Serial Number Overview
The first 6 characters identify what versions and type of license it is.
A5XUSS - In this set of characters, the A denotes an "A" series license, the "5" denotes that this is the 15th incarnation of MiniCAD/Vectorworks, the "X" indicates that it could be installed on Windows or Mac. If the third character was an "M" it would only install on Mac or if it were a "W" it would only install on Windows.
A specific license or "Seat" of Vectorworks is identified by the last 6 characters in the serial number. These 6 characters do not change when the seat is upgraded from an older version to a newer one.
Example:
A1MUSS-XXXXXX-XXXXXX-EXAMPL
Series "A" version 11 Mac serial number,
would be updated to:
A4MUSS-XXXXXX-XXXXXX-EXAMPL
which is a Series "A" version 2009 Mac serial number.
There are currently 4 types of serial numbers used in the United States. B, C, E and G series. D series are used internationally.
A Series: (DISCONTINUED AS OF 2009)
Requires "A" Series DVD
Example Serial Number: (A4MUSS-XXXXXX-XXXXXX-EXAMPL)
The third character is either an "M" meaning it can be installed on Mac OSX or a "W" meaning it can be installed on Windows.
A series serial numbers are for professional licensed copies of Vectorworks prior to Vectorworks 2010. They are completely unrestricted and are eligible to be upgraded to whatever the next version of Vectorworks is, at a significant discount.
B Series:
Requires "B" Series DVD
Example Serial Number: (B6XUSS-XXXXXX-XXXXXX-EXAMPL)
The third character being an "X" indicates that it can be installed on either Windows or Mac OSs.
B series serial numbers are either for international (outside the continental United States) use or for educational use. They are functionally identical to an A series license, however they are associated with a purple USB dongle. This dongle will have an 8 character number on it known as the Dongle ID. The last 6 characters of this Dongle ID will match the Serial number it corresponds to.
Example:
Serial Number: B2XUSS-XXXXXX-XXXXXX-42539B
Dongle ID: A242539B
C or G Series:
Requires "B" Series DVD
Example Serial Number: (C6XUSS-XXXXXX-XXXXXX-EXAMPL)
Series C or G require: One Red dongle (A.K.A NetHASP) , one Serial number and one Server (and of course a number of clients).
The dongle is attached to the server. In order for the dongle to function, it needs a "dongle driver" and a "License manager" to be installed. Both are available on our DVDs. The DVD disk image or the actual DVDs have a folder named "Network Licensing Software". This folder contains the installers for both Dongle Driver and License Manager (LM).
The C or G Series license is capable of printing watermarked EDU files without the watermark. It does not REMOVE the watermark from the file, it simply allows you to print your files watermark-free. If the files are them saved in C series and then moved to an A or B series, the watermark will still display.
E Series:
Requires "E" Series DVD
Example Serial Number: (E6XUSS-XXXXXX-XXXXXX-EXAMPL)
For Vectorworks 2010 and later, E series disks and serial numbers are also for fully licensed professional seats.
E series licenses can be installed on both Mac and Windows OSes, they are not platform-specific like A series licenses.
E series licenses are online activated installations of Vectorworks. These licenses must be activated after installation and can be installed on a maximum of 2 machines.
The FREE educational E series licenses will normally time out after 1 calender year from activation, by which time the next version will be available for installation. This does not apply to the paid professional E series licenses.
Edited by JimW
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