SPSS Licensing Issues Including Expired Trial

Owned by Joshua Cantu (Unlicensed)
Jan 25, 2019
2 min read

Problem

You open the software and receive a licensing error or the software states it's a trial.   



NOTE: This type of errors means the license file saved in the installation directory is not valid. The file could be deleted or old and not updated,  you may have even already run the LAW (License Authorization Wizard).
 

Solution

Nearly all licensing issues with SPSS can be fixed by following these steps:


1. Start the IBM SPSS License Authorization Wizard:

  • Windows
  • In the Start menu, select All Programs.
  • In your list of programs, you will see a folder called either SPSS or IBM SPSS Statistics. Open that folder.
  • In that folder, you will see a program called either SPSS License Authorization Wizard or IBM SPSS Statistics License Authorization Wizard.
  • Right-click the License Authorization Wizard icon, and select Run As Administrator.
  • Log in to a Windows user account with full Administrator access rights. (If you do not have a Windows user account with full Administrator rights, please see your local system administrator or technical support provider.)
  • The License Authorization Wizard should then launch.
  • Mac OS X:
  • In your Applications folder, you should see either an IBM folder or an SPSS folder. Open that folder.
  • Inside that folder should be a folder called either SPSS 22, 23, 24 or 25 (depending on your specific version). Open that folder.
  • You should see an application called License Authorization Wizard. Double-click that program.
  • The License Authorization Wizard should then launch.

2. The wizard should display the License Status window, which shows the authorization status for all detected SPSS components. Click Next. 

3. On the Product Authorization window, select the button next to License my product now. Click Next. 

      Do not select concurrent license

4. Enter the authorization code you received in your SPSS order confirmation, then click Next. 

5. If successful, the installer should report "Successfully processed all codes." Click Next. 

6. Click Finish. You have now completed the installation and license the authorization of your 
new SPSS software.


 If the above does not work, you need to rename the bad license file so that it does not interfere with the re-licensing of the SPSS, and then run the LAW one more time

 
Windows Users


1. Go to the folder where Statistics 24 is installed. The default location is C:\Program Files\IBM\SPSS\Statistics\24
2. Look for the "lservrc" file.
3. Right click on this and select ‘Rename’
4. Rename it to "lservrc_old"
5. Run the Statistics License Authorisation Wizard (right click to run as Administrator) and re-licence Statistics 24 with the standalone code.
6. The SPSS Program should now launch without error 

 
Mac Users


1. Open up FINDER
2. Open up the APPLICATIONS folder
3. Open up the IBM folder
4. Open up the SPSS folder
5. Open up the Statistics folder
6. Open up the version of Statistics xx.x (24) depending on the installed version of Statistics)
7. Locate the "SPSSStatistics.app" (application bundle) and bring up the contextual menu of that bundle and choose "Show Package Contents".

NOTE: Depending on how your Mac OS X key board is set up, you will either need to hold the "Control" key or the "Command" key followed by a Click of the mouse to get to the Statistics application bundle.

8. Open up the Contents folder
9. Open up the bin folder
10. Locate and Control Click lservrc and choose Rename, and rename it to "lservrc_old"
11. Run the License Authorization Wizard
12. Re-launch Statistics. The software should now launch without error