Activation Keys and Serial Numbers 

Manifold System requires a serial number and an Activation key when permanently installed to a computer system. To make life easier, a serial number alone will allow Manifold System to function for a limited period of time while you obtain your Activation key.

After the limited period of time expires, an Activation key will be required in addition to the serial number for Manifold to continue functioning. Entering an Activation key will permanently install Manifold System to your computer and will enable Manifold to function without any time limits.

• Serial numbers and Activation keys are confidential information. Keep them secret to prevent other people from stealing your license rights from you. Your serial number is like a PIN code to your bank account. Keep it secret.
• You must have Administrator privileges when entering a serial number or Activation key.

The first time that Manifold launches after installation, the Activation dialog will open to allow you to enter the serial number for your license and, optionally, an Activation key. If you enter both a serial number and an Activation key, Manifold will be permanently installed.

If you enter only a serial number and the preliminary installation period for that serial number has not yet expired, Manifold will continue to function without an Activation key until the preliminary installation period expires. Each time Manifold launches, the system will pop open the Activation dialog to let you know how many days remain in the preliminary installation period and to give you the opportunity to enter an Activation key should you choose to do so.

When the preliminary installation period expires, Manifold will not launch unless a valid Activation key is provided to permanently install Manifold to the computer system. Because Activation keys are a limited resource, the purpose of the preliminary installation period is to allow users to try out different hardware configurations before they commit their license to installation on a particular computer system. The preliminary installation period also allows users to get started with Manifold until it is convenient to access the Internet to obtain an Activation key.

Take your time and resolve all hardware issues during the preliminary installation period. When ready, you can obtain an Activation key and permanently install Manifold System to the computer you intend to use for Manifold.

When entering a serial number or an Activation key into the Activation dialog you must have Administrator privileges. When an Administrator enters a serial number or Activation key into the Activation dialog, Manifold will be activated for all users on that machine.

If your Windows installation has not been re-installed or substantially altered, you do NOT need a new activation key to re-install Manifold System Release 5.00 on a machine that has had permanent installation of Release 5.00 previously accomplished.  

Every Manifold System license is identified by a unique, permanent serial number. Serial numbers are long alphanumeric strings that look like:

When a Manifold license is acquired from manifold.net, a new unique serial number is generated and recorded in the manifold.net central registry of licensees. The serial number will be sent to the licensee by email using the email address provided at the time of purchase. If you acquired your license directly from manifold.net, you have been emailed the serial number for your license. If you have not received the serial number by email, please see the Tech Tip below to determine what problems in your email system may be preventing you from receiving your serial number email message.

Serial numbers have three functions:

• To provide a permanent, unique identification for each Manifold license.
• To obtain up to five Activation keys from the Manifold Activation key server.
• To allow for temporary operation on any computer system during a limited time period without needing an Activation key. This limited time period is called the preliminary installation period.

Serial numbers may be cancelled by manifold.net if the terms of the License are violated. In particular, disclosing your serial number to any third party (except for the sole purpose of a one-time transfer of your license to someone else) will result in the cancellation of a serial number. If your serial number appears in any hacker lists or hacker web sites for unauthorized use of Manifold System it will be cancelled immediately. Therefore, please take care to keep your serial number secret.

Serial numbers are very important so do not lose your serial number. You cannot use Manifold without your serial number. When you receive your serial number by email, save a copy of the email in a safe place.

Each serial number encodes the date it was issued as well as the period of time after that date during which Manifold System will function without an Activation key. The limited period of time during which Manifold will function with a serial number alone is called the preliminary installation period.

A typical preliminary installation period might be 30 days from the date the serial number was issued. Depending on the precise circumstances of your purchase from manifold.net the preliminary installation period allowed for your serial number may be set to a shorter or longer time from the date the serial number was issued. The purpose of the preliminary installation period is to allow users to get going with Manifold System while they decide what they want to do about Activation keys.

