Problems with Trial License When Tied to a MAC Address

Machine details:

• Windows 10

• GraphPad was installed and requires a trial key

GraphPad associates trial usage with the MAC address. When you clone a Fresh Start machine, it typically retains the same MAC address. Normally that’s not an issue, but here the application says the license has already been used—it was consumed on a previously cloned instance. The machine could be running on a different server or in a data center on another continent and still display this error. 

The workaround: change the MAC address.  On Linux this is simple and well documented, but on Windows it’s less straightforward.

Modifying the MAC address inside Windows through the usual methods won’t work, because the qemu.conf file for the virtual machine overrides any in-guest change. So you can alter the MAC in Windows 10, but that alone will not solve the problem.

That’s because the qemu.conf file contains a pre-configured MAC address. You can change this address to present a different MAC to the guest, thereby allowing a new license key. 

To enable this, set ‘Network Isolation’ on each machine to ‘Disabled’. Then the MAC address specified in qemu.conf will take effect.

If you encounter this issue, reach out to DaDesktop Support for assistance.