AccountEdge Knowledge Base
  • Section: Most Popular
  • Last updated: June 7, 2019, 4:06 p.m.

What is a Machine ID and Why Would It Change

What Is A Machine ID

The AccountEdge software license is designed so that each machine that you install and register the software on requires one license.

AccountEdge 2016 and Later

Beginning with AccountEdge 2016, the Machine ID that AccountEdge uses it built off of information from the Hard Drive. This change is intended to prevent issues of theMachine ID changing when network information for the computer changes. This means that the Machine ID for AccountEdge 2016 is going to be different then the Machine IDfrom any previous version.

The registration process should resolve this without the end user having to do anything. If you have any trouble registering after switching to AccountEdge 2016 pleaseemail service@acclivitysoftware.com

AccountEdge 2015 and Earlier

To identify each individual machine we use something called a Machine ID. The Machine ID is unique to each computer and is built off of the MAC address of the machine.A MAC address is a unique identifier assigned to network interfaces.

AccountEdge looks at the MAC address and determines whether the Machine ID matches the information that was previously registered. If anything has changed it willresult in the machine becoming un-registered.

What Can Cause A Machine ID To Change

The following situations can result in a changed Machine ID:

  • The network adapter changed.
  • The motherboard has been replaced.
  • The network card has been replaced.
  • The way you connect to the network is a USB modem or express card. If you connect this way your Machine ID may only remain the same forthat particular connection instance.
  • The computer is running MAC address cloning software. This is software that runs between our application and the Operating System and it allowsthe machine to report a different MAC address then the network adapter    actually has.
  • Any software that adds a virtual network adapter:
  • Running AccountEdge in a Virtual Machine (such as Virtualbox or VMWare)
  • On Windows some network adapters allow MAC address changing as one of the properties in the adapter's advanced settings. You can findthese settings in the Device Manager.
  • On Macintosh the MAC address can be changed using the terminal. This change will exist until the machine is rebooted.

Determining If A VPN Is Running On Your Windows Machine

To determine if a VPN is running on your Windows machine:

  1. Go to the Start menu
  2. Do a search for run (Windows 7 or 8) or click on run (Windows XP)
  3. You will want to type in msinfo32 (as the program you want to run)
  4. Click on Components > Network > Adapter
  5. Scroll through the list of items that show up. You're looking for key words such as:
    • VPN
    • Juniper
    • OpenVPN
    • Tunnel

These key words may be indicative of having VPN software on your machine and you may want to remove them. We recommend you consult with your IT professionalbefore taking any action.

Managing BlackBerry Link

BlackBerry Link software can change a Machine ID; however, there is a way to prevent it from changing the Machine ID. If a user decides to uninstall theBlackBerry Link software they want to go through the following steps.
  1. If AccountEdge is registered, deactivate it.
  2. Uninstall BlackBerry Link.
  3. Restart the machine.
  4. Restart the machine again.
  5. Register AccountEdge.
  6. ​After you register AccountEdge, you can reinstall the BlackBerry Link software and continue using it going forward.

Resolving the Issue

Removing the offending software (VPN software, Blackberry software, MAC Cloning software) or hardware (not using a USB modem or express card) is the simplest solutionto keep your Machine ID from changing. In situations where this just isn't possible you do have the option of de-registering your software after use - this way youhave a free license to register the next time you open the software. To do this:

On Mac
After you are done using AccountEdge for the day:
  1. Go to the AccountEdge menu from the upper left corner of your screen
  2. Choose "Registration" from the drop down menu
  3. Click the deactivate button
On Windows
After you are done using AccountEdge for the day:
  1. Go to Help from the menu at the top of the screen
  2. Choose "Registration" from the drop down menu
  3. Click the deactivate button

This solution isn't ideal, but it will make it possible to continue using your AccountEdge software when you need to.