Licensed CardExchange Becomes Demo Version

Issue

CardExchange may switch from the Licensed version to the Demo version when the software detects a change in the computer's hardware identification.

A CardExchange license can be activated on only one computer at a time. Each license includes 4 reactivations, which can be used to reactivate or transfer the license to another computer.

Possible Causes

1. The License Was Transferred to Another Computer

CardExchange licenses are assigned on a one-license-to-one-computer basis.

When a license is transferred to another computer:

• The license is activated on the new computer.

• The previous computer loses its license and changes to the Demo version.

• If you need to use CardExchange on two computers at the same time, you need two separate CardExchange licenses.

2. The Network Port Was Changed

CardExchange uses a Machine-ID to uniquely identify the computer.

The Machine-ID can be generated using hardware information such as:

• Network port MAC address

• Hard disk drive (HDD)

• USB dongle

By default, CardExchange uses the MAC address of the network port to generate the Machine-ID.

Why does this happen?

Many modern computers have two network ports. If you switch between network ports, the MAC address detected by CardExchange may change.

As a result, CardExchange may detect the computer as different hardware, which can cause the license to move between Machine-IDs.

How to Prevent This

To avoid license issues caused by changes to the network port, we recommend using one of the following options:

Option 1 – Use HDD-based Machine-ID

Use the 4-MachineID Exchange Utility (Alternative - HDD based).

MachineID Exchange Utility – HDD Based

Option 2 – Use a USB Dongle

You can also activate the CardExchange license using a USB Dongle.

CardExchange License Activation with Dongle

Using either of these methods can prevent issues caused by changes to the computer's MAC address.

3. The Computer's Operating System Was Reformatted

Reformatting the computer can cause CardExchange to require license reactivation.

To avoid using one of your 4 available reactivations, back up your CardExchange license file before reformatting the computer.

Back Up the License File

The license file is stored in:

C:\Users\Public\Documents\CardExchange\License

Before reformatting:

1. Open the folder above.

2. Back up the .iserv file to a safe location.

3. Reformat the computer.

4. Reinstall CardExchange.

5. Restore the backed-up .iserv file to the same folder:

C:\Users\Public\Documents\CardExchange\License

This allows you to restore the existing license after reinstalling CardExchange.

Quick Summary

Important

A CardExchange license is intended for one computer at a time and has 4 reactivations. Avoid unnecessary reactivations by keeping the Machine-ID consistent and backing up the license file before reformatting the computer.