Licensing FAQs

Q: How is ComponentOne licensed?

A: A valid license is required for any individual who uses ComponentOne components or controls to design, develop, compile, or build applications in Microsoft Visual Studio. Additionally, any machine used to build applications that include ComponentOne components must be properly licensed.

Any individual working with code generated by a ComponentOne component or control must also hold a valid license. There are no restrictions on application distribution. Applications may be distributed in unlimited quantities on a royalty-free basis. Licensing requirements apply exclusively to design-time usage.

Q: How does the ComponentOne subscription work?

A: ComponentOne is licensed per developer on an annual subscription basis. Upon purchase, you receive a one-year subscription that entitles you to the latest software versions and updates. During the active subscription period, you may build and publish unlimited .NET applications using ComponentOne controls.

If your subscription expires:

• You may no longer build, compile, or update applications.

• Applications published during the active subscription period remain fully licensed and do not expire.

Renewing your subscription extends your license for an additional year, allowing continued development, access to new releases, and ongoing technical support.

Q: Can I use licensed components on a build server?

A: Yes. A ComponentOne subscription allows activation of a serial key on up to two development machines. This allocation is intended to include a standard build machine used within your development lifecycle. If multiple developers share a single build machine, only one developer is required to activate the machine using their serial key.

To license a build machine or server, you must install the ComponentOne controls using either the C1ControlPanel installer or NuGet packages. This installation includes the MESCIUS License Manager tool (sa3client.exe or gclm.exe), which must be used to activate the serial key on the build machine. For detailed instructions, refer to Activating a Serial Key.

Q: What is activation?

A: Activation is the process used by MESCIUS to verify the authenticity of a serial key and to ensure that it is used within the permitted number of licensed machines. Activation is performed using the MESCIUS License Manager tool (sa3client.exe or gclm.exe). The activation process does not collect personal information beyond limited system-level data, including IP address, city, country, machine name, and operating system.

Q: Is any personal information collected during the activation process?

A: No personal information is collected during activation, aside from limited system-level data such as IP address, city, country, machine name, and operating system.

Q: Is there a limit to the number of activations per serial key?

A: Yes. The default activation limit is two (2) machines per serial key. This typically covers a primary development machine and either a secondary device (such as a laptop) or a build server.

Q: What happens if I have used all permitted activations and need to activate another computer?

A: You may deactivate an existing machine using the MESCIUS License Manager tool by selecting the Deactivate option. This removes the license from that machine and frees an activation for reuse. After deactivation, you may activate another machine using the Activate Serial Key option within the same tool. If you are unable to deactivate any currently licensed machines, you will need to purchase additional licenses.

For activating keys dynamically with build agents, refer Licensing Applications On Docker with Pipeline.

Q: How do I activate products on a machine without internet access?

A: Refer to the  Offline Activation for detailed instructions on activating products in an offline environment.

Q: If I redistribute ComponentOne controls within my application, do my end-users need a licence?

A: No. Activation is required only for developers who install and use ComponentOne controls during development. End users of distributed applications are not required to activate or obtain a license.

Q: Can I license older versions of ComponentOne with a new serial key?

A: Yes. Your active ComponentOne subscription entitles you to use any older version of the product. This is useful for maintaining applications that cannot upgrade to the latest version. Because our licensing tools have changed over the years, you may need to follow additional steps to license older versions with new serial keys. See License Old Products with New Serial Key.

Q: Can I license new ComponentOne controls with an old serial number?

A: Your ComponentOne subscription includes all updates and versions released during the one-year subscription period. If your subscription remains active, you may use your existing serial key with the current version of the controls.

If you encounter licensing issues, you may attempt to reactivate your serial key using the ComponentOne Control Panel (C1ControlPanel). Refer to Activating a Serial Key for further guidance.

Q: I have an expired license on my machine and my application did not license properly. What should I do?

A: Applications built and published during your active subscription period do not expire and may continue to be distributed.

However, once your subscription expires:

• You may not build, compile, or update applications.

• A 30-day grace period is provided during which compilation is permitted with notification screens.

Renewing your subscription extends your license for an additional year, allowing continued development, access to new releases, and ongoing technical support.

Q: How do I find my ComponentOne product version?

A: The product version is identified in the package or assembly version number and is determined by the third numeric segment.

The third number encodes the product release year and version:

• The first four digits indicate the release year.

• The fifth digit indicates the version within that year (v1, v2, v3).

• The final number represents the build number.

The first two numbers typically indicate the framework version and may vary depending on whether the product targets .NET Framework, .NET, or .NET Standard.

Examples

Some licensing instructions apply only to specific product versions. Always confirm the product version before following version-specific licensing guidance.