Key not bound to machine


ApplicationPLAXIS 2D
PLAXIS 3D
VersionPLAXIS 2D
PLAXIS 3D
Date created18 April 2011
Date modified01 November 2019

Problem description

When I start the program, I get a message that “The key is not bound to this machine” and the program stops.

Note: This is an error message that may occur in legacy PLAXIS versions: PLAXIS 2D 2019 or earlier, and PLAXIS 3D 2018 and earlier. This is for versions prior to the CONNECT Edition, where the software licence was handled via the CodeMeter USB stick (hardware licencing).

All dongle/hardware lock (HWL) based versions of PLAXIS 2D/3D are treated as "V8i SELECTseries 10" according to Bentley's Support Policy. This means that Bentley will discontinue support for hardware lock based versions of PLAXIS after December 31, 2021. This includes PLAXIS 2D 2019 and older, and PLAXIS 3D 2018 and older.

To see the benefits of the latest versions and how to get the latest version, please see PLAXIS CONNECT Edition: upgrade from Hardware lock to Flexible licensing

Solution

The legacy PLAXIS 2D and PLAXIS 3D programs have two types of licences: the flexible and the standalone licence. The flexible licence is a concurrent user network licence, where the number of licences is the number of users who can access the program at the same time. If you only need to use the program on one computer however you can also go for our slightly cheaper option of the standalone licence. This licence can only be installed and used by one user on one computer.

If you have a standalone licence, the program checks if the computer hardware is still the same. When this is not, the Plaxis program responds with the message "The key is not bound to this machine". If you want to obtain a flexible licence or for more information, please contact our team by filling in the contact form here.