching from manual to automatic activation or automatic to manual activation, or by reattempting automatic activation.


Invalid Product Code

You have not entered a valid product code. Please enter the 22 character product code found on the CD from which you originally installed Mathcad.

The product code you submitted during your activation request is not a valid product code. The product code shown on this page of the Activation Wizard should match the one you entered during the Mathcad install. Make sure the displayed product code is correct, and reattempt activation.


Contacting Mathcad Technical Support
Contacting Mathsoft Technical Support

If you experience a problem during or after the activation of your Mathcad installation, please contact Mathsoft:

In the United States and Canada

By Telephone – 617-444-8102.

By Fax – 617-444-8101.

By Email – support@mathsoft.com.

Outside the United States and Canada

By Telephone – +44 (0)1276 450850.

By Fax – +44 (0)1276 475552.

By Email – help@mathsoft.co.uk.


Activation and Privacy Concerns

Mathsoft has implemented activation for purchasers of single-user versions of Mathcad, to ensure that you have purchased a valid licensed copy of the software.

Activating "locks" your Mathcad installation to your system by means of a hardware identifier. As long as your hardware configuration does not change dramatically, you should not need to repeat the activation process. Uninstalling and reinstalling Mathcad does not require you to purchase an additional license. Should you need to reactivate your installation, Mathcad will launch the Activation Wizard to guide you through the process.

When you activate your Mathcad installation, no personal information is submitted to Mathsoft, except as necessary to process your activation request; for example, if you activate by email, you must provide an email address so that we can email your activation key to fulfill your request. The activation process is designed to be as anonymous as possible, and is only used to authenticate your installation.


Request Code

The request code is a 16-character string of letters and numbers that identifies your activation request. Similar in nature to a session variable, your request code is valid until you attempt a different type of activation; this is only an issue when attempting a manual activation, due to the delay between the submission of your request and the receipt of your activation key.


Activation Server

A server at Mathsoft specifically configured to process activation requests. When you attempt to activate Mathcad automatically, you send your activation request to the activation server; this server processes your request and normally returns your activation key to you within a few minutes.


Hardware Identifier

In order to generate an activation key, Mathcad requires two unique numbers. The first is your product code; the second is the hardware identifier, and is generated from a unique component of your computer. By using these two numbers, Mathsoft Engineering and Education, Inc., creates an activation key that is only usable on your computer.

This hardware identifier is only used for the purposes of activation.


Activation Key

The activation key is a 20-character string of letters and numbers that allows you to activate your copy of Mathcad. This key is uniquely linked to your computer and Mathcad CD, and cannot be used on another computer.


Product Code

The product code is a 22-character string of letters and number that identifies your individual copy of Mathcad. Formerly known as the serial number, the product code can be found on the back of the CD envelope in which you received your Mathcad CD.


Root Certificate

The root certificate, or CA certificate, is a public key from a certificate authority, which allows you to verify the authentication of a web site's certificate, which is signed with the certificate authority's private key. Having this root certificate allows your browser to "trust" a web server and initiate a secure SSL connection.


Trial Activation

A trial activation allows you to use Mathcad for up to 15 days. Once your trial activation expires, you must either activate Mathcad permanently, or forgo usage of the software.

During your trial period, you will be prompted to permanently activate your installation. If you elect not to do so, your trial period will continue until expiration.

Once your trial period expires or you activate Mathcad permanently, you can no longer choose the trial activation option.