For example, if you acquired your Manifold license from manifold.net on July 8, 2002, a serial number will have been generated on that date and sent to you. When entered into the Activation dialog, that serial number will allow Manifold to launch without an Activation key until August 8, 2002. After August 8, the preliminary installation period will have ended and an Activation key will be required to allow Manifold to launch.

Because serial numbers are very long, to avoid typographical errors use Windows Copy and Paste to transfer them to the Activation dialog as follows: Open the email in which you received notice of your serial number. Highlight the serial number and choose Edit - Copy (or press CTRL-C, the Windows keyboard shortcut for "copy"). Launch Manifold and right-click into the Serial number box in the Activation dialog and choose Paste from the context menu (or, click into the box and press CTRL-V, the standard Windows keyboard shortcut for "paste"). This procedure will copy the serial number from the email and paste it into the Activation dialog without the need to manually type a long serial number.

An Activation key is required to permanently install Manifold to your computer system. Each Activation key is unique and matches only the one serial number used to obtain it. Activation keys are very long alphanumeric strings that look like:

Any user with a valid Manifold System serial number may obtain an Activation key from manifold.net subject to the following conditions:

• When an Activation key is issued, it remains valid for only 72 hours after it is issued. If it is not used in the Activation dialog to permanently install Manifold within that 72 hour time period, it becomes useless and will no longer function to install Manifold System.
• Each serial number can have a maximum of five (5) Activation keys issued for it. The Manifold key server keeps track of how many Activation keys have been issued for each serial number. After five Activation keys are issued for a serial number, no more Activation keys will be issued. Five Activation keys are allotted per serial number in case you need to re-install Manifold at a future date as a result of system upgrades or other changes.

To obtain an Activation key, visit the Manifold Activation key web site at

Visit the above web page and provide a valid Manifold System serial number. If the serial number has not yet been used to generate the five Activation keys it is allowed, the key server will provide an Activation key. Write down the Activation key in a safe place. Because the key is very long, the safest way of writing it down is to use Windows Copy and Paste to save it in a text file.

To do so, after the key server provides an Activation key, highlight the Activation key on the web page with your mouse and choose Edit - Copy in Internet Explorer (or press CTRL-C on the keyboard) to Copy the key. Next, open a text file on your computer using Notepad or Microsoft Word or any other convenient text editor and choose Edit - Paste (or press CTRL-V on the keyboard) to Paste the key into the text document. Save the document. Save a copy of the document in a safe place.

Once you have obtained an Activation key you can launch Manifold and provide the Activation key to the Activation dialog to permanently install Manifold System. Since the Activation key is very long, the best way to avoid typographic errors is to use Windows Copy and Paste to enter the Activation key into the Activation dialog. Open the document in which you saved the Activation key. Highlight the key and Copy it. Click on the Activation dialog and right-click into the Activation key box and Paste the key.

Because Activation keys have a limited life of only 72 hours, do not obtain an Activation key until you are ready to use it to permanently install Manifold System. Once you have obtained an Activation key, you must use it within 72 hours.

Five Activation keys may seem like a lot, but they are not so many that you can afford to waste Activation keys.

Over the course of two or three years it is quite possible that you might want to upgrade your computer's hard disk, the operating system, or otherwise have to re-install Manifold System. Each installation requires the use of an Activation key. Because each Activation key works for only 72 hours, when you need to reinstall Manifold over the course of months or years you will have to go to the Manifold Activation key web site and use up one of your five Activation keys for each installation.

If you upgrade the hard disk once and upgrade Windows once, you will use a total of three Activation keys (one for the original installation and one each for the disk and Windows re-installations). That will leave you with only two Activation keys available should you ever need to re-install Manifold due to unforeseen circumstances, such as a disk crash, lightning strike, power spike or other calamity.

Five Activation keys are plenty for even very active computer users but they are not enough to waste Activation keys thoughtlessly or to give out free copies of Manifold to friends. If you are not careful with Activation keys, you might not have any left when you really need one.

Note that since every serial number can be used to obtain only five Activation keys it is important to keep your serial number a secret. If anyone else learns your serial number, they could visit the manifold.net website and use your serial number to obtain Activation keys for their own use in installing Manifold. If your serial number ever gets out to a hacker your five Activation keys will be gone overnight.

