Installing on Windows
Installation over the Internet
Installation of a Trial License over the Internet
A trial license can be given to you with the intention to test the software without any payment obligation for noncommercial and nonproduction use. This option is not available in all regions.
Installation of a Single User Trial License requires a license passcode. A passcode has a form similar to:
9FFF3FFFF7F5-TYUS-140917-17074436-384661755
This is usually sent to you by a COMSOL representative by email. Once you locate your passcode, follow these steps to prepare for download and installation:
1
Click the link for downloading the software as given in the software download email from your COMSOL representative. This link is identical or similar to: https://www.comsol.com/product-download.
2
If you have not already created a COMSOL Access account, you are prompted to create it. When you have created the account, you can enter your license passcode to associate it with your account information.
If you already created a COMSOL Access account, you can associate the license file with your account on the COMSOL Access page under Manage Licenses at www.comsol.com/access/licenses.
3
Follow the web-based instructions to download the software.
4
Continue with the instructions in the section Downloading and Installing the COMSOL Software.
A license passcode can also be used for class kit licenses (CKL).
Installation of a Paid-for License over the Internet
Installation of any paid-for license on Windows requires a license file that is sent to you by your COMSOL representative by email. To be able to generate the license file, information about your hardware is needed in the form of a hostid (host ID). The hostid is used to lock the license to your hardware and needs to be sent by you to a COMSOL representative prior to the license file being generated.
Obtaining the Hostid
Follow these steps to obtain a hostid:
1
First open the command window by pressing the keyboard Window button+R. If you don’t have a Window button, click the Start button, enter cmd, and press OK or Return.
2
Enter ipconfig /all at the command prompt and press Return. The displayed information looks similar to this:
3
The hostid you are looking for is here called Physical Address, also known as Ethernet address or MAC address.
To place the number on the Windows clipboard, right-click the text in the command window and select Mark in the menu, mark with the mouse, and press Return. Alternatively, you can type the command:
getmac /FO LIST /V | clip
which also places the information on the Windows clipboard.
4
Now press Ctrl+V to paste the hostid to the text body of an email to be sent to a COMSOL representative.
Obtaining the Hostname
If you have been informed by your COMSOL representative that you need to run the FlexNet license manager for your installation, then you also need the Host Name (see the screenshot above). If your network administrator prefers to use a fixed IP address for this particular computer, this IP Address can be optionally used in place of the Host Name. For more information on license manager installation see License Manager Installation on Windows.
Hostid for PCs with Wireless Adapters
If you plan to install on a computer with a wireless network adapter, you need the physical address of both the wireless and the Ethernet adapter. If the COMSOL representative asks you for the hard disk serial number instead of the hostid, type vol at the Windows command line prompt. The output looks like
Volume Serial Number is 2C9F-5930
Obtaining the License File from a COMSOL Representative
Send the hostid information, as well as hostname, if applicable, in an email to your COMSOL representative, who responds with an email including an attached license file (license.dat). Save this file to any location on your computer. You need to refer to it during installation. The license file is a text file and below is an example of the contents of a license.dat file for a Single User License on Windows. This example license file shows that the licensed products are COMSOL Multiphysics, Particle Tracing Module, Subsurface Flow Module, and LiveLink™ for Excel®.
#------------------------------------------------------------------
# COMSOL 5.6 NSL License No: 1234567 Windows/Mac
# Visit www.comsol.com/install for latest installation instructions
#------------------------------------------------------------------
FEATURE SERIAL LMCOMSOL 5.6 permanent uncounted \
          VENDOR_STRING=C,18000100200 HOSTID=ANY sort=100 SN=1234567 \
          TS_OK SIGN=8045890A6FE4
FEATURE COMSOL LMCOMSOL 5.6 permanent uncounted HOSTID="70f2b12f4dfd \
          0116b8cc761a" PLATFORMS="i86_n x64_n i86_mac x64_mac" \
          SN=2076312 SIGN=E607EB680852
FEATURE PARTICLETRACING LMCOMSOL 5.6 permanent uncounted \
          HOSTID="70f1a12f4dfc 0026b9cc760a" PLATFORMS="i86_n x64_n \
          i86_mac x64_mac" SN=2076312 SIGN=3835733C6290
FEATURE SUBSURFACEFLOW LMCOMSOL 5.6 permanent uncounted \
          HOSTID="70f1a12f4dfc 0026b9cc760a" PLATFORMS="i86_n x64_n \
          i86_mac x64_mac" SN=2076312 SIGN=3A9BA162C9E4
FEATURE LLEXCEL LMCOMSOL 5.6 permanent uncounted HOSTID="70f1a12f4dfc \
          0026b9cc760a" PLATFORMS="i86_n x64_n i86_mac x64_mac" \
          SN=2076312 SIGN=EE9C11E44356
FEATURE COMSOLGUI LMCOMSOL 5.6 permanent uncounted \
          HOSTID="70f1a12f4dfc 0026b9cc760a" PLATFORMS="i86_n x64_n \
          i86_mac x64_mac" SN=2076312 SIGN=0D0A83382550
A Single User License file can normally not be edited or changed in any way by the user but has to be identical to the one sent to you by a COMSOL representative. If you were sent a license file that requires a license manager, then minor edits are required. For information on the type of license file required for installations using a license manager, see The License File and The License Features.
Registering with COMSOL Access
Once you have saved your license file, follow these steps to register or login to COMSOL Access to start the installation:
1
Click the link for downloading the software as given in the software download email from your COMSOL representative. This link is identical or similar to: www.comsol.com/product-download.
2
If you haven’t already created a COMSOL Access account, you are prompted to create it. When you have created the account, point to your license file (license.dat) to associate it with your account information.
If you already created a COMSOL Access account, then you can associate the license file with your account on the COMSOL Access page under Manage Licenses at www.comsol.com/access/licenses.
3
Continue with the instructions in the next section.