How do I activate MATLAB without an internet connection?

How do I activate MATLAB on a computer that is not connected to the internet (i.e. how do I activate manually)?

Answer 1

[MathWorks Support Team]

Before you can activate MATLAB on a computer that is not connected to the internet, you must obtain your Host ID and possibly your login name, depending on your license type.

To obtain your Host ID, follow the instructions in this article:

What is a Host ID? How do I find my Host ID in order to activate my license?

http://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/101892

Login Name is required for Individual or Student licenses. To obtain your Login Name, follow the instructions in this article:

How do I find my computer username in order to activate my license?

http://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/96800

After obtaining your Host ID and/or Login Name:

1. Go to the License Center: https://www.mathworks.com/mwaccount
2. Click the license number you wish to activate under "My Software." If you do not see your license number, click "View additional Licenses or Trials" in the bottom right hand corner.
3. Click the "Install and Activate" tab
4. Click "Activate to Retrieve License File" or "Activate a Computer"
5. Enter the release you are activating, as well as the operating system, the host ID, the Computer Login Name, and the Activation Label
6. Download the license file and copy the File Installation Key
7. Launch the MATLAB activation client and select "Activate manually without the internet."
8. Browse to the license file
9. Select finish
10. Start MATLAB

You need to be a License Administrator to activate a network license. Please is the following article for more information:

How do I activate MATLAB?

http://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/99457-how-do-i-activate-matlab

However, instead of selecting "Activate automatically using the internet," select "Activate manually without the internet" and provide the path to the license file you downloaded earlier. This completes the activation process.

[Dave Haans]

Following these steps:

*Go to the License Center: https://www.mathworks.com/licensecenter If activating a trial, click on "Licenses" in the orange drop-down menu and select "Trials, Prereleases and Betas" instead Select your license number.

There is no orange drop-down menu. But, I can select the license number.

*Go to the "Activation and Installation" tab.

There is no "Activation and Installation" tab. It is "Install and Activate"

*Click on the "Activate" button.

There is no "Activate" button. There is an "Download Installer" button, but I've already done this.

*In the pop-up window, enter your Host ID, Login Name if applicable, and Activation Label if desired.

There is no way to enter this information.

*Download your license file or email it to yourself.

There is no way to download a license file.

*If you need to install MATLAB in addition to activating it, save your File Installation Key. The File Installation Key is not required to activate an instance of MATLAB that is already installed.

I only have a File Activation Key.

Could you please post instructions that apply to your website and actually work? This is my second day trying to install a paid for and properly licensed software.

Help?

[Josh Miltz]

Exact same problem here.

[Annik]

From my experience, saving the installer files and trying to use the license file never works. Always login to the website and select download and install option to run the installer. You must then use the login with your credentials method to activate and install. This especially true of multi-user licenses.

[Koray Erer]

Hi. After clicking "Activate to Retrieve License File", R2007b is just not there! The earliest is 2008a. What to do now? Thanks in advance.

[Scott]

In R2007b and earlier, there is no activation, and MATLAB is installed using a Personal License Passcode or "PLP." Your license administrator can provide you with a PLP. If you are the administrator of your license and have lost your PLP, please contact MathWorks Support to get a replacement:

http://www.mathworks.com/support/contact_us

[Naitik Shah]

I do not have a valid host Id as my default network card is burnt and using an external interface to connect to internet. Please let me know how can i skip the host id step

[Walter Roberson]

Naitik Shah, please contact Mathworks for free installation support.

[Robert Simtea]

HI i used MATLAB for school only so i usualy get trials...last time i activated a licence was 3 months ago and today i tried to to activate it again and i couldnt...i log in on mathworks site i go to licence but nowere i have animore the install and activate option. i tried to do it with my account but i get error 1.731. i have matlab 2017a. What should i do?

[Walter Roberson]

The known causes of error 1 are:

error -1: cannot find or read license file https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/101018-why-do-i-receive-license-manager-error-1; or PLP misentered or for wrong version https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/94774-why-do-i-receive-an-error-1-after-entering-my-plp-during-a-windows-installation-of-matlab; or MAC problems https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/100235-why-can-t-i-activate-matlab-or-start-the-license-manager-in-a-newer-linux-environment#answer_220657

However perhaps you have error 1731, in which case see https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/140155-why-do-i-receive-error-1731-during-activation#answer_143598

(And your trial has probably expired, as trials are 30 or 60 days. You should be purchasing Student Version or Student Suite.)

[Yuteng Lu]

I come across a new problem.How can I deal with it?

[Colin Fraser]

Hi,

You can refer to the article below.

https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/98390

If you are still experiencing this issue, please contact MathWorks support:

http://www.mathworks.com/support/contact_us/

-Colin Fraser

[Luis Sanchez]

Once I have downloaded the license file, which is the file installation key inside the file?

[Colin Fraser]

The File Installation Key would not be in the license file.

To retrieve a File Installation Key for a license which is already activated:

1. Log into the License Center here: http://www.mathworks.com/licensecenter
2. Click on the desired license
3. Select the "Install and Activate" tab
4. Click the blue arrow under "Get License File"
5. If you do not see the activated machine and blue arrow, press "Update License File" to open the correct menu
6. Select a release
7. Specify that the software is not yet installed
8. The File Installation Key will appear on this screen

Answer 2

[Nathan Goedeke]

I solved the issue mentioned in the comments: DO NOT run the Matlab Activation Client

Matlab must have changed the activation client GUI but never bothered to update their FAQ.

