Activate a TechDash license manually

Enter a license email and key directly in the TechDash activation screen.

Last checked 20 August 2026

Use manual activation when you have your license email and key but cannot or do not want to use the activation link in your license email. Activation verifies the email and key, binds the license to this TechDash installation, and unlocks monitoring.

A TechDash license can be bound to one computer at a time. Manual activation does not move a binding from another computer automatically.

Activate the license

  1. Open TechDash.
  2. On Activate TechDash, enter the email address associated with the license.
  3. Enter the license key. It contains four groups of five letters or numbers, such as XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX.
  4. Select Activate license.
  5. Wait for the main TechDash window to open.

The expected result is that the activation screen closes and TechDash starts its local monitoring queues. Both the email and key are required. TechDash removes surrounding spaces from the email, converts it to lowercase, and formats the key in uppercase groups as you type.

If a techdash://activate link has already filled either field, check both values against the original license email before selecting Activate license.

What TechDash verifies

TechDash first checks that the computer has a stable internet connection and is not waiting for a public Wi-Fi or hotel sign-in page. It then sends the normalized credentials and details needed to identify this installation to the TechDash license service.

Selecting Activate license sends a binding request. The service can bind an unbound license, or confirm a license already bound to this installation's device identifier. It does not silently replace a different computer's binding. If another computer holds the license, release that binding first.

After activation

TechDash stores the validated license, its updates and support date, and the successful validation time locally. The license key is sealed in the TechDash vault and is not displayed in the app after activation.

While the computer is online, TechDash rechecks a valid license about once every 24 hours. This confirms that the same installation remains authorized and refreshes the updates and support date after a renewal. A temporary network problem or license-server failure does not invalidate an installation that was already validated successfully.

Activation does not import websites, incidents, settings, or crawl files from another computer. That information remains in the local TechDash data on the computer where it was created.

If activation fails

Use the exact message on Activate TechDash:

  • Enter a valid email address. Check for typing errors and use the email associated with the license.
  • Enter a license key like XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX. Re-enter all 20 letters or numbers.
  • That email and license key were not accepted. Confirm that the email and key belong to the same purchase.
  • This license is already in use on another computer. Unlink it on that computer, or revoke its device from your TechDash account, then try again.
  • This license was revoked. The local copy no longer owns the binding. Use the account associated with the license to make it available, then activate it again.
  • Wi-Fi sign-in is required before TechDash can check this license. Complete the network sign-in in a browser.
  • Could not reach the license server. Check the internet connection and retry later.

Avoid rapid repeated attempts. If the service has asked TechDash to wait, further attempts are delayed until that period ends.

Before activating on another computer

Release the current binding first. On the licensed computer, use Settings > License > Unlink license from this device. If that computer is unavailable, revoke its device through your TechDash account. Replacing the license in Settings is not a substitute for releasing the old key.

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