--- title: "Licensing Troubleshooting" url: "https://help.maxon.net/r3d/maya/en-us/Content/html/Licensing%2BTroubleshooting.html" section_path: "Licensing > Licensing Troubleshooting" description: "This section explains errors (and their solutions) that might appear when activating a node-locked license in the Redshift Licensing Tool or errors …" --- # Licensing Troubleshooting You are here: # Licensing Troubleshooting ## General This section explains errors (and their solutions) that might appear when activating a node-locked license in the Redshift Licensing Tool or errors (node-locked or floating) that might appear the very first time you render.\ The render-time errors are printed both on the image as well as the [Redshift Log File](https://help.maxon.net/r3d/maya/en-us/Content/html/Log%2BFiles.html.md). ## Switching from perpetual license to subscription If you switched from a Redshift perpetual license to a Redshift subscription on the same computer you must first deactivate your perpetual license before the subscription can work. To do this, open the Redshift Licensing tool and click the deactivate button: | | | --- | | ![Image: rsLicensing_Tool_Deactivate.png](https://help.maxon.net/r3d/maya/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/rsLicensing_Tool_Deactivate.png) | | Deactivating a perpetual Redshift license | On Windows, you can find a shortcut to the licensing tool in the Windows Start Menu, or you can run it directly from `C:\ProgramData\Redshift\Tools\RedshiftLicensingTool.exe`. On Linux, the path to the licensing tool is `/usr/redshift/bin/redshiftLicensingTool`. On macOS, the path to the licensing tool is  `/Applications/redshift/bin/redshiftLicensingTool`. ## I bought a Redshift node-locked license from redshift3d.com but I can't find the Redshift Licensing Tool! [This document](https://help.maxon.net/r3d/maya/en-us/Content/html/Legacy%2BPerpetual%2BNode-Locked%2BLicenses.html.md) explains the location of the Redshift Licensing Tool. If you cannot find the licensing tool on this location then it's very likely you have installed the demo version of Redshift. That version does not contain the licensing tool and is always rendering with watermarks! In that case, please download a customer version from this link:  [https://www.maxon.net/downloads](https://www.maxon.net/downloads). To access this page, you will need to be logged in**using the same account that you used to purchase the license!** ## I bought a Redshift C4D subscription from Maxon but I still see watermarks! If you're seeing watermarks with your newly-purchased Redshift C4D subscription license from Maxon, then it's very likely you have installed the demo version of Redshift. That version always renders with watermarks! In that case, please download a customer version from this link:  [https://www.maxon.net/downloads](https://www.maxon.net/downloads). To access this page, you will need to be logged in **using the same account that you used to purchase the license!** ## I just extended my node-locked license maintenance but Redshift still tells me "Your support and maintenance has expired" This error happens because you didn't use the Redshift Licensing Tool to claim your mainenance extension.\ Please read [the maintenance extension documentation](https://help.maxon.net/r3d/maya/en-us/Content/html/Maintenance%2BExtension.html.md) for more information. ## I'm on Linux, using node-locked licenses and I frequently have to either repair or reset my license! This is typically happening if the folder `/var/tmp/redshift` is deleted or emptied. Some disk cleanup tools delete all contents for `/var/tmp` and that also deletes some important RLM node-locked license information! Please ensure that no script or utility is deleting `/var/tmp/redshift` ## Redshift Licensing Tool error: "Unable to connect to the Redshift activation server" ## Redshift Licensing Tool error: " Read error from network (105)" or "License Generator not found at this URL (-1306)" or "Networking error (in msg_ init() (-103)Ho such file or directory (errno: 2) (-103) This error can happen because of a number of reasons: **No internet access** Please ensure you have internet access when activating a license **Your internet service provider (ISP) might be blocking the communication** We have seen this happen in a few, rare, cases - especially with customers in China. Please try with a different provider (using your cellphone as a wifi-hotspot, for example) or try using a proxy. **You might have a firewall or proxy that is blocking the communication** Please configure your firewall and/or proxy to allow communications to: `activate.redshift3d.com, port 80 and port 443` Or you can try temporarily disabling your firewall and proxy. After the first render, you can re-enable them! **Your antivirus might be blocking the communication** This happens very rarely but we have seen it! Please try disabling your antivirus temporarily. After the first render, you can re-enable it! **You might have had a