Understanding Your Activation ID
When you purchase GoldSim, you are provided with an Entitlement Certificate (in the form of an email). This Certificate contains two important IDs. The Entitlement ID identifies your license and is permanent (it never changes). It is a unique identifier for your license.
You will also be provided with an Activation ID. You must enter this ID to activate the software and run GoldSim. If your computer is connected to the internet, the activation process is done automatically when you enter the ID (and takes seconds). If you are not connected to the internet, you can complete the process manually by following these steps.
While the Entitlement ID never changes, as discussed below, your Activation ID changes periodically (and when it does so, you will be sent a new Activation ID to replace your old one).
Required Annual Update of Activation ID
Although GoldSim licenses (other than those that are leased) are perpetual, your Activation ID expires annually. Hence, once per year users automatically receive an email instructing them to update their Activation ID (a new Activation ID is included in the email). If you do not update your Activation ID every year when instructed, the license will soon stop working. Note that this update of the Activation ID is completely unrelated to software maintenance (see below). All users must update their Activation ID every year (at no cost) to continue to use the software.
Updating the Activation ID for New GoldSim Product Releases
When you purchase GoldSim, you receive one year of Software Maintenance. Software Maintenance can be optionally extended each year with payment of an annual fee. Note that even if you do not extend maintenance, you can still use any Release of GoldSim that existed when your maintenance expired.
Whenever a new Product Release (i.e., a major new version) is available, all users with active maintenance are sent a new Activation ID that modifies the license to allow you to use that Release (you will continue to be able to use older Products also). The old Activation ID becomes obsolete at this point and can no longer be used to activate a license or transfer it to a different computer.
NOTE: Activation IDs provided for new Product Releases do not affect when the activation expires. You must still go through the Required Annual Update of the Activation ID (as outlined above) every year to continue to use the software.
Summary of When a New Activation ID Is Required
You must enter a new Activation ID at the following times:
- When the software is purchased;
- Once per year (to continue to use the software); and
- If you have active maintenance, whenever a major new version (i.e., a new Product) is released (to have access to the new version).
If you are connected to the Internet, the process takes seconds.