Upgrade an existing hardkey license

Upgrade an existing hardkey license for the full software or the project runtime software.

Prerequisites:

• Access to the full software installed on your project development workstation, or on a project runtime target station. You need to use the Protection Manager utility program (also called Register) included with that software in order to perform this task.

• Have already purchased a valid license or license upgrade. You may purchase it when you send in the site code hardware identifier (see below), but doing so might increase your downtime. For more information, contact your software distributor. You can update any license setting (for example, product type, options), or you can upgrade the software to a new version. The cost of the update/upgrade depends on the difference between the current and new license settings.

• Administrator privileges on the computer in order to run Protection Manager.

To upgrade an existing hardkey license:

1. If the software is running, stop and save the open project, if applicable, then exit the software.

   The Protection Manager cannot make changes if the software is running.

2. If you are upgrading a hardkey for the project runtime software running on Windows Embedded, also do the following:

   1. Stop the project if it is running.

   2. Exit Remote Agent (CEServer.exe).

   3. Disconnect the hardkey from the Windows Embedded device.

   4. Connect the hardkey to the Windows computer on which the full software is installed.

3. Run Protection Manager: from the Start menu, select AVEVA Edge 2026, then select AVEVA Edge 2026 Register .

   The Protection Manager program window is displayed.

   

4. Select Hardkey if it is not already selected, and then click Check.

   If you have a valid hardkey license installed — that is, if a valid hardkey is connected to the computer — the Hardkey Settings dialog box is displayed with the settings on that hardkey.

   

   Otherwise, if you do not have a valid hardkey license installed, an alert message is displayed.

5. Click Change License.

   The Change License dialog box is displayed with a unique site code hardware identifier that is generated from the hardkey itself.

   

6. Send the site code hardware identifier to your software distributor.

   Typically, you will copy the site code hardware identifier to your clipboard and then paste it into an email to your software distributor. To copy it to your clipboard, select the Copy button to the right of the Site Code hardware Identifier box.

   You can also use the activation key that was provided with your software purchase to activate your license. Activating your license in this way will automatically associate the license with your customer account and return the site key activation code that you need in order to proceed, all without waiting for your software distributor to answer email. For more information, see Use your activation key to get a site key.

   Note: An activation key is not the same as a site key activation code.

7. When you receive the site key activation code from your software distributor, type or paste it in the Site Key activation Code box, and then select Authorize. Confirm when prompted.

   The new license settings are written to the hardkey, and then a confirmation message is displayed.

If the new site key activation code is not validated, an error message is displayed. If that happens, confirm that you entered the site key activation code correctly. If you entered it correctly and still get an error message, contact your software distributor for further assistance.