After you complete steps 1-8 in the official answer, do the following additional steps:

1. Copy the downloaded liscence file to the following directory (using Windows): C:\Program Files (x86)\MATLAB\{version}\licenses
2. Delete any other liscence file already in that directory

Now you can start Matlab, and this time the activation client will not run. You do not, repeat, DO NOT need to run the activation client.

[Ryan Hultquist]

You sir are a genius

[James Brundage]

This saved me! Worked perfect.

[Anil Kunnappillil Madhusudhanan]

Thank you very much. This worked wonderfully, whereas the instructions from MATLAB did not work. Amazing.

Answer 3

[Amy Meader]

I would seriously like customer service or help center or whomever to try and follow your own directions. I give up.

[cltc helpdesk]

me as well

[Sergey Gavrilets]

Ditto (directions don't work)

[Justin Ghetti]

Hi,

If you are still experiencing this issue, please contact MathWorks support:

http://www.mathworks.com/support/contact_us/

-Justin

Answer 4

[omar ElewA]

in the second step where is "my software" or where is "View additional Licenses or Trials" ?? you are telling things that are not exist I'm spending one hour for installing this program and no progress

[Kyle Perry]

Hello,

You should see the license right on that page that is linked on step one. If you have several licenses and do not see it, then there will be a "View additional licenses or trials" button. If you need assistance please contact MathWorks Support.

www.mathworks.com/support/contact_us

Answer 5

[Thomas Vincent]

Note that the host ID for matlab 2008b (and most surely up to matlab 2013), is resolved from the MAC of eth0 (and no other) on linux.

Recent linux have different interface name instead of eth0.

To rename the interface, follow this: https://www.itzgeek.com/how-tos/mini-howtos/change-default-network-name-ens33-to-old-eth0-on-ubuntu-16-04.html.

It is not indicated, but you should reboot after reconfiguring grub at the end of the instructions.

Answer 6

[yingrong luo]

For student in china，maybe you can try using VPN

Answer 7

[ANA TERESA HERNÁNDEZ MALAGÓN]

Hi,

I can't install MATLAB following these ofline instructions.

I've got a license.lic. Where I have to put license.lic file? in _temp_matlab_R2019a_win64 folder?

After write my File Installation Key it shows next message:

'Using a File Installation Key requires you run the installer from a MATLAB DVD or from a directory which contains files previously downloaded via the installer.

To obtain the missing files, click Back on the previous screen and select Log in with a MathWorks Account or contact your MATLAB license administrator. '

What can I do?

Thanks,

Ana

[Nathan Goedeke]

Hey Ana,

Scroll up to see my comment on this post, I believe that should be the solution to your issue. If you can't find it, let me know and I'll copy it here.

Nathan

[ANA TERESA HERNÁNDEZ MALAGÓN]

Hi Nathan,

Thanks so much for your fast answer.

I've just try to put my license.lic file in C:\Program Files (x86)\MATLAB\{version}\licenses and restart installation process. But after introducing the File Installation Key and press Next button an error dialog shows again:

'Using a File Installation Key requires you run the installer from a MATLAB DVD or from a directory which contains files previously downloaded via the installer.

To obtain the missing files, click Back on the previous screen and select Log in with a MathWorks Account or contact your MATLAB license administrator. '

Regards,

Ana

[Walter Roberson]

MATLAB has two installers. The first one is responsible for downloading files, but in itself is not able to install. One of the files downloaded by the first installer is the second installer, which is able to install.

You are trying to do the installation by running the first installer. You have to look inside the files that were downloaded and run the installer that is there.

[ANA TERESA HERNÁNDEZ MALAGÓN]

Hi,

I've downloaded matlab_R2019a_win64.exe. Inside there are 2 setup.exe files (\ & \bin\), both of them do the same actions.

I can't find the second installer that you said.

[Walter Roberson]

matlab_R2019a_win64.exe is the first installer. It needs to be run to download the files. One of the files it downloads into the directory with all of the .zip files will be setup.exe, and that can execute with no internet connection.

[ANA TERESA HERNÁNDEZ MALAGÓN]

That I've said in may last comment, i've tried with both setup.exe aflter run matlab_R2019a_win64.exe and the result is the same. I

[Walter Roberson]

Contact Mathworks for free installation support.

[ANA TERESA HERNÁNDEZ MALAGÓN]

Thanks a lot to all people. You're great :)

My original problem was that https://es.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/92634-why-do-i-get-a-connection-error-when-installing-or-activating-matlab-or-another-mathworks-product?s_tid=ab_new_mlc_ans_email_view#answer_401371

I thouth tha i can install it in an other way (using a license file), but I was wrong, because I didn't have all the necessary files.

I've solved my original problem using that: https://es.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/446396-cannot-install-matlab-on-my-windows-10-laptop?s_tid=answers_rc1-2_p2_BOTH

Regards

Answer 8

[Zhiyuan Liu]

No offence, But I find a lot of pirate version of MATLAB installation guide much more easy to follow.

And they have a much higher successful rate!!

Although I have a license.

[Walter Roberson]

Pirate versions only have to deal with one license type and one installation situation.

Answer 9

[Eliza Roxana OPRESCU]

Why am I have to activate every time when I try to launch MATLAB and it never starts?

When i try to acces Matlab, it asked me to activate every time..after the activate module is complete the program never starts...

[Nathan Goedeke]

Hey Eliza,

I had the same issue you did earlier, and my solution is one I posted earlier on this thread:

1. Copy the downloaded liscence file to the installation folder, i.e. C:\Program Files (x86)\MATLAB\{version}\licenses
2. Delete any existing liscence files already in that folder

This will prevent the activation client from popping up again.

Nathan