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How to activate, replace or deactivate your NVivo license (NVivo 12 or older)

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The below information applies to only NVivo 12 or older, if you are using a current version of NVivo, use these instructions: How to activate, replace or deactivate NVivo

NVivo activation overview

Once installed your NVivo license needs to be activated.
This process ensures your license is not abused by anyone (for administrators: please make sure to note which license is used by which user).

A single-user license can be activated on up to two computers for personal use, as regulated in the EULA (End User License Agreement) for the license.

If you want to activate NVivo on a third computer, you must first deactivate your license on another computer to free up an activation. The same applies if you get a new computer or need to reinstall your computer. (Forgot to deactivate? Please see the end of this article.)

1) How to activate your NVivo license

NVivo 12 or older

When you first start NVivo, you are prompted to enter and activate your license. Please fill out any required fields and continue.
If you are using a trial version of the NVivo, you do not need to enter a key but you must nevertheless activate the trial before you can use NVivo.

In Windows:

  1. Start NVivo.
  2. On the Welcome to NVivo dialog box, enter your license key (or select the option for a free trial and choose an edition), and then click Next.
  3. On the License Activation dialog box, enter your details. Fields marked with an asterisk (*) must be completed.
  4. Click Activate.
  5. On the User Profile dialog box set up your default NVivo user profile. Your initials are used to identify any work that you do in a project.

In Mac:

  1. Start NVivo.
  2. On the Welcome to NVivo dialog box, enter your license key (or select the option for a free trial), and then click Next.
  3. On the License Activation dialog box, enter your details. Fields marked with an asterisk (*) must be completed.
  4. Click Activate.
  5. On the User Profile dialog box set up your default NVivo user profile. Your initials are used to identify any work that you do in a project.

2) Replace a license key

If you have purchased a perpetual license to replace a time-restricted license (e.g. a trial or student license), or for any other reason have a new license you want to use instead of the current one, follow the instructions below to replace licenses.

In Windows:

  1. Open NVivo. In the File menu, open Help > Manage License.
  2. Click Replace License.
  3. Enter the new license key and click OK.
  4. Activate the new license (see above).

In Mac:

  1. Open NVivo. In the NVivo 12 menu, select Licensing > Replace License.
  2. Enter the new license key and click Next.
  3. Activate the new license (see above).

3) How to deactivate your NVivo license

If you install NVivo on a new computer you should deactivate it on the old computer then install and activate on the new computer.

In Windows:

  1. Make sure that you are connected to the Internet
  2. Close any NVivo projects you have open
  3. Click the File tab, click Help, click Manage License and then click Deactivate License
  4. Click Yes to confirm 

In Mac:

  1. Make sure that you are connected to the internet.
  2. Open NVivo. Do not open a project.
  3. In the File menu, click Licensing > Deactivate.
  4. Click Deactivate to confirm.

What to do if you can´t deactivate the license?

In case you forgot to deactivate the license on an old computer that you now have no access to, or you reinstalled your computer and forgot to deactivate the license beforehand, the only way to activate your license key again is by contacting the support of Lumivero (the producer of NVivo) directly. Please follow the steps below:

I did not deactivate my NVivo license key before my computer was reformatted or reimaged. NVivo has been reinstalled but the activation is unsuccessful. What action should I take?

Please complete an activation request form as follows and send it to QSR:

  1. In NVivo 12, 11, 10 or 9, display the Activate screen. If it is not already displayed, click on the File tab, point to Help and click Activate License, or select Activate Now on the Activation Reminder OR In NVivo 8, from the Help menu, click on Help then Activate License, or select Activate Now on the Activation Reminder.
  2. Click Activate via Email or Mail/Fax. Note: if you only access your email using an Internet browser (web mail), you cannot activate NVivo by email.
  3. Enter your details. Fields marked with an asterisk (*) must be provided.
  4. Click the Generate button to refresh the Installation Key.
  5. If you are activating by email, click the Send button. NVivo will generate an activation request email using your default mail client. The Subject of the email will be prefilled. Prefix the existing Subject with Reformatted without deactivation and send this email to support@qsrinternational.com

Otherwise, you can take a screen shot of the completed Activate screen (Press Alt + Print Screen) and paste it into a Word or WordPad document. Save this document as Reformatted without deactivation, then submit a support request form to Lumivero with the saved file attached. Lumivero will then be able to determine how to proceed with your activation.

 

 

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