topic Re: ??License - can I not have several 27, 28 and 29 Loaded on one machine and be restricted to run in Installation & update

??License - can I not have several 27, 28 and 29 Loaded on one machine and be restricted to run only

Eric Milberger — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 02:45:26 GMT

I own two license and one Desktop and one Laptop

I assume I can download a license to each device and be able to install multiple versions on each device. AS I can not do this with the cloud license. Right now only my PC is recognized but My Mac Laptop is not

Re: ??License - can I not have several 27, 28 and 29 Loaded on one machine and be restricted to run

Lingwisyer — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 02:56:52 GMT

What do you mean by not recognised? As in you cannot see the licence on your laptop? Why type of licence is it? Is the licence manager up to date on your laptop?

Ling.

Re: ??License - can I not have several 27, 28 and 29 Loaded on one machine and be restricted to run

Barry Kelly — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 03:24:20 GMT

A license can only be loaded on one machine at a time.

It doesn't matter if it is hardware, software or cloud license.

You load it on the machine and then you can open any number of Archicads (27, 28 & 29) on that machine (or as many as your machine memory permits).

But if you want to use another machine, you must transfer that license to that machine.

Which means you can no longer use it on the first machine.

However, if you have 2 licenses, then that allows you to use the second license on the second machine, while keeping the first license on the first machine.

Hardware and software licenses are easy, you just load the license onto the machine.

Cloud licenses are a little different as they are associated to your Graphisoft ID that you sign in with in Archicad.

If your cloud licenses are 'Floating' licenses, I am not sure if that will allow you to use the same Graphisoft ID on 2 machines and have it load one license to each machine.

Or whether it will still force you to release the license from the other machine as you start the second one.

You can 'Name' a cloud license to work with a particular person in your company group.

I am not sure if you can associate both licenses to the same user though, or maybe you need to set up two Graphisoft IDs and associate one license to each.

Then log in with the different Graphisoft IDs on each machine.

The cloud license are good in that they will tell you if you need to release the license from the first machine so you can use the second.

And it can then be done remotely from that second machine.

This works perfectly fine so long as you are not trying to work on both machines at the same time.

Every time you jump from one machine to the other, it will ask for you to release the license from the other machine.

Perfectly safe (but make sure you keep saving your files).

It won't shut down Archicad on the other machine, and it will allow you to save if you haven't done so, or you can release the license from the other machine and carry on.

I am not very experienced with the cloud licenses, which is why I am not sure if you can run two machines with the same Graphisoft ID.

You can certainly do it with a second Graphisoft ID, you are just creating a second user in your company.

Barry.

Re: ??License - can I not have several 27, 28 and 29 Loaded on one machine and be restricted to run

Eric Milberger — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 03:35:33 GMT

No just me with two license Want to save a license for someone else.

It is odd to be required to use a laptop for travel and a desktop while at home. My other cad software restrict you when you sign in so that I can have it on a office tower, laptop and home computer but only use it with one email. It checks if one is open under my email and that's that. a lot simpler. When I hire someone this will become an issue

Re: ??License - can I not have several 27, 28 and 29 Loaded on one machine and be restricted to run

Lingwisyer — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 05:51:51 GMT

So... what type of licence are they? Is that "I can not do this with the cloud license" a statement about the situation or a comment on the alterative licence option?

Regarding other software licencing, some allow you to run the program concurrently on multiple machines upto the limit of your licence, two machines for some, three for others, maybe more. AC's licencing on the other hand only allows usage on a single machine at a time, so if you or your hire want to use AC on another machine, a licence will need to be available.

I keep having to remind people to release their licence when they are done with it...

If your cloud licenses are 'Floating' licenses, I am not sure if that will allow you to use the same Graphisoft ID on 2 machines and have it load one license to each machine.

Would hope that it reserves another available licence... Major flaw if it does not and forces you to release the first licence...

Ling.

Re: ??License - can I not have several 27, 28 and 29 Loaded on one machine and be restricted to run

Barry Kelly — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 05:32:50 GMT

Archicad will only allow one license to be active on one machine at any one time.

If you have a laptop for travel and a desktop for the office, it is very unlikely you will be using both at the same time, so you only need one cloud license.

A floating cloud license will automatically release from the machine within 30 minutes of closing Archicad.

A named (or associated) license will remain active on a machine even after you close Archicad.

In either case if it has not been released, then the second machine will automatically ask you to release the license from the first machine when you try to start Archicad.

So you can remotely release the license from the first machine without even needing access to that machine.

Then use it on the second machine.

The same will happen when you go back to the first machine, it will ask you to release the license from the second machine if it has not been automatically released.

Barry.