As mentioned earlier, you must have Administrator privileges to use the Activation dialog. "Administrator" privileges are special rights granted to the Administrator user and to members of the Administrators group in Windows operating systems such as Windows NT, 2000 and XP that provide user logins. Administrator privileges allow users to change anything in the system. Ordinary users do not normally have the required rights to make important changes to the system such as may be required when installing new software.

If you work in an organization where someone else configures and administers your computer, the login name you use might not have Administrator privileges on your computer. In such cases you should ask someone with Administrator privileges to login to your computer and to use their Administrator account to install Manifold System, including either preliminary installation with a serial number or permanent installation using both a serial number and an Activation key.

As an emergency measure, a user who does not have Administrator privileges may enter a serial number or a serial number and Activation key to allow Manifold to launch. However, this will allow Manifold to launch just once and the serial number and Activation key will be required again the next time Manifold launches. Since Activation keys expire 72 hours after they are issued, if you must provide an Activation key each time Manifold launches you will only be able to use Manifold for 72 hours on each Activation key. This is obviously an inefficient way to configure your Manifold installation. Instead, get someone with Administrator privileges on your machine to permanently install Manifold for you.

When Manifold is running as a map server it will not raise the Activation dialog. Before attempting to use the map server within Manifold you must launch Manifold interactively at least once to provide a serial number for preliminary installation, or a serial number and Activation key for permanent installation.

John Doe orders Manifold System via the Manifold Online Store on July 8, 2002. He receives an email with his serial number the same day. The email tells him his serial number will be valid for preliminary installations for 30 days from the date it is issued. A few days later he receives his Manifold System CD. He is away on a business trip when the CD arrives. He is not able to install Manifold System until 22 July. John logs in as Administrator for all of his installation and configuration activity with Manifold.

When he launches Manifold for the first time on 22 July he is not sure exactly what to do about his Activation key so he copies the serial number from the email sent to him and uses it to launch Manifold without an Activation key. He feels he has plenty of time until August 8 to figure out what he wants to do before he needs an Activation key.

John works with several different computers. He installs Manifold on several different machines during the preliminary installation period to see if he needs to make any performance upgrades. He installs Manifold on his notebook computer as well. All of his machines run Windows XP except his notebook computer, which still runs Windows 2000.

After a few days he decides to upgrade his notebook (finally) to Windows XP. To assure a clean install of Windows he reformats the hard disk and installs Windows XP and then he begins reloading his software. He re-installs Manifold, using his serial number. Because it is not yet August 8, John can continue using his serial number to make as many preliminary installations as he wants without needing an Activation key.

As August 8 draws near, John decides that he will use Manifold on his notebook computer and on his new desktop machine at the office. Every day that he launches Manifold the Activation dialog reminds him that he has only a few days left before he must fetch an Activation key. However, John is a procrastinator and gets involved in another project for a few days.

The next time he works with Manifold is on August 12, a few days after the preliminary installation has expired. When Manifold launches it tells John the preliminary installation period has expired and asks him to provide a serial number and Activation key. John realizes it is time to stop procrastinating and to get an Activation key.

John visits the Manifold Activation key web site and uses his serial number to obtain an Activation key. John knows the Activation key is good for only 72 hours so he does not procrastinate this time. He makes use of it right away. John launches Manifold on his notebook computer and enters the Activation key to permanently install Manifold on the notebook. He then launches Manifold on his desktop and enters the Activation key to permanently install Manifold on the desktop. He now has a permanent installation on the two machines (a primary desktop machine and an optional portable computer) allowed him by the Manifold License. After all this he has used only one Activation key. He still has four Activation keys left on his serial number should he ever need to reinstall Manifold.

Because John doesn't want to get confused about where his licensed software is residing (and because he's straight about honoring his software licenses) he takes moment to uninstall Manifold from all the different systems he installed it to while experimenting during the preliminary installation period. No serial number or key is required to install or to uninstall Manifold System: only to launch it.

