In this article, you will learn
- the valid reasons for transferring a license,
- how to transfer the license independently, and
- the necessary steps to deactivate the Workstation and activate the license on the new Workstation.
1. Reasons
There are several reasons why a license should be transferred from one Workflow to another Workstation. These include:
- Newer Hardware – the Workstation on which the application is currently installed has become outdated or can no longer meet increased requirements, e.g., controlling multiple printers.
- Virtualization – to better integrate the application into the existing IT infrastructure, the central component should be installed on a virtual machine, and the computationally intensive RIP activities should be distributed to render satellites.
- Hardware Failure – the hardware has been damaged, repairs are time-consuming, and print production must continue. Therefore, the application must be installed on a fallback Workstation as quickly as possible.
- Sale – a printing system is transferred to a new owner without a Workstation, but including the license.
To enable your IT department to handle all of these cases independently, the system provides the option to transfer licenses by simply uploading the WCLID file to another Workstation. This also allows parallel operation of a Workflow for up to five days. Please refer to the following notes for important information regarding the transfer process:
Transfer Period
Please note that the transfer period is limited to five days! An extension of this period cannot be granted free of charge. Therefore, plan the transfer carefully to ensure that this time period is not exceeded. If the transfer takes longer, please contact your sales organization. They can arrange a temporary license for you at an additional cost.
Parallel Operation possible only once
Please note that parallel operation of a license on an additional Workstation is limited to five days and to one additional Workstation only. If the WCLID file is uploaded to another Workstation during the transfer, the operation will fail, as the license will be blocked immediately on the next Workstation.
Transfer to new Hardware possible only once
Please note that the license can be transferred to the same Hardware only once. Continuous switching between two Workstations is not permitted. If your require such flexibility, a time-limited test license must be purchased through your sales organization.
License Transfer for Licenses outside of an active Maintenance Contract
A transfer of an existing license can be performed even if no active maintenance contract is in place. Always ensure that the same version of the Workflow is installed on both the current and the new Workstation.
Whether a handling fee is charged for this service is at the discretion of the sales organization from which you purchased the application.
2. Transferring the License
The license transfer must be completed within five days. During the transfer process, both Workstations must be connected to the Internet to communicate with the authorization server. Therefore, plan the transfer carefully to ensure an uninterrupted operation. Follow the three steps to perform the transfer:
Step 1: Reinstallation on New Hardware
- Obtain the installer and install the application on the new hardware. Alternatively, you can restore a backup of the application to the new hardware. In both cases, it is recommended that the same version of the application is installed on both Workstations.
- Connect both Workstations to the Internet to enable communication with the authorization server.
- On the current (old) Workstation, update the license by navigating to the tab License under Information. Click the button Update License [1] and wait a few seconds until the update is complete. If the hardware is defective, this step can be omitted!
Figure 1: The lower section of the tab License in the dialog Information
Step 2: Transferring the License
- Once you have updated the license on the current Workstation and the new Workstation has been prepared accordingly – that is, the application is installed and connected to the Internet – the first step is complete. In the dialog Login under the tab License Info, you will now see the following details:
- Workstation Status [2] – the Workstation Status is now set to Temporary.
- Activate License [3] – this option is currently unavailable.
Figure 2: The dialog License Info after updating the License
- You have now temporarily transferred the license to a new Workstation, making both Workstations fully functional for five days.
- Click the button Login [4] to return to the Login Window.
- In the login window, you will see that the license is valid until the specified date [5]. Log in and continue your work on the new Workstation.
Figure 3: The dialog Login displaying the message
Step 3: Deactivate and Activate
- To set the status of the application on the new Workstation to Active and to deactivate the license on the current Workstation (Status = Disabled), you must contact the application support organization. Provide the support organization with the following information:
- Maintenance Contract ID: Specify the Maintenance Contract ID, e.g., L100
- Current Workstation: IP address and, if applicable, Windows name of the Workstation
- New Workstation: IP address and, if applicable, Windows name of the Workstation
- The support organization will deactivate the current Workstation and activate the new Workstation as quickly as possible. Please note that weekends and local holidays may apply (including in Austria), so the process may take one day or two days. Ideally, the switch should be completed within one business day (24 hours).
- The license transfer is considered successful when the message License Status: Temporary – will expire on YYYY-MM-DD [5] is no longer displayed.
License Status: Blocked
If the login window displays the message "License Status: Blocked", this indicates that the WCLID file has been installed on multiple Workstations. The license has been deactivated for this Workstation. To activate the license on this hardware, you must also contact the support organization for the application.
Article update: Workflow 1.21.2 – 11/2025