License activation
Inventor Tools requires a valid license to use the tools. Activation uses a product key provided by MCAD.
When to activate
- During installation: the MSI installer may prompt for a name and key in an initial dialog.
- After installing: use the Activate License button on the MicroCAD ribbon (available with no document open).
Activation from Inventor
Step by step
- Open Inventor without opening a document.
- Go to the MicroCAD tab → Tools panel.
- Click Activate License.
- In the dialog, paste your product key in the text field.
- Click OK or the validation button.
- If the key is valid, you will see a confirmation message.
Screenshot pending: Activate License dialog with key field.
Requirements
| Requirement | Reason |
|---|---|
| Administrator permissions | The key is stored in the system registry (HKLM) |
| Internet connection | Validation contacts the MCAD license server |
Where the license is stored
The key is stored in the Windows registry:
HKLM\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\InventorTools2024
└─ key = [your product key]
Important: If Inventor is running without administrator permissions and activation fails to write to the registry, run Inventor as administrator once to complete activation.
Validation on each session
When Inventor starts, the add-in validates the license in the background against:
https://licensing.mcad.co/api/license/validateInExecution
If the license is invalid or expired, any tool will show:
License is invalid or expired
In that case, use Activate License again with a valid key or contact MCAD support.
Tool without a license
Activate License is the only tool that works without a prior license, because its purpose is to register the key.
Common issues
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| "License is invalid or expired" | Check the key; reactivate with Activate License |
| Key is not saved | Run Inventor as administrator |
| No internet connection | Connect the computer; validation requires access to the server |
For more detail, see Troubleshooting.