Good afternoon,

I recently had SPSS installed on a new computer.  I have had a license for several years.  When I input my authorization code, the software tells me to copy and paste certain information into an email and send it.  Once I do that, it sends me a new code.  When I input that new code, I get a message that the license would activate when I next open the software.  But when I next open the software, it starts the same process over again.  I'm in a never-ending loop.

To make things worse, I don't have admin rights on my work computer, so I have to have IT help each time I attempt this.  When I put in a support request, I was directed here.

Hi @Michael Carley
From your description, it sounds like you were first directed to the e-mail method for licensing because of Known Issue DT446117

When you received the new license string, you had the option of applying it with the License Authorization Wizard, or manually placing it in the application's license file ('lservrc').  Both of those actions will require Administrator privileges as a Standard User will not have the proper permissions to create or update this file.

Good afternoon,

I recently had SPSS installed on a new computer.  I have had a license for several years.  When I input my authorization code, the software tells me to copy and paste certain information into an email and send it.  Once I do that, it sends me a new code.  When I input that new code, I get a message that the license would activate when I next open the software.  But when I next open the software, it starts the same process over again.  I'm in a never-ending loop.

To make things worse, I don't have admin rights on my work computer, so I have to have IT help each time I attempt this.  When I put in a support request, I was directed here.

Thanks for the info.

So, since the email version also doesn't work, what is my next step?

Hi @Michael Carley
From your description, it sounds like you were first directed to the e-mail method for licensing because of Known Issue DT446117

When you received the new license string, you had the option of applying it with the License Authorization Wizard, or manually placing it in the application's license file ('lservrc').  Both of those actions will require Administrator privileges as a Standard User will not have the proper permissions to create or update this file.

Good afternoon,

I recently had SPSS installed on a new computer.  I have had a license for several years.  When I input my authorization code, the software tells me to copy and paste certain information into an email and send it.  Once I do that, it sends me a new code.  When I input that new code, I get a message that the license would activate when I next open the software.  But when I next open the software, it starts the same process over again.  I'm in a never-ending loop.

To make things worse, I don't have admin rights on my work computer, so I have to have IT help each time I attempt this.  When I put in a support request, I was directed here.

Hi @Michael Carley
I understood from your original post that you had a license string in hand.  You were prompted to use the email licensing method, you submitted your authorization code and your lock code and you were returned a license string.  That sounds like the email method worked.

There are two (2) ways I can think of immediately that would have IBM SPSS Statistics still giving you an error about no license found:

1. User permissions:  In order to make use of your license string you need to put it into the application license file.  The license file is simply a text file.  Open it in your favorite editor and paste you license into the file.  On Windows look here - "C:\Program Files\IBM\SPSS Statistics\lservrc".  On macOS, look here - "/Applications/IBM SPSS Statistics/Resources/Activation/lservrc".  The key piece here will be that you likely must be an administrator in order to create or alter this file.  Beyond that, your user credentials must have proper permission to read and execute this file with the Statistics application.
2. Improper license string: The IBM SPSS client license strings are product and version specific.  Does the license file you are trying to apply match the product (IBM SPS Statistics) and version (for example 31.0) of the product you have installed?

Both of the above will require input from your organization and staff with administrative access to your computer.

If you are unable to resolve your issue through your organization, please ask them to open a Support case on your behalf and we can pursue this further.

Thanks for the info.

So, since the email version also doesn't work, what is my next step?

Hi @Michael Carley
From your description, it sounds like you were first directed to the e-mail method for licensing because of Known Issue DT446117

When you received the new license string, you had the option of applying it with the License Authorization Wizard, or manually placing it in the application's license file ('lservrc').  Both of those actions will require Administrator privileges as a Standard User will not have the proper permissions to create or update this file.

Good afternoon,

I recently had SPSS installed on a new computer.  I have had a license for several years.  When I input my authorization code, the software tells me to copy and paste certain information into an email and send it.  Once I do that, it sends me a new code.  When I input that new code, I get a message that the license would activate when I next open the software.  But when I next open the software, it starts the same process over again.  I'm in a never-ending loop.

To make things worse, I don't have admin rights on my work computer, so I have to have IT help each time I attempt this.  When I put in a support request, I was directed here.

Let me clarify:  it didn't work.

I had an authorization code and input it.  That's when I got the direction to send the email.  I then got a new code and input it.  I got a message saying the new license would take effect when I next opened the software (or something close to that).  When I next opened the software, it started the whole process again and asked for a code.

When I attempted to open a support case already, I was directed here.

Hi @Michael Carley
I understood from your original post that you had a license string in hand.  You were prompted to use the email licensing method, you submitted your authorization code and your lock code and you were returned a license string.  That sounds like the email method worked.

