Online Worldwide license cannot be reassigned

Update - July 2023

The issue described below should now be fixed by the Tekla Structural License Service 2023 Service Pack 1 update - for more see the Release Notes for this.  See the Solution section below for what do do after installing this to ensure an online license is available for re-assignment/ use by another user.

Issue

I am trying to re-assign a Subscription Worldwide online license but the Tekla Admin Tool insists that the license is still in use by another user, even though they are no longer running the product and the license has been unassigned from them.  What can I do to prevent this happening and to fix it?

Background

This issue can occur when using a Worldwide license if the Keep the license reserved on this device setting is Auto or Yes (or when using an Enterprise license and the setting is Yes).  

For more about the Keep the license reserved on this device setting, see this TUA article Can I use my Online License when not connected to the internet?.

For a Worldwide license, if the Keep the license reserved on this device setting is Auto (the default setting) or Yes, when a product is run the online license will be kept by that user for up to 72 hours after they have closed the product.  This is so that they can retain the license (which is assigned to them) for their use if they need to take a break and return to the product, or they need to work offline for a period.  So, although the license can be unassigned from the user (by an Organization Admin), re-assignment of the license to another user during this period is not allowed.  

This behavior may only be a problem if you need to regularly re-assign Worldwide licenses and the products keep setting is Auto or Yes, or if you are using Enterprise licenses and the products keep setting is Yes.

See the Solution below for how to avoid this issue and what to do if it occurs.

Solution

Install the Tekla Structural License Service 2023 Service Pack 1 update which addresses this issue - this is available from Tekla Downloads or via the Update Service. 

Then, to ensure a license is available for re-assignment/ use by another when not in use:

• Go online
• Set the the Keep the license reserved on this device setting discussed above to No
• Ensure all instances of the program are closed.

The original solution is retained for information below.

Original Solution

To avoid this issue occurring, ensure all users do the following depending on the scenario:

Scenario 1

After installing a new major product release but before running it for the first time:

1. Download the attached zip file of Windows Registry files and unzip this anywhere convenient on your computer.  This includes the following separate Registry files for each product:
   1. Tekla Tedds - <KeepLicenseOnThisDevice-Tedds-No.reg>
   2. Tekla Structural Designer - <KeepLicenseOnThisDevice-TSD-No.reg>
   3. Tekla Portal Frame Designer - <KeepLicenseOnThisDevice-TPFD-No.reg>
   4. Tekla Connection Designer - <KeepLicenseOnThisDevice-TCD-No.reg>
2. For each product you use, run (by double-clicking*) the appropriate Registry file to set the Keep license… setting = No - e.g. for Tekla Tedds run the file <KeepLicenseOnThisDevice-Tedds-No.reg>
   1. *You may need to contact your IT department to do this if you do not have sufficient permissions or if you are unsure how to run .reg files.
3. After doing this, do the following to check the setting has been set correctly:
   1. Open the Windows Start Menu.
   2. Launch the Tekla Software License Manager application.
   3. From the list on the left select Settings.
   4. Click User Settings…
   5. From the list on the left select User > Tekla Online.
   6. As shown in the picture below, select each product and check that keep the license reserved on this device is set = No
   7. Ensure that this setting is not subsequently changed - please note the Further Info section below.

Image

Scenario 2

After a major product release has been run at least once within the last 72 hours with keep the license reserved on this device set to Auto or Yes:

1. Wait for up to 72 hours for the kept license to expire.  If you need to free up/ re-assign the license sooner than this please contact Support to free up the license for you.
2. Follow steps 3. a through f listed above and at step f set keep the license reserved on this device = No , then click OK.
3. Ensure that this setting is not subsequently changed - please note the Further Info section below.

Further Info

Note that once a product has been run then closed with the Keep the license reserved on this device option set to Auto or Yes, the situation will occur when the product is next run and the product license will be kept for up to 72 hours. 

Although during this period you can change the Keep the license reserved on this device option back to No in the Tekla Software License Manager application (as described above or opened within the product via the Help/Home ribbon buttons), this will NOT currently free the license (when online and when the product is closed) until the initial reserved period has expired*.  If you need to free up/ re-assign the license sooner than this, you can contact Support to free the license for you.

• *This is not the intended operation - we are aware of this issue and working to improve it.