Why does upgrading require license re-assignment?
 

I'm in the middle of a convention. Played in an Adventurer's League game with a new character that also leveled up. Plan to play again tomorrow.

Came home and fired up hero labs and sow that there was a new version. I downloaded and installed. After installing I prompts me for a license reassignment.

And, as I type this, I realize that on Friday I upgraded my laptop from Windows 10 home to Windows 10 Pro. Would that cause HL to treat my laptop, that already has HL installed on it as a new computer?

I'm guessing that is what happened. Man, this sucks big time. I can't save or print characters now. Looks like I'm stuff with the gimped trial version until Monday at the earliest.

Any way around this? Hating myself for upgrading on weekend. Should have learned by now, NEVER upgrade RW or HL within three business days of a game day. Ugh.

I have seen periodic Windows updates make sufficient changes to cause HeroLab to see the machine as new. I have noted that some windows updates are sufficient to cause Windows to act like a new install.

Send a support ticket. Message board posts will be seen when someone has time to look. A support request/bug report may get faster attention.

I submitted a bug report

I had a few issues with this when Win10 was in the trial phase, as I'm on the insider programs for the OS.

From my understanding of the discussions I had with LW techs at the time, there is a particular unique key that Hero Lab looks for to confirm that the copy of windows it is installed on is the one expected by the license, which changes when you change Windows versions. I believe from memory that it has been sorted so that it won't cause issues with normal Windows updates, but it is still an issue if altering Windows version or on the Insider Program because they effectively install fresh copies of Windows with new unique keys.

Windows updates like Portilis describes should no longer require a license reassignment - this was something we fixed several months ago, so it should no longer affect users.

Based on your support ticket, it looks like you updated to a new version of the OS (Windows 10 Home -> Windows 10 Pro). This changes some critical information about the computer, so to Hero Lab it looks like a new device - there's not unfortunately not much we can do about this. :(

I've flagged your license for an early reassignment and responded to your support ticket, so you should be good to go on this.

Thanks Colen!

I also am having this issue, but I have not significantly changed anything in the last 48 hours or so that I know of. Now I find myself locked out for a couple of days. I am not very happy about this turn of events, tonight was going to be the first game I played using this software. I have entered my early reactivation ticket, but with a response time of 1-2 days there is little point in hoping to use this tonight.

There may not be much you can do about it; but as far as early impressions go this is a pretty bad one.

Are you using the same actual license key string on more than one machine?

This is a problem that new users sometimes encounter. You need to use a different key on each machine, otherwise you get these re-assignment problems.

The basic product ships with at least 2 license key strings for use on different machines.

Hi, I have had this problem when updating your software. I ran a windows 10 update and then ran an update to fix bugs on Hero Lab and I have to do this early reactivation thing.

So the problem still exists (someone upthread mentioned that it had been fixed).
I am proof that it hasn't.

Is this going to happen every time win 10 updates or I want to update Hero Labs?

Do you have it installed on more than one computer?

If so, are they all using different license keys?

Have it installed on my laptop too.
They use the same key...

That's your problem. Hero Lab is only meant to be used for 1 key per machine. If you open Hero Lab and goto the license menu you will see a menu option to obtain a secondary key. The first one is free. Do that and make sure you have 1 unique key per device.

To be clear, Hero Lab is licensed for use on two devices (with the option to purchase more), but each device must be given its own, unique license number, or you'll get the cycle of requiring frequent license reassignments that you're seeing.

Many thanks guys. The secondary key was what I needed. Strange how it allowed me to have it on my laptop under the same key though.

Hero Lab thought you had stopped using the desktop, and now wanted to use this license number on the laptop (and then when you updated the desktop, it thought you had stopped using the laptop, and now wanted to use that number on the desktop, and so on, as each system did something, like an update, that prompted HL to check with the license server).

It has not been fixed. I switched from Windows 10 to Windows 10 Pro a few months ago, and re-activated my license. Just the other day, Windows 10 decided to update itself and now I can't use HL because it thinks it's a different computer. Since it's Sunday, I'm pretty much screwed. Grrr...

I sincerely hope that they switch the licensing system over to floating license as they did with Realm Works. I never need HL running on two machines at the same time, but I do use more than two different computers for session preparation and running games.

+10,959

RealmWorks doesn't really use a floating license, since you can only log into their server from one computer at a time.

HeroLab doesn't need any network connections, so there is no way to enforce the use of one machine at a time for a "floating" license.

Alright, I slighty misused the term "floating license"..

Still, I take it, you understand my point. For all I care, keep the current model but add an online login as you have in Realm Works and I'd be happy. Not really expecting it though.

Just hit this wall and sent out a request. Really hoping that I can get this resolved before Saturday, as we're gaming then and need the character that I now had to screen shot to remember the stats.

I've learned to keep a printout handy, just in case. Computers get updated requiring license reassignment, or they crash, or you run out of battery, etc.

Yeah. Print out was impossible, as the characters were being made for the first time. And I just purchased the license for the system a few hours ago. It's a bit annoying.

They will be enforcing the number of concurrent connections. From the FAQ:

Q: Will Hero Lab Online be moving to an account system instead of a license system?
A: Technically, yes. But the reality is that there’s no practical difference between a Classic “license” and an Online “account”. You’ll have a login and password instead of using a license number and email address, thereby making your account more secure. You’ll login to your Online account to access everything instead of Classic verifying your license and key file when you launch it. You’ll similarly login to your Online account to purchase add-ons instead of using the license number and email address. All in all, the basic principles will be the same.

Q: How will my Hero Lab Classic secondary licenses transfer to Hero Lab Online?
A: In Hero Lab Classic, secondary licenses allow users to access their content on multiple devices. Hero Lab Online will employ a similar concept, allowing simultaneous access to your account from multiple devices (e.g. multiple family members). Migration from Classic to Online will convert your secondary licenses to simultaneous devices in the new environment.

Many thanks to David! He was able to resolve this without an issue. Many thanks!