Tech Note 0027

License Registration Errors

Common errors received when registering an MTP/IP license code

Most non-trial MTP/IP software requires a valid license code.  This code is typically entered once when the software is first installed and then saved for future operation.  If your software requires a license code, it will be found in the MTP-Codes.pdf document which you can download from your customer site.

Refer to the Setup chapter of your product documentation for more information about how to register a license code.

If a license code is not valid, MTP/IP will return an error code and may display one of the following MTP0 diagnostic messages below.

License not initialized
You have purchased a host bound license, but have not yet completed the binding process.  See Tech Note 0007 for details.  If you have already provided binding information, make sure that you have downloaded and are running the bound software.  Otherwise, log into your customer site and select "Manage Server Bindings" to complete the binding process.
Software does not match license
The license code you entered does not match the application you are registering.  For example, you may have entered a movedat license code into servedat.  Refer to the MTP-Codes.pdf document for the correct license code.
Host does not match license
Some applications, commonly servedat, are bound to run only on a specific host machine.  This error indicates that MTP is unable to match that host binding to the current host machine.  Either the license code you have entered is for a different machine, or you lack permission access the necessary machine identifiers.  See Tech Note 0007 for more information about host binding.
Improperly formatted license code
If you receive this error during license registration, it means the code you have entered does not match the required format of 16 hexadecimal characters with optional dashes or spaces separating them.  For example: 1A1A-2B2B-3C3C-4D4D.  Verify that you correctly typed the correct code.  If you are copying and pasting the code, beware of invisible formatting characters and try typing the code by hand.  If this license code is being reported at run-time after a successful registration, it may indicate a corrupted license file or a registry conflict.  See "License Storage" below for instructions.
The license period for this software has expired
This most likely means that you are running a trial version of the software when you meant to be running a production version.  See Tech Note 0012 for guidelines on upgrading from a Trial to a Production version.
Configuration Error
This may indicate that the license code you entered does not match the application you are registering, that the code was not typed correctly, or that there was a problem setting up a new license.  Verify that you correctly typed the correct code.  If the problem persists, contact DEI technical support for help.
License not yet configured, software may require an update
This indicates that you have entered a newly assigned license code into an older copy of the software.  Download the latest distribution package from your customer site or verify with your administrator that you have the most recent package.  See Tech Note 0012 for guidelines on updating MTP/IP software.
License code required
Either no license code was given, or it does not match any valid license configurations.  Follow the steps below to correct the problem.
Invalid license code
If you just entered a license code and you receive this error without any other explanation, it means that the code you entered does not match any valid license configurations.  Follow the steps below to correct the problem.
If this error appears at run-time, after a seemingly successful installation, it may indicate a corrupted license file or a registry conflict.  See License Storage below for instructions.

Steps to Correct

Download the latest license code document from your customer site or verify with your administrator that you have the latest code.

Download the latest distribution package from your customer site or verify with your administrator that you have the most recent package.  See Tech Note 0001 for guidance on determining the software version you are running.

Make sure that the license code you are using matches the software you are registering.

For host-bound server licenses, make sure that the host identifier of the system you are installing on matches that of the license.  See Tech Note 0007 for more information about host binding.

Make sure that you are not trying to install a trial or older version of the software.  See Tech Note 0012 for guidelines on installing new MTP/IP software over existing MTP/IP software.

Perform all registration operations using a local administrator account.  If you attempted to register a license while logged in as a Windows domain administrator and are now receiving "Improperly formatted license code" or "Invalid license code" errors, see License Storage below for instructions.

Contact DEI technical support for help.

License Storage

After an MTP license code is validated, a license token is stored in a host-specific location for future use.  This token is tied to the CPU on which it was created and will not work if copied to other CPUs.  This may create conflicts in environments with clustered storage or when installing from a Windows domain administrator account.

On unix systems, including macOS, the license tokens for servers and command-line clients will be saved in ~/.dei-mtp and copied into /etc/dei-mtp if this file is writeable.  Placing the token in /etc/dei-mtp registers the application for all users of the system.

On macOS systems, graphical clients store license tokens in their preferences databases: ~/Library/Preferences/com.dataexpedition.DropDat.plist or ~/Library/Preferences/com.dataexpedition.ExpeDat-Desktop.plist.

On Windows systems, the license token will be saved in the Current User class under dei\mtp and copied into the Local Machine class if that is writeable.  A backup token will also be placed in the LocalAppData folder in the file dei\dei-mtp.dat.  It is important to register server licenses as the same local admin user that will be used to run the service.  If you use a domain administrator to install a server, or fail to run the installer "As Administrator", the Windows Service may fail to launch.

When installing server software on a Windows system, do so while logged into a local Administrator account.  Installing server software as a domain user may result in "Improperly formatted license code" or "Invalid license code" errors at run time.

If you change your hardware configuration, you may be required to re-enter your license code.  For example, the first time you switch from an ethernet to a wireless network, you may need to re-enter your code.

If an application repeatedly asks for a license code, or if it fails to start with "Improperly formatted license code" or "Invalid license code" error, then the license tokens may be corrupt or there may exist multiple conflicting codes.

  1. Check the locations cited above, including the Windows registry using regedit on Windows systems.
  2. Delete the tokens corresponding to the application which is having problems.  For example, servedat has tokens whose name begin with "servedat-".
  3. Make sure you are logged in to a local administrator account and try installing and entering your license code again.  Windows users must launch the installer by right-clicking and selecting "Run as Administrator".  If you plan to run the Windows service as an alternate user, make sure to register the license while logged in as that same user.
  4. If the problem persists, delete all "dei-mtp" files and "dei\mtp" registry entries, then re-enter license codes for all installed MTP software.

Contact DEI technical support for help if these steps do not resolve the problem.

Tech Note History

Oct222021Updated license storage locations
Oct082021Updated formatting and instructions
Aug012016Access permission
Nov032014"Not Initialized"
Feb152013Domain Issues
Nov302012License files
Apr042011MTP 3.15
Mar232011First Post