Mathcad Prime 9 - Reacquiring license

[SteveH.]

I work from home periodically and access my company's network via VPN. Normally this arrangement works fine with Mathcad Prime.  However, every 24 hours my VPN connection times-out and has to be reconnected due to IT settings.  If I leave Mathcad with a worksheet open overnight, then the next day I find that Mathcad has switched to Express mode.  Even after I reattach to the VPN, Mathcad remains in the limited functionality mode.  I have to go through the licensing procedure, re-entering the license server name each day to get back to full functionality. 

Is there a way to get Mathcad to notice that the license server is available again and reacquire a license automatically?  (I also use Creo Parametric, and it does this very thing.)

[VladimirN]

Articles:

• "[Knowledge Hub] Working remotely with Creo / Mathcad": https://www.ptc.com/en/support/article/CS322270
• "How to access Flexnet based PTC products via VPN": https://www.ptc.com/en/support/article/CS119513

[SteveH.]

@VladimirN, thank you for the article suggestions.  Unfortunately they do not seem to address the problem that I have.

[MartinHanak]

Hi,

as explained in https://www.ptc.com/en/support/article/CS82373 article, you can borrow license for 7 days. When license is borrowed you do not need to have access to license server.

[SteveH.]

License borrowing might be a viable workaround. But remembering to do it, and then remembering to return the license if not in use, are two challenges for me.  I'm hopeful that PTC will address this and implement a means of automatically reacquiring licenses the same way that Creo Parametric does.

[MartinHanak]

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@SteveH. wrote:

License borrowing might be a viable workaround. But remembering to do it, and then remembering to return the license if not in use, are two challenges for me.  I'm hopeful that PTC will address this and implement a means of automatically reacquiring licenses the same way that Creo Parametric does.

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Hi,

do not expect that PTC will resolve "your problem". This is because you are the only one having the problem -AND- because there is one build of every Mathcad Prime release, only.

[SteveH.]

Yes, you are probably right. 😞

[Perez · Accepted solution]

I understand the inconvenience you are experiencing with Mathcad Prime's switch to Express mode when your VPN connection times out. At present, Mathcad does not automatically reacquire the license once it has switched to Express mode due to network disruptions.

One potential workaround for this could be setting up a reminder or habit to close Mathcad at the end of your workday, before your VPN connection times out. This way, when you launch Mathcad the next day and reestablish the VPN connection, it should connect to the license server properly and operate in full functionality mode.

Alternatively, if your IT team is able to change the VPN settings to allow for longer or perpetual connections, that could solve the issue as well.

I would also recommend bringing this issue up with Mathcad's support team or the developers directly. They might be able to provide a more direct solution or possibly implement a feature in future updates that would automatically reacquire the license after a network disruption.

In the meantime, I know these workarounds are not ideal and appreciate your patience as we all navigate these challenges.