Redshift crack previously installed** An old Redshift crack was modifying the Windows "hosts" file to block communication to `activate.redshift3d.com`. The "hosts" file is located in:  `C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc\hosts` Please open the "hosts" file (it's a text file) and see if it contains any lines that mentioned Redshift. If it does, please remove those lines and save the file. If you have any other cracks, please uninstall them as they can interfere with the activation process ## Redshift Licensing Tool error: There is no maintenance extension to apply for your activation key If you wish to use the latest Redshift version and your existing license maintenance has expired, you can purchase a [maintenance extension](https://help.maxon.net/r3d/maya/en-us/Content/html/Maintenance%2BExtension.html.md). ## Redshift Licensing Tool error: The activation key 'XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX' is already in use This error means that your node-locked key was already activated on another computer and cannot be activated currently. If another computer currently has the node-locked license, you will need to deactivate the license (using the Redshift Licensing Tool) on that computer. Then, you will be able to activate the license on any computer you want. In some cases, a significant modification on the computer's hardware (changed motherboard or disk drive, for example), can invalidate the license but Redshift detects those cases and automatically refreshes the license. But if too many things changed in the computer, you might have to reset the license (please see below). If the license is currently tied to a computer that is completely damaged or lost or stolen (so you cannot run the Redshift Licensing Tool on it), the Redshift Licensing Tool will give you the option to reset your license. **You get only three of these resets!** So please make sure you only use them for the aforementioned emergencies and not because you forgot to deactivate the license on some other (work or home) computer! ## Redshift Licensing Tool error: Failed to repair license This is an extremely rare error! Please try the following steps to try to resolve it: - Try deleting the file  `redshift-core.lic` file in the folder `C:\ProgramData\Redshift`  and try activating again - If the above doesn't work, also try deleting  `C:\ProgramData\Reprise\redshift\redshift-core` (please do that even if the folder appear to be empty!) ## Render-time error: Licese found but is not valid for this machine This error can appear with node-locked licenses. It basically means that the license needs to be refreshed in the [Redshift Licensing Tool](https://help.maxon.net/r3d/maya/en-us/Content/html/Legacy%2BPerpetual%2BNode-Locked%2BLicenses.html.md). Please run the tool the deactivate/reactivate your license. If this doesn't solve the issue, please try deleting the file  `redshift-core.lic` file in the folder  `C:\ProgramData\Redshift`  and try activating again ## Render-time error: This version of Redshift does not support floating licenses This error will appear in two cases: **If you purchased a floating license:**you would have received an email from redshift3d.com that contains download links to the floating-license-enabled installers. Please use those installers instead of the installers on the downloads page. **If you purchased a node-locked license**but you're seeing this error then this means you have either the general RLM crack installed or an older Redshift crack installed. In either case, you'll need to uninstall the crack and also remove the `redshift_LICENSE` environment variable. There are many tutorials that explain how to do that. Please do a web search for "how do I remove an environment variable in Windows". ## Render-time error: License subsystem failed to initialize (0) This error will appear in two cases: **If you purchased a floating license:**you would have received an email from redshift3d.com that contains download links to the floating-license-enabled installers. Please use those installers instead of the installers on the downloads page. **If you purchased a node-locked license**but you're seeing this error then this means you have either the general RLM crack installed or an older Redshift crack installed. In either case, you'll need to uninstall the crack and also remove the  `redshift_LICENSE` environment variable. There are many tutorials that explain how to do that. Please do a web search for "how do I remove an environment variable in Windows". In the second case (previously installed crack version of Redshift or RLM), please also be aware of the following: An old Redshift crack was modifying the Windows "hosts" file to block communication to  `activate.redshift3d.com`. The "hosts" file is located in:  `C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc\hosts` Please open the "hosts" file (it's a text file) and see if it contains any lines that mentioned Redshift. If it does, please remove those lines and save