Hardware Keys are the silver USB drives which can be used to activate Archicad:
Sometimes Hardware Keys may fail in one way or another, preventing you from opening Archicad. This guide will provide a list of things we would like you to try and to check, so we can help to get your Hardware Key operating again.
First steps
The very first thing to try, is plugging the Key into a different USB port on your computer. USB ports are not indestructible, and can become damaged over time, resulting in the metal contacts not touching. Trying a different USB port may help in this case.
The second thing to try, if you are able to, is to try plugging the Key into a different computer, to see if it works there. This is an easy way to see if the problem is with the Key, or with your computer.
Does the Hardware Key show any activity?
Hardware Keys have a small LED light on the back end which can shine either red or green. During normal operation, the light will flash green several times to show that it is active. Or it will turn red to indicate an error.
If the key does not flash at all, this indicates that the key is not being detected by your computer.
To help find the cause of the issue, it is important to note the following:
- Does the light turn on at all?
- Is the light red or green?
- Does the light flash, or remain on?
Does your computer recognise the Hardware Key when you plug it in?
If the computer cannot see your Hardware Key at all, this usually indicates an issue with the Key itself.
The process to determine this is different depending on whether you are running Windows or macOS.
Windows:
- Open the Device Manager from the Start Menu and click View ➔ Devices by container:
- Look for CodeMeter-Stick and its components as shown below:
If the Hardware Key does not appear in the Device Manager or appears differently, please follow the steps in the article linked below before continuing:
macOS:
- Open the System Information app, found in the
/Applications/Utilitiesfolder - Look for CodeMeter-Stick under the USB section as shown below:
Some newer versions of macOS are unable to detect older Hardware Keys due to security changes. If you are on a Mac and your Hardware Key does not appear in System Information, please follow the steps in the article linked below before continuing:
Is it a software issue?
Archicad Keys require two pieces of software to be installed and running in order for Archicad to detect them; the CodeMeter Driver and the License Manager Tool. Sometimes this software can break, in which case it must be repaired or reinstalled.
CodeMeter driver:
This should be the first thing to try reinstalling.
You can download the latest official versions of the CodeMeter and WibuKey drivers from here:
Note:
The WibuKey driver is only necessary for hardware protection keys when running Archicad 18 or earlier.
Download the driver appropriate to your protection key, and run the installer. Make sure to follow the on-screen instructions during the install process.
If you use a hardware protection key, be sure to unplug the key before installing, as updating the driver while the key is plugged in may result in damage to your key.
Be sure to restart your computer once the installation is complete.
License Manager Tool:
The License Manager Tool can be downloaded from the link below:
Make sure to follow the on-screen instructions during the install process.
If your Key still does not work:
If you have not done so already, please create a support ticket through our Help Center.
Tell us what you have tried already, and whether there have been any other issues, then please send us a screenshot of the Container Info page in the CodeMeter WebAdmin.
Open the CodeMeter WebAdmin in your web browser and go to the 'CmContainer Info' settings tab. This can be done by opening the CodeMeter application and clicking the 'WebAdmin' button in the bottom-right corner:
...and then navigating to Container ➔ All Container ➔ GRAPHISOFT SOFTWARE KEY... and clicking the 'CmContainer Info' settings tab:
On macOS press cmd⌘ + shift⇧ + 4 and on Windows press Win⊞ + Shift + S to take a screenshot.
Please provide these screenshots to us in your support ticket.
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