After a year, a wonderful new version of Windows is released. John installs it on his desktop computer and then re-installs Manifold System as well. He needs another Activation key so he visits the Manifold Activation key web site one more time to get another Activation key. He still has three more Activation keys in case he ever needs to install Manifold again.

After another year, John purchases a new notebook computer. He gets one more Activation key from the Manifold web site and installs Manifold to the new computer. He now has two Activation keys left on his serial number. John's not worried because he knows he will soon upgrade to the next edition of Manifold System, which will get him a new serial number and yet more Activation keys.

Example 2

Jane Doe orders Manifold System via the Online Store.  She receives an email providing her with a serial number.  A few days later her Manifold CD arrives and she installs from the CD.  The first time she launches the product, the Activation dialog pops up asking her for a serial number and Activation key.  She has forgotten about the serial number, but quickly finds it in her email inbox and pastes it into the Activation dialog.   After a few more days she decides to permanently install the package so she gets an Activation key and provides that.

After a few weeks of work, Jane encounters problems with her Windows system where an application she recently installed is not working properly.  She decides to simplify her system to see what could be causing the problem by uninstalling some of the applications she has installed recently.  She uninstalls Manifold using the Windows Control Panel Add / Remove Programs dialog.  She traces the problem to a freeware screen saver utility.  

To re-install Manifold she installs it again from the Manifold CD.  When she launches it, it automatically launches without the need to enter a serial number or an Activation key since Manifold has already been permanently installed on this computer system.  If Jane had re-installed Windows or made other substantial changes (such as rolling back her registry or other major alterations), she would have had to get a new Activation key to re-install Manifold System.

A month or two later Jane notices that a Service Pack (SP) has been published for Manifold System Release 5.00.  She downloads and installs it, following the SP's instructions.  Once again there is no need for Jane to enter a new serial number or Activation key.

I acquired my license and received a serial number more than thirty days ago. Can I still install Manifold System? Yes. You can run Manifold System but you will need both an Activation key and a serial number since the time period available for preliminary installation has already expired.

I received my serial number a long time ago and never got around to installing Manifold. Can I still get an Activation key? Yes. For the purpose of obtaining an Activation key and permanently installing Manifold, serial numbers never expire. As long as you haven't used up the five Activation keys allotted to your serial number, you can always get an Activation key using your serial number.

I tried to get an Activation key with my serial number and the web site would not give me one. Check the obvious first:

• Did you correctly enter the serial number? Use Copy and Paste to avoid typographic errors.
• Has the serial number been used up? You can only get five Activation keys for each serial number at the automated web site. If you or anyone else has been getting Activation keys with that serial number, it could be used up.
• Has the serial number been cancelled? If you did not pay your purchase order or have reversed ("charged back") your credit card payment to Manifold, your serial number has been cancelled. As they say, "no pay, no play!" If your serial number has been published on Internet or has appeared in hacker lists of serial numbers used to steal software, it has also been cancelled.
• Some serial numbers allow a limited period of operation without the ability to obtain an Activation key. Such serial numbers are issued for trial editions or to journalists or other reviewers to allow a limited period of operation. If you have such a serial number the key server will not give you an Activation key. The email granting you the serial number will disclose any such limitations on the serial number.

I tried to visit the Activation web site and got a Javascript error.  Use a browser that functions correctly with Javascript. Just about any recent edition browser will work. Since you must have IE6 installed for Manifold, we suggest using that.

I entered my serial number into the Activation dialog but Manifold will not launch. Check the obvious first:

• Did you correctly enter the serial number? Use Copy and Paste to avoid typographic errors.
• Did you obtain the serial number from Manifold? If you obtained your license and serial number from a third party it might not be a valid serial number.
• Has the preliminary installation period expired? If it is after 30 days from the date the serial number was created you will also need an Activation key to activate Manifold.

I have several Manifold System licenses and serial numbers. Can I freely mix Activation keys? No. Each Activation key will work only with the serial number that was used to obtain it from the Manifold Activation key server.

