ChemDraw Profession version 17 activation?

[lynnaj]

Does anyone have this working? And, if working, what are you doing?

Apparently, what worked for version 16 is no longer working on the new 17 version. Both the Mac OS version and the windows version has a different activation process. I have the windows side working but the Mac version is proving more difficult.

Initial questions to their support team say it is only a manual activation on each mac. Since I have upwards of 350 macs to put this on, manual activation isn't an option! I am hoping to engage with their engineers for a better solution and wondering if anyone here has already figured something out.

[mconners]

Hello @lynnaj I have it working here at our college. The main thing I recall is on Windows, there usually is an override code that is used to acquire the new license. On the Mac, I simply used Composer to snapshot the install. I believe I used an serial number and NOT the activation number and I believe it all worked. We also had the use a user name and the college name when using the serial number. I can tell you I made it way more difficult than it needed to be.

Again, snapshot install using Composer. If this doesn't help @lynnaj, let me know. I can attempt to go through the process here again and let you know if there is anything different I had to do.

mconners@madisoncollege.edu

[lynnaj]

Thanks @mconners . At this point all I have is an activation code and I don't have the serial number and user name. I'll have to see if I can get that somehow from the person that downloaded the installer for me.

[lynnaj]

I have just been told by ChemDraw support that serial numbers are no longer supported in version 17. Their product team management has confirmed once again that currently these is no bulk activation process available on Mac OS. Each mac has to be individually activated. However, their management is aware this is an issue and they will, hopefully, get back to me with a solution.

[mconners]

Good Afternoon @lynnaj I will load up a Mac with the package I created of chemdraw 17.1 to verify the process I used actually works. If it does, I could send you a quick overview on how I created this. I think they could be wrong on the serial number piece, but let me verify stuff first.

[mconners]

Hello again @lynnaj well, it turns out, my previous installation that WAS working is NOT working now. Thank you for alerting me to this. Again like you mentioned, it is the silly activation piece. I think somehow, the previous Macs I were testing on had been activated. I will have to go back through this next week when I am in.

Sorry this didn't work out as I had hoped but I am thankful you had discovered this as I was totally under the impression everything was fine.

[jbestine]

@lynnaj thank-you for discovering this! You just saved me hours of trying to figure out why this isn't working. I also contacted the product team who confirmed. Hopefully someone in management will get it together and remedy this.

[cvangorp]

I too have tried this and it is not working. I have contacted Chemdraw support but only get the canned response that there is no bulk activation available for mac. My reply said that wasn't going to work but still got the same canned response. In other words their support has been NO help.

[irobinso]

Has anyone had success bulk activating ChemDraw 17.1 in the month since this was last discussed?

I have a ticket open with their support team, but based on this thread, I don't expect I'll get a useful response.

[mconners]

Hello @irobinso I have not found a way to do this. We ended up installing it on our chemistry laptops and we have the lab coordinator in chemistry activating each computer's ChemDraw. A real pain, but at least have some boots on the ground in chemistry willing to help us out.