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Online Deactivation

The Online Deactivation workspace closes the loop on automated license management. Instead of manually verifying Deactivation Certificates, your server automatically records the revocation and frees the license slot, allowing the user to reactivate on a new machine immediately.

VBA Padlock Studio Online Deactivation settings for license release

🔐 Remote Revocation

Section titled “🔐 Remote Revocation”

Online deactivation transforms a manual, two-way support ticket into a single-click customer experience. When a user deactivates their software:

  • Server Handshake: The DLL sends a cryptographically signed request to your Base Deactivation URL.
  • Asset Recovery: The PHP server validates the request and marks that specific machine’s activation as “Available,” effectively returning the license to your pool.
  • Immediate Re-use: Because the server handles the verification, the user can instantly activate the same key on a different computer without waiting for your approval.

Here is what your end-users see when they trigger an online deactivation from your application:

Online deactivation dialog as seen by the end-user

🛠️ Smart Fallbacks

Section titled “🛠️ Smart Fallbacks”

Not every machine is online 24/7. VBA Padlock Studio includes intelligent logic to ensure deactivation is never “stuck”:

Direct Revocation

The preferred method. If an internet connection is found, the license is revoked and the server is updated in one smooth step.

Certificate Fallback

If the server is unreachable, the system can automatically fall back to generating a Manual Certificate for offline verification.

🔄 The Infrastructure Workflow

Section titled “🔄 The Infrastructure Workflow”
  1. Enable: Activate Online Deactivation and provide your endpoint URL.
  2. Verify: Ensure Basic Deactivation is also checked — this is a prerequisite for the feature.
  3. Sync: Confirm your PHP server’s /dodeactivation endpoint is active and connected to your database.
  4. Deploy: Compile and test a deactivation on a dev machine to watch the server record update in real-time.

See Also

Section titled “See Also”