I entered my serial number and Activation key into the Activation dialog but Manifold will not launch. Check the obvious first:

• Did you correctly enter the serial number and the Activation key? Use Copy and Paste to avoid typographic errors.
• Did you obtain the Activation key from the Manifold Activation key web page? If you obtained your serial number or Activation key from a third party it may not be valid.
• Have 72 hours passed since the time the Activation key was created by the Manifold Activation key web page? If so, the Activation key has expired. You will need to get another Activation key.

I lost my serial number. Can you help? Yes, for a fee. manifold.net keeps track of all serial numbers issued to licensees and probably can fetch a copy of your serial number from the archives. However, a serial number recovery fee may be charged for this service.

Can I transfer a Manifold System license from one computer to another? During the preliminary installation period you can install Manifold System on any computer system using only the serial number. After the preliminary installation period has expired, a license transfer will require normally require reinstalling Manifold System and using an Activation key.

Can I upgrade my computer system without re-installing Manifold? As long as you don't change your hard disk configuration or re-install Windows, probably yes. Simple upgrades where you change the motherboard (without making changes in hard disks), change a graphics card or other simple changes will normally not require a re-installation of Manifold. Some changes in hard disk structure will require re-installation of Manifold and the use of an Activation key. The only way to know for sure is to try. Accordingly, be sure to make any arrangements necessary for getting an Activation key before you commence system upgrades.

Can I upgrade Windows without re-installing Manifold? In most cases, no. Installing a new version of Windows will usually require a re-installation of Manifold and use of an Activation key. Accordingly, be sure to make any arrangements necessary for getting an Activation key before you commence installing a new Windows system.

Can I remove and re-install Manifold without a new Activation key? Yes. Even if you remove Manifold, on the next installation Manifold will know that you have already permanently installed a license to this system, so it will not require a new Activation key.  If Manifold is launching before you remove it (using the Windows Control Panel - Add / Remove Programs dialog), there will be no need for a new Activation key unless you substantially modify Windows (re-installation of Windows, etc.) in the interim.

Can I install a Manifold Service Pack without a new Activation key? Yes.  There will be no need for a new Activation key unless you first remove the old version of Manifold  and then substantially modify Windows (re-installation of Windows, etc.) before re-installing Manifold or installing the Service Pack.

What is a "substantial" change in Windows that requires a new Activation key? Any re-installation of Windows or upgrade to a different edition of Windows will require a new Activation key.  Other major configuration changes (such as Registry configuration) may require a new Activation key. 

Why do serial numbers allow only a limited time period of preliminary installation? This is a measure against software piracy that is designed to allow legitimate licensees to experiment with different machine configurations before they commit to a permanent installation. If you are a legitimate Manifold licensee and you do not procrastinate about using your serial number to experiment with Manifold, you will have plenty of time to sort out your hardware configuration before needing to use an Activation key.

Why do Activation keys have a limited life of 72 hours? Activation keys have a limited life of 72 hours from the time they are issued in order to prevent software piracy. Otherwise, someone could publish a copy of Manifold to the web and provide a serial number and Activation key that would install that package forever. Since an Activation key has a life of 72 hours it is not practical for casual software pirates to publish such a key on a counterfeit Manifold CD or to a hacker web site. By the time the counterfeit CDs are distributed the Activation key will no longer work.

Why are serial numbers limited to five Activation keys? This is an anti-piracy measure. The preliminary installation period allows time to sort out the initial Manifold installation before the first Activation key must be used. After that, four additional keys will allow users to get new keys as they need them should Manifold ever need to be re-installed in the future. Five keys are plenty to allow users to deal with changing system configurations for a single license, but they are not so many that people can afford to be careless with them or to give them away to enable piracy.

I upgrade my computer system frequently and I need more than five Activation keys. What do I do? If you need more than five Activation keys for your serial number, manifold.net is willing to grant you additional keys as reasonably necessary; however, special conditions will apply and the automated key server may not be used. Such special conditions may require you to certify in writing to manifold.net the nature of the circumstances that require so many new installations. In addition, a service fee may be charged to process additional Activation keys.