There are two (2) ways I can think of immediately that would have IBM SPSS Statistics still giving you an error about no license found:

1. User permissions:  In order to make use of your license string you need to put it into the application license file.  The license file is simply a text file.  Open it in your favorite editor and paste you license into the file.  On Windows look here - "C:\Program Files\IBM\SPSS Statistics\lservrc".  On macOS, look here - "/Applications/IBM SPSS Statistics/Resources/Activation/lservrc".  The key piece here will be that you likely must be an administrator in order to create or alter this file.  Beyond that, your user credentials must have proper permission to read and execute this file with the Statistics application.
2. Improper license string: The IBM SPSS client license strings are product and version specific.  Does the license file you are trying to apply match the product (IBM SPS Statistics) and version (for example 31.0) of the product you have installed?

Both of the above will require input from your organization and staff with administrative access to your computer.

If you are unable to resolve your issue through your organization, please ask them to open a Support case on your behalf and we can pursue this further.

Thanks for the info.

So, since the email version also doesn't work, what is my next step?

Hi @Michael Carley
From your description, it sounds like you were first directed to the e-mail method for licensing because of Known Issue DT446117

When you received the new license string, you had the option of applying it with the License Authorization Wizard, or manually placing it in the application's license file ('lservrc').  Both of those actions will require Administrator privileges as a Standard User will not have the proper permissions to create or update this file.

Good afternoon,

I recently had SPSS installed on a new computer.  I have had a license for several years.  When I input my authorization code, the software tells me to copy and paste certain information into an email and send it.  Once I do that, it sends me a new code.  When I input that new code, I get a message that the license would activate when I next open the software.  But when I next open the software, it starts the same process over again.  I'm in a never-ending loop.

To make things worse, I don't have admin rights on my work computer, so I have to have IT help each time I attempt this.  When I put in a support request, I was directed here.

Hi @Michael Carley

I've consulted with my colleagues and looked into this deeper.  We are seeing a license by email case (TS020910000) on December 3.  Do you recognize this case?
In that case the user was trying to apply an IBM SPSS Statistics 25.0 authorization code to IBM SPSS Statistics 31.0.1.0.  Due to the version mismatch, this will not work.

There are two (2) ways I can think of immediately that would have IBM SPSS Statistics still giving you an error about no license found:

1. User permissions:  In order to make use of your license string you need to put it into the application license file.  The license file is simply a text file.  Open it in your favorite editor and paste you license into the file.  On Windows look here - "C:\Program Files\IBM\SPSS Statistics\lservrc".  On macOS, look here - "/Applications/IBM SPSS Statistics/Resources/Activation/lservrc".  The key piece here will be that you likely must be an administrator in order to create or alter this file.  Beyond that, your user credentials must have proper permission to read and execute this file with the Statistics application.
2. Improper license string: The IBM SPSS client license strings are product and version specific.  Does the license file you are trying to apply match the product (IBM SPS Statistics) and version (for example 31.0) of the product you have installed?

Both of the above will require input from your organization and staff with administrative access to your computer.

Let me clarify:  it didn't work.

I had an authorization code and input it.  That's when I got the direction to send the email.  I then got a new code and input it.  I got a message saying the new license would take effect when I next opened the software (or something close to that).  When I next opened the software, it started the whole process again and asked for a code.

When I attempted to open a support case already, I was directed here.

Hi @Michael Carley
I understood from your original post that you had a license string in hand.  You were prompted to use the email licensing method, you submitted your authorization code and your lock code and you were returned a license string.  That sounds like the email method worked.

There are two (2) ways I can think of immediately that would have IBM SPSS Statistics still giving you an error about no license found:

1. User permissions:  In order to make use of your license string you need to put it into the application license file.  The license file is simply a text file.  Open it in your favorite editor and paste you license into the file.  On Windows look here - "C:\Program Files\IBM\SPSS Statistics\lservrc".  On macOS, look here - "/Applications/IBM SPSS Statistics/Resources/Activation/lservrc".  The key piece here will be that you likely must be an administrator in order to create or alter this file.  Beyond that, your user credentials must have proper permission to read and execute this file with the Statistics application.
2. Improper license string: The IBM SPSS client license strings are product and version specific.  Does the license file you are trying to apply match the product (IBM SPS Statistics) and version (for example 31.0) of the product you have installed?

Both of the above will require input from your organization and staff with administrative access to your computer.

If you are unable to resolve your issue through your organization, please ask them to open a Support case on your behalf and we can pursue this further.

Thanks for the info.

So, since the email version also doesn't work, what is my next step?

Hi @Michael Carley
From your description, it sounds like you were first directed to the e-mail method for licensing because of Known Issue DT446117

When you received the new license string, you had the option of applying it with the License Authorization Wizard, or manually placing it in the application's license file ('lservrc').  Both of those actions will require Administrator privileges as a Standard User will not have the proper permissions to create or update this file.

Good afternoon,

I recently had SPSS installed on a new computer.  I have had a license for several years.  When I input my authorization code, the software tells me to copy and paste certain information into an email and send it.  Once I do that, it sends me a new code.  When I input that new code, I get a message that the license would activate when I next open the software.  But when I next open the software, it starts the same process over again.  I'm in a never-ending loop.

To make things worse, I don't have admin rights on my work computer, so I have to have IT help each time I attempt this.  When I put in a support request, I was directed here.