Chromatography Forum

Dear all,

we are using an old Windows XP PC with "EZChrome Elite" for operating a VWR "LaChrom Elite" HPLC.

I recently changed something on the Computer by trying to install a network printer and thereby somehow activating the Windows XP homegroup. When I wanted to open the instruments in the EZChrome software, it told me "Unable to open the instrument because there are no licences available. Please contact the system administrator."

Now I found the "Key" software that is a part of EZChrome, that manages licences. The Problem is, that this software is using a licence file (which I have), then a serial number, which I also have and typed in. Then it gives out a "request code" that I then can send to Agilent and they send back the "enable code". The Problem is with our old licence file, now a new request code is generated and thus the old "enable code" that I got doesn't work. The software is not anymore supported, so I cannot get a new enable code my agilent.

Is there anything that can be done to get the old "request code" back, so my old "enable code" would fit again? I know it is quite desperate, but I am a little frustrated that I cannot use this machine because of the "enable code".

Also, I don't even know the (still supported) alternatives for this software and my old HPLC.

Any advice is highly appreciated

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Any advice is highly appreciated

This advise won't solve your present problem but will protect you from similar situations in the future. Always have an image of your HDD and backup your system from time to time.

Thanks for that advice aswell. Sadly, I had just started an image-backup routine for our newer machines and wanted to do the XP-machines this week. So of course backup makes sense before applying major change, but I just had not anticipated that installing a printer would shake up the system this badly. Well, lesson learned!