Why does this problem happen?

Nx Witness perpetual software licenses are tied to a specific Server's Hardware ID (HWID).

If you've lost your licenses, there is a high probability the computer that hosts the Nx Witness Mediaserver application where the licenses were originally activated has been modified in some way.

What is a HWID?

The HWID is a unique 34-digit identifier (for example:03000102030405060708090a0b0c0d0e0f) generated when the Nx Witness Media Server is installed on a Windows, Ubuntu Linux, or ARM device. The HWID is based on a combination of software and hardware of the computing device upon which Nx Witness is installed.

The following items are used to generate a unique HWID for each computer upon which Nx Witness is installed:

• Motherboard
• MAC Address

After installing Nx Witness on a server, any modification in the software or hardware items above will result in a change of HWID and an invalidation of licenses attached to that device.

Most Common Reasons Your HWID Changes:

1. A change in MAC address due to the NIC (Network Interface Card) configuration on your computer hardware changing

• Physical Change: You've replaced a bad NIC.
• Software Change: You've enabled or disabled NIC ports, causing the existing NIC to no longer be recognized. Improperly configured NIC teaming/bonding can also cause issues.
• HWID change due to NIC Troubleshooting Guide

2. The Motherboard configuration on your computer hardware has changed.

• Physical Change: You've had a failed motherboard and had to replace it on the computer the licenses were originally assigned to. Changing the motherboard will result in a hardware change.
• Software Change: In very rare cases, a Motherboard BIOS update will cause the HWID to change.