Activating a certificate

To allow end users to upgrade to a certificate other than the default one, you can either provide them with a registration key or offer online activation. A registration key unlocks a registered certificate (and its feature that can be configured with security profiles), while online activation involves downloading the key from a remote server.

HTML Executable offers two activation methods to activate a certificate. To choose a method, go to the Certificate Manager, double-click on a certificate and choose the "Activation Properties" tab as shown below:

🔑 Registration Key

End users need a registration key to unlock a registered certificate. After purchase, you generate a registration key using HTML Executable (with the Make Key button in the Certificate Manager) or with a key generator script, and provide it to the user. The nag screen prompts the user to enter their registration key upon program startup.

ℹ️ About hardware-locked keys

For added security, you can create hardware-locked keys that tie the certificate to a specific system. This prevents unauthorized distribution of keys. Users must provide their system ID when placing an order, and the key generator incorporates this system ID.

🌐 Online Activation

Online activation enables control over who can run the ebook and on which computer. It requires a remote server with the free HTML Executable Activation Kit or an active account with Protect Ebook .net. Registration information is downloaded directly from the server by the publication.

You have to provide the URL to the activation kit installed on your server. For instance, if you installed the activation kit in a subfolder named "activation", the URL will be `http://www.yourdomain.com/activation/`

Secure connection thanks to TLS/SSL is supported by HTML Executable, you can use URLs that begin with https://

💡 Manual Registration

In case some users don't have an active internet connection, you can enable manual registration. This method works similar to registration keys, allowing users without internet access to enter their key offline.

⚠️ Note: Ensure that you are prepared to handle manual registration requests from users without an internet connection.

Please refer to the relevant topics for more details and instructions.

🔗 See also: How to Make Keys and How to Deliver Keys Online Instantly with PayPal, Protect Ebook.net Activation Kit, Deactivating A Certificate.