What is to prevent me from giving my serial number to a four friends who each then obtain an Activation key? If you are willing to break the law, nothing prevents you from doing so except your own self-interest. From a legal perspective, that is a crime and a violation of the License agreement. Engaging in software piracy risks criminal and civil penalties. As a practical matter, it is risky to do because your friends may use up the Activation keys you need yourself. If you ever need an Activation key to re-install Manifold in case your hard disk blows up or if you must re-install Windows, you might not be able to get an Activation key from the key server when you need it most. In addition, whenever you disclose your serial number to anyone else you take the risk that they will not keep it secret. The sort of person who trades serial numbers to commit software piracy is often the sort of person who cannot resist passing on the serial number to yet another friend. Before you know it, your Activation keys could be used up and your serial number could be cancelled by manifold.net, denying you the ability to use Manifold System.

Can I use the same Activation key to install Manifold to more than one system during the 72-hour period the key is enabled? Yes, although it is a violation of your License to simultaneously use the same Manifold license on more than one system at the same time. The License does allow you to install Manifold on both a fixed office machine as well as on a portable computer that is used by you so long as you do not use the license on both machines at the same time. Except for installation on one fixed computer system and one portable machine you may not install Manifold on more than one computer system.

What happens if I run the same license on more than one machine at the same time? Do not violate the License by using the same license on more than one machine at the same time. Manifold System can detect when other instances of the same license are running on machines that are accessible to it. If you use the same license on multiple machines at once, sooner or later Manifold will automatically cancel that serial number and will cease functioning. To foil software pirates who attempt to find and disable such protective measures, this auto-detection function is set to a very long trigger: it could be many weeks or months of simultaneous usage before Manifold decides that "enough is enough" and permanently stops functioning.

My organization needs to use many Manifold licenses. How should I install them? Acquire a license for each machine on which Manifold will run. Because Manifold can be installed without need of an activation key you can install Manifold on all the machines on an assembly line basis. You can then obtain an Activation key for each machine and use it together with the Manifold license serial number for that machine to permanently install Manifold on that machine.

I acquired my Manifold license from a reseller and have not received a serial number. Can manifold.net help me? No. If you acquired your Manifold license from a third party and have not received your serial number you must contact the third party to resolve the difficulty. manifold.net will not intervene in a dispute between you and a third party. manifold.net does not enter into any special agreements with any dealers or distributors to represent the company so any third party who offers to transfer a Manifold license to you is acting on their own.

What happens if my serial number is cancelled? If your serial number is cancelled sooner or later your Manifold System license will cease operating.

If you have not received your serial number email from manifold.net check your email system for obvious errors. Typical errors include:

• You did not provide an email address when you acquired your Manifold license. This happens occasionally when purchasing groups neglect to provide an email address on a Purchase Order. If so, manifold.net is waiting to hear from you to learn what email address you wish to use.
• A nonexistent email address (typographical error or otherwise invalid email address) was supplied to manifold.net.
• You have forgotten to check the inbox for the email address you supplied.
• You accidentally deleted the email without realizing it contained your serial number.
• Your mailbox is over quota and so your ISP is rejecting inbound emails.
• You have not used the email address provided to manifold.net for a long time and so your email provider has suspended it as inactive.
• The email address supplied to manifold.net has been forwarded to a different email address and the forwarding is not working.
• You have changed your email system recently and it is not working (relaying not permitted, etc.) in the new configuration.
• You or your ISP have installed a "spam" filter that is too aggressive and is blocking the emails being sent to you by manifold.net.
• Your or your ISP have installed a virus or other filter that is too aggressive and is blocking manifold.net emails because it thinks they contain scripts or executables (they don't).
• You use Outlook and have applied some mail-handling rules that are deleting inbound messages from manifold.net or moving them to a folder that you do not view.

Professionally produced counterfeit or pirated software is widely available in some countries. However, the use of such software poses risks for the unwary, including the risk that the pirated software package is actually transmitting your location to police authorities.