How do I update my MATLAB license file for an Individual or Designated Computer license?

My license has changed and needs to be updated. How do I update my MATLAB license file for an Individual or Designated Computer license?

Answer 1

[MathWorks Support Team]

If you are able to launch MATLAB

To update your license manually from within MATLAB, perform the following steps:

1. On the MATLAB toolstrip in Resources, click the down arrow under Help. 
2. Click Licensing.
3. Select Update Current Licenses...and follow the prompts to update your license.
4. Restart MATLAB.

If you are unable to launch MATLAB

If your license file has expired or there is another license reason preventing MATLAB from starting, you can update your license by launching the MATLAB activation client.

For instructions on launching the activation client, automatically activating using the activation client. 

If you cannot connect to the Internet

If the computer that is running MATLAB cannot connect to the internet, you can download a license file manually from www.mathworks.com on an internet-connected computer and copy the license file to the offline computer.

1. Sign into www.mathworks.com.
2. Click your profile picture in the top right and then select My Account.
3. Select your license number from the list.
4. Click the Install and Activate tab.
5. On the right-hand side, under Related Tasks, select Activate to Retrieve License File.
6. Fill out all required fields and follow prompts. Click Continue.
7. At Next Steps, click Download License File.
8. Skip Step 2 and click Done.
9. Copy the license file to the licenses folder on the offline machine. The following support article contains instructions for finding license file folders on various operating systems: 

Where are the license files for MATLAB located?

Start MATLAB. If you encounter difficulties, contact Customer Support.

[Walter Roberson]

Yes, you can delete the license file at any time that matlab is not actively writing to it.

The consequences of deleting the license file is that the next time MATLAB goes to validate the license (approximately once per hour), MATLAB will follow the other components on the license path and attempt to find a valid license on them. If it is not able to find a valid license and you are in the middle of using matlab, then it will give you about 10 minutes to save your work before it quits. If it is not able to find a valid licence at startup it will ask you to supply a licence.

In other words, MATLAB does not somehow internally mark the binary as authorized as a one time thing, and it does not have some other internal file that it writes the license information into. The license file is the only repository of authentication information. You can delete it, but that means you are withdrawing the authentication.

[Walter Roberson]

Mathworks Support does not read responses here. And the volunteers who read here do not have access to the license database.

You need to contact your license administrator to arrange to get the license renewed. If you are the license administrator you will need to contact Mathworks Sales.

Answer 2

[Jason Brooks]

There are two Matlab help areas. One is the small circle in the upper right next to the search documentation box. That's not it. The other is Home (tab) > Resources (section on the far right) > Help > Licensing > Update current license. Just wanted to be more specific because you can find Licensing info with the other help button. It just won't let you update your license.