Preface
The File Installation Key is used to tell the MathWorks Product Installer which products it is allowed to install. The Activation Key ties a user's MathWorks account to a license in the License Center.
Administrators
License administrators can obtain the Activation Key and File Installation Keys using Advanced Options in the License Center. To retrieve your Activation Key and File Installation Key, follow the steps below:
- Sign in to the License Center: https://www.mathworks.com/licensecenter.
- Select the license you want to use.
- Go to the Install and Activate tab.
- Click “Activate to retrieve license file.”
- If you do not see "Activate to retrieve license file", then select Advanced Options.
- The Activation Key and the File Installation Key will appear on this screen. You can generate a File Installation Key for a different release using the drop-down.
End Users
The File Installation Key becomes available in the License Center once a machine has been activated to the license in question. See the following article for more information: How do I activate MATLAB without an internet connection?
Please note that Campus-Wide and Startup licenses will not have the option to generate File Installation Keys for newer releases of MATLAB on Individual licenses. To produce a File Installation Key for older releases of MATLAB on these licenses, see the section below with the title "End Users - Campus-Wide and Startup Individual Licenses".
To retrieve a File Installation Key for a license that already has an activation:
- Log into the License Center here: https://www.mathworks.com/licensecenter
- Click on the desired license.
- Select the "Install and Activate" tab.
- If you are shown a page with "Related Tasks" on the right hand side, select "Activate to Retrieve License File". Otherwise, skip this step.
- Click the blue arrow under "Get License File."
- If you do not see the activated machine and blue arrow, press "Update License File" to open the correct menu.
- Select a release.
- Specify that the software is not yet installed.
- The File Installation Key will appear on this screen.
Note: If you are unable to activate your license in the License Center, you will need to obtain the File Installation Key from a License Administrator.
End users who are not allowed to perform key-less activations must contact their license administrators to obtain a File Installation Key. End users must also contact license administrators to obtain the Activation Key regardless of their permissions. In the MathWorks License Center, click the "Contact Administrators" tab to get contact information for your license administrators.
Please note that Campus-Wide and Startup licenses will not have the option to generate File Installation Keys for newer releases of MATLAB on Individual licenses. To produce a File Installation Key for older releases of MATLAB on these licenses, follow the instructions below.
- Log into the License Center here: https://www.mathworks.com/licensecenter
- Click on the desired license.
- Select the "Install and Activate" tab.
- Select "Resolve a connection issue"
- Select "Activate to Retrieve License File"
- Complete the prompts as given. If you are unsure what your Host ID is, view this article. If you are unsure what your Computer Login Name is, view this article.
