License Activation Issues

If you’re having trouble activating your license, this guide covers all common scenarios and solutions.

Trial vs Full License

Feature	Trial Mode	Full License
All features available	Yes	Yes
Session time limit	15 minutes per session	Unlimited
Sessions per day	Unlimited	Unlimited
License key required	No	Yes
Internet required	No	For initial activation and periodic verification

Trial mode is a great way to test DR Sim Manager with your hardware before purchasing. Each trial session lasts 15 minutes with all features available. When the session expires, the application closes — you can relaunch at any time to start another 15-minute session.

Common Activation Problems

“Invalid license key” error

Double-check that you entered the key exactly as received, in the format: DRSM-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX.
Make sure there are no extra spaces before or after the key.
Verify that the email address matches the one used when purchasing the license.
Check that you haven’t accidentally swapped similar-looking characters (e.g., letter O vs. number 0, letter I vs. number 1).
If you received your key by email, try copying and pasting it directly rather than typing it manually.

“Machine limit reached” error

Your license can be activated on up to 2 machines at a time. If you’ve reached the limit, the activation dialog will offer to automatically deactivate your oldest machine so you can activate on your current one.

You can also manually manage your machines:

Right-click any dock or window title bar.
Select Manage License…
View your active machines and click Deactivate next to any machine you no longer use.

Common scenarios for hitting the machine limit:

You reinstalled Windows or made a major hardware change (new motherboard) — the system sees this as a new machine.
You activated on a friend’s PC to test and forgot to deactivate.
You have both a desktop and a laptop and want to add a third machine.

“License expired” message

This means the periodic online license verification has failed because your machine has been offline for more than 30 days. DR Sim Manager works fully offline for up to 30 days after the last successful verification.

How to fix: Simply connect to the internet and launch DR Sim Manager. Your license will refresh automatically. No re-entry of your license key is needed.

“License invalid” error

This can occur if:

The license file on your machine is corrupted.
Your license has been revoked (e.g., due to a chargeback or refund).
There’s a mismatch between the stored license data and the server.

How to fix:

Navigate to C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Local\DRSimManager.
Delete the license file (drsm.lic).
Relaunch DR Sim Manager.
Re-enter your license key and email in the activation dialog.
If the error persists, contact support — your license may need to be reissued.

“Needs activation” / Activation dialog keeps appearing

If the activation dialog appears every time you launch, even after successfully activating:

The license file may not be saving correctly. Check that your antivirus isn’t blocking write access to C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Local\DRSimManager\.
Add the DRSimManager data folder as an exclusion in your antivirus.
Make sure you have write permissions to the folder.

Internet Connection Requirements

Initial activation: Requires internet to verify and activate your license key.
Periodic verification: DR Sim Manager contacts the license server periodically to verify your license. This happens automatically in the background.
Offline grace period: The app works fully offline for up to 30 days after the last successful verification. After 30 days offline, you’ll need to connect to the internet.
Corporate firewalls/VPNs: If you’re behind a corporate firewall or VPN, make sure outbound HTTPS connections are allowed. DR Sim Manager communicates with its license server over standard HTTPS (port 443).

Machine Limit and Management

Your license supports activation on up to 2 machines simultaneously. Here’s how to manage them:

Viewing Your Active Machines

Right-click any dock or window title bar in DR Sim Manager.
Select Manage License…
You’ll see a list of your active machines.

Deactivating a Machine

From the Manage License screen, click Deactivate next to the machine you want to remove. This frees up a slot for a new machine.

Automatic Deactivation

When you try to activate on a new machine and you’ve reached the limit, the activation dialog offers to automatically deactivate your oldest machine. This is the quickest way to move your license to new hardware.

Hardware Changes

If you make significant hardware changes (like replacing your motherboard), your machine may be seen as a new device. In this case:

Try activating normally — if you have a free slot, it will activate on the “new” machine.
If the limit is reached, use the automatic deactivation option to remove the old machine identity.

Using Trial Mode

If you can’t resolve an activation issue immediately, you can still use DR Sim Manager in trial mode:

Launch DR Sim Manager.
When the activation dialog appears, click Continue Trial.
Each trial session lasts 15 minutes with all features available.
When the session expires, the application closes.
Relaunch to start another 15-minute session — there’s no limit on the number of trial sessions.

Purchasing a License

If you don’t have a license key yet:

Visit departedreality.com to purchase a license.
You’ll receive your license key by email after purchase.
Enter it in DR Sim Manager’s activation dialog.

You can also click Purchase a License from the activation dialog in DR Sim Manager, which opens the purchase page in your browser.

Contact Support

If none of the above solutions resolve your issue, contact support:

Email: info@departedreality.com
Discord: Departed Reality Discord

When contacting support, please include:

Your license key (or the first 8 characters if you prefer not to share the full key)
The exact error message you’re seeing
Your operating system version
Any relevant log entries (see DR Sim Manager Won’t Start Anymore for log file location)

For full details on licensing, see Licensing & Activation.