the file. If you have any other cracks, please uninstall them as they can interfere with the activation process ## Render-time error: No license found **If you purchased node-locked licenses:** please use the [Redshift Licensing Tool](https://help.maxon.net/r3d/maya/en-us/Content/html/Legacy%2BPerpetual%2BNode-Locked%2BLicenses.html.md) to activate your license. **If you purchased floating licenses:** please make sure you configure your RLM server and environment variables correctly as explained in the [floating licenses](https://help.maxon.net/r3d/maya/en-us/Content/html/RLM%2BFloating%2BLicenses.html.md) page. ## Render-time error: Failed to communicate with server *or* Unknown error. Code: 11 *or* Unknown error. Code: 14 The very first time you'll try to render with Redshift, the license will be verified online. This verification happens only once, unless the computer configuration is modified. For example: the motherboard or disk drive is replaced. Or if the operating system is reinstalled or has been upgraded in a significant way (for example: a Windows update). If you see a "Failed to communicate with server" error message, or a message saying "Unknown error. Code: 11" or "Unknown error. Code: 14", this means that this license verification failed to complete.\ This can happen because of a number of reasons: **No internet access**\ Please ensure you have internet access when you first render with Redshift. **Your internet service provider (ISP) might be blocking the communication**\ We have seen this happen in a few, rare, cases - especially with customers in China.\ Please try with a different provider (using your cellphone as a wifi-hotspot, for example) or try using a proxy. **You might have a firewall or proxy that is blocking the communication**\ Please configure your firewall and/or proxy to allow communications to:\ `activate.redshift3d.com, port 80 and port 443`\ Or you can try temporarily disabling your firewall and proxy. After the first render, you can re-enable them! **Your antivirus might be blocking the communication**\ This happens very rarely but we have seen it! Please try disabling your antivirus temporarily.\ After the first render, you can re-enable it! **You might have had a Redshift crack previously installed**\ An old Redshift crack was modifying the Windows "hosts" file to block communication to `activate.redshift3d.com`.\ The "hosts" file is located in: `C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc\hosts`\ Please open the "hosts" file (it's a text file) and see if it contains any lines that mentioned Redshift. If it does, please remove those lines and save the file. If you have any other cracks, please uninstall them as they can interfere with the activation process ## Render-time error: Hardware change detected. Please exit your 3d app, run the Redshift Licensing Tool and deactivate/reactivate your license Simply following the instructions of this message should get rid of this issue.\ If, on the other hand, this message keeps coming up **and you're on Windows**, this might be suggesting a problem with the WMI system.\ The WMI system is the part of Windows that helps identify a computer.\ Please try the following steps to fix any possible WMI issues: - First, disable any antivirus software you might have. We have seen, for example, Malwarebytes causing trouble with WMI access - Open a command prompt in administrative mode. You can do that by: - Pressing the windows key and typing "command prompt". You'll see the command prompt coming up as an option but **don't click it yet**! - **RIGHT-click it** and then, from the menu that pops up, click "run as administrator" - Once the command prompt window opens, type the following in it (at the end of each line, please press Enter) > **Note:** `net stop winmgmt winmgmt /resetrepository net start winmgmt` After running the above, try running the Redshift Licensing Tool again and deactivating/reactivating. ## Render-time error: Your support and maintenance has expired This error message means that this particular version of Redshift cannot be used with your current license.\ You can either purchase a [maintenance extension](https://help.maxon.net/r3d/maya/en-us/Content/html/Maintenance%2BExtension.html.md) or you can use a version of Redshift that is covered by your current license.\ The last version that you can use will be printed in the error message. If you have, indeed, purchased a maintenance extension, please make sure to run the Redshift Licensing Tool to claim that extension! (and get rid of this error)\ As a reminder, you can find all Redshift versions in the following forums: For 2.5 (old) versions:  [https://www.redshift3d.com/forums/viewforum/36/](https://www.redshift3d.com/forums/viewforum/36/) For 2.6 (current) versions:  [https://www.redshift3d.com/forums/viewforum/39/](https://www.redshift3d.com/forums/viewforum/39/) For 3.0 (latest) versions:  [https://www.redshift3d.com/forums/viewforum/42/](https://www.redshift3d.com/forums/viewforum/42/)