Scriptable Auto-activation for Multi-seat Licenses - Windows Screenwriter 6 (2022 install / activation)

USING THE SCRIPTABLE AUTO ACTIVATION
 
For users that have a lot of licenses they wish to automatically activate across multiple machines (e.g., a Windows-based screenwriting lab at a school), we now offer a method of invoking the activation utility from an Administrator CMD (Command Line).

IMPORTANT: although this process is command-line scriptable, it still must be run from a logged-in user account that has admin privileges to install, and you must take care not to run the installer simultaneously on multiple machines (the activation databases can become confused).  Also -- if you ran the installer from an account different than the logged in user that will use Screenwriter 6.0, you should COPY the entire TEMPLATES folder to the user's Documents/Screenwriter Documents folder.

To use Scriptable Auto-Activation, you must have installed from the 2022 version of our installer.  Earlier installers do not support this feature.

Use of the activation utility presumes you have already INSTALLED the software.

The following are the command line parameters for automatic activation:

Here's an example: first launch an admin command line, which MUST be run from a user that has admin privileges.  Locate the command line utility by entering CMD in the Windows search window:

Select "Run as administrator.  Then enter a command line similar to the one below, but with YOUR Serial Number, Account Email, and Account Password (note the double dash, and the double quotes around the parameter values):
 
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Write Brothers, Inc\Activate and Register Screenwriter\Activate and Register Screenwriter.exe" --AutoActivate --SerialNumber "WMM6-XXXXXXX-XXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX" --AccountEmail "your_account_email" --AccountPassword "your_account_password" --ComputerName "Windows Lab #1"

You can also use the short command parameters (note the single dash):

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Write Brothers, Inc\Activate and Register Screenwriter\Activate and Register Screenwriter.exe" -A -S "WMM6-XXXXXXX-XXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX" -E "your_account_email" -P "your_account_password" -C "Windows Lab #1"
 
Like all command line programs, a return value of 0 means success, any other value is an error:

Some quick notes:
 
1)  You will need to do one "normal" FIRST activation (not using the command line options) to create the account email, password, and the registration associated with the serial number.  After that, you can use the command line options in an automated fashion.
 
2)  Command line options REQUIRE (note the double dash prefix for the long parameter names):
          --AutoActivate
          --SerialNumber "serialnumber"
          --AccountEmail "accountemail"
          --AccountPassword "accountpassword"
 
3) The --ComputerName "name" param is optional.  If you don't specify it, the name "My Computer" will be used.  Your automation can probably create a command line with a unique name for this option.  The --ComputerName param is desirable so you can later tell which machine has been installed to what serial number.
 
4) Normally the use of --AutoActivate will cause the activation program to quit automatically when activation is completed, regardless if it fails or not.  Use --DoNotQuit if you want to have the automatic activation stop on the success/failure window.
 
5) Use of --AutoActivate will NOT launch Screenwriter immediately after activation (like the default for the manual process).  If you WANT Screenwriter to be launched automatically, add the --LaunchMMSW param.  The --LaunchMMSW param CAN also be used in conjunction with --DoNotQuit, which just means when activation is done you would need to manually press the "Finish" button, and then Screenwriter would launch.  Seems an unlikely combo for hundreds of machines, but in a smaller lab it might be useful to just see Screenwriter is successfully running on each machine.  But if you choose to make Screenwriter launch, you'll need to make it quit: that's outside the realm of the activation utility.
 
6) The double quotes around params are required.
 
7) The --AutoActivate ASSUMES you have enough activation slots available. If you don't have enough activation slots, you'll get an 1199 error from your command line invocation (YOUR scripting must ask the CMD line for the most recent error code!)
 
8) There is no harm if you try to autoActivate on a machine that already is activated.  It presently will just return 0 and tell you it has been activated.
 
9) You will NOT get an error if you have the incorrect serial number, account email, or password: the activation utility will simply stop at this point and display the step where it had a problem.  THIS IS BY DESIGN: it inhibits users from trying to automate a hack where they try to script an iteration through billions of combinations to discover a password or unused serial number.  We suggest you test the command line manually at least once before deploying it to dozens or hundreds of machines.
 
10) Use the Activate and Register Screenwriter app and manually enter your account email and password to see every single activation associated with the serial number.  You can also forcibly deactivate any machine's activation, without connecting to that machine.  The copy of Screenwriter you deactivate on a machine other than your own gets deactivated the NEXT TIME that copy is run.  So, to the user of a deactivated copy, the software will run ONCE more, then not again until it is re-activated.