Troubleshooting License Activation Issues (Invalid License ID.)
This article details common reasons why the license validation may fail within our Publisher. If you’re facing a license activation error similar to below, this will be the guide for you!
Almost all license validation issues are related to proxy and web filters.
Topics covered in this article:
Step 1: Validate You are Using the Correct License key
The first step is to validate you are using the correct license key. When you receive your full-trial or customer license email, it will contain your 20 character license key. Here’s an example of a license key email.
Enter the license key you received in the License Information section of the General tab and select Validate.
If the license validation is successful, it should look like the image below.
Step 2: Are You Using A Proxy?
If a proxy is required for internet access within your environment, you will need to configure it from the Advanced tab’s and apply the new settings.
If a proxy is configured, restart the Publisher for the changes to take effect.
You will also need to confirm if proxy authentication is required. If so, the Use Authentication must be checked and a login configured.
Step 3: Web Filters and Firewalls
The most common issue with license activation is web filters such as firewalls, DNS filtering, or other security appliances blocking the web request. For the license to be validated, please ensure the following traffic is allowed through any web filters, and review any blocked request to the domains listed below.
| Domain | Reason | Port | Protocol |
|---|---|---|---|
| patchmypc.com | Catalog download | 443 | https |
| api.patchmypc.com | Licensing validation | 443 | https |
| portal.patchmypc.com | Cloud Services | 443 | https |
| us.portal.patchmypc.com | Cloud Services | 443 | https |
| eu.portal.patchmypc.com | Cloud Services | 443 | https |
| *.windows.net | Cloud Services | 443 | https |
| login.microsoftonline.com | Cloud Services | 443 | https |
| *.digicert.com | CRL checking | 80 | http |
| timestamp.digicert.com | timestamp | 80 | http |
| ocsp.digicert.com | timestamp | 80 | http |
Note: Depending on firewall restrictions, you may need to whitelist other domains for third-party content downloads for vendors in our catalog. For a full list of domains, please see List of Domains for Whitelisting when Using Patch My PC’s Catalog
You can download the Microsoft tool PortQryUI to perform a test to verify access to the domains listed above. Once downloaded, run portqueryui.exe. In the screenshot below we entered patchmypc.com for the domain, and 443 for the port over TCP. The result should show listening if there are no firewalls blocking traffic.
Step 4: Verify the patchmypc.com SSL Certificate is Trusted
If trusted root certificate updates are disabled via windows update, the SSL certificate used for patchmypc.com may not be trusted.
On the server running the publishing service, open up internet explorer and navigate to https://patchmypc.com/. In the address bar, check the certificate lock to see if it’s trusted.
Click the lock icon then click View certificate
Click the Certificate Path and validate the certificate for patchmypc.com is trusted.
If the certificate is not trusted, import the root certificates for DigiCert so the certificate is trusted.