Hi, just got a new MBP 16, and all the computers on my studio have a naming convention for ease of use within the network.

Before renaming the MacBook I installed Ilok manager, and it shows up with my old machine name and even though I have tried several times to uninstall it and restart it won't pick up the new one. Any ideas?

Thanks

I have the same question.

Anyone?

Cheers

And I have an answer too.
iLok showed on my new MP5,1 the old computer name but when I waited for some minutes during activating licenses it showed my new changed computer name.

Solved

I had the exact same problem as OP and you helped me not wait any more days for iLok support response.
Thank you!!

this is false; once you authorise a plugin to a computer name you have to de-authorise it to the changed name and some manufactures such as plugin alliance limit how many times., iLok does have a feature where you can broadcast a message to all manufactures in the event the computer name was for a machine - hard drive that for example DIED and you can't de authorise the plugins to move them.

you need to contact ilok support; I don't know why you guys paint iLok support as if they take days to respond; it takes 24 hours max and I got emails on weekends from them, maybe it was bad in the past so at least I can agree if that's the case.

My new iMac m1 is showing the name of the computer it originally got during the creation of my user account.
Iam contacting iLok about this later tonight

Greetings all! Its October 2022 and I have also been experiencing this Computer name change issue. It's not just an iLok problem / issue ...

The way Steinberg licenses their software (see Dorico 4 ) now via their own Steinberg cloud thing, and the way Metric Halo used to authorize their SpectraFoo (<<< which is a MESS! You have to beg MH & Steinberg to get back to you and they often don't!) is NOT the way to go.

Finale also uses a proprietary licensing model as MH (SpectraFoo) & Steinberg, yet, Finale have you sign into their website and you can authorize & de-authorize computers right there in your User area. You don't have to BEG THEM to get back to you when they're busy, which MH & Steinberg ALWAYS are! MH now uses iLok for their PLUGINS, yet still use their own authorization for SpectraFoo; the WORST of BOTH worlds! NICE! Whoops, make that 3 worlds ... hardware for their MIO. Good job!

Finale's website/servers is/are never down, never a problem. Avid? Their cloud authorization via Avid Link has been pretty stable which is SHOCKING that AVID of all people have their authorization sh•t together over MH & Steinberg (the former being former Avid folk, what gives?!?!). Apple has iCloud for their authorizations. Wondershare has their own cloud/sign-in-per-computer thing. MacPaw has the whole sign in with your User Name and License number and never let me know, and they're in the UKRAINE fighting a War!!!!!!!

I just don't get why MH, iLok and Steinberg are so crappy. There ARE better ways to authorize. People like me who buy their s*** are the ones who pay over and over. It's ridiculous! I'm sick of it!

BJ from MH will probably chime in about "opening a ticket".... I'm done with that. Sorry to blast you guys, but enough is enough. It's Sunday, October 23, 2022... I opened a ticket Friday. I've lost a weekend because MH and Steinberg have an "an unusually high volume of ...." ENOUGH! If a string breaks on my guitar, I put on another string I don't have to wait so that certain companies can ALLOW me to play my freakin instrument. It's not like a repair shop that has their benches full. This is software. These roadblocks are BAKED IN for those of us who want to play fair!!!! If a software company is busy, you can't work!?!?!?!?

FIX

THIS

SH*T!!!!!!!!!

Same problem here! Steinberg shows a name of an authorized computer with a generic name and I can't deauthorize that one so I opened a ticket and have been waiting 3 days. Did you hear back from them or have you ceased working like me?

I did contact ilok and was told to proceed with confidence, so I went ahead and changed the name of my Mac in the sharing prefs, voila, it was true..surprised..

better safe then sorry, the last thing you want is to accidentally leave licences on a computer you can't access, I had thought that I was asking for trouble if I updated the name and my ilk did not match, cause if its a new machine Id your need to un authorise licenses in the older one to use them in the new Mac.

For the PM's saying I'm a lying shill .... Here's what I'm talking about .... Dorico/Steinberg shows my M1 MacStudio, but the other 2 comps are not the same of any of my comps ... that 3rd comp seems to be a auto-generated generic name.

Go to the Steinberg forums, post that you have a ticket in....you need so & so activations released.....and Matthias or someone over there will look at your account....and release them.

The Steinberg guys are very responsive on the forums.

Well, SpectraFoo's auth system is way older than, you know, the internet being readily available.

It explicitly is designed so that if you have a Serial Number, while you will still need to wait for a permanent auth code, you can always get 12 days, and will never be stuck not being able to use the software. In addition, the authorizer automatically auths unless you have already done it a bunch of times.

So, yeah - you are not going to get an auth response from us over a weekend. But at the same time you should be able to use the software, because it will run for 12 days from installation without an auth response, so if it takes a couple of days (over a weekend or holiday) it should not prevent you from using the software.

If, in the off-chance we don't get back to you within 12 days (and if that's the case, please let me know as that is not what should be happening), you can just run the installer again, and it will give you another 12 days. So, you should never be in the situation where you can't use your software (as long as you have your serial).

I can't speak to Steinberg.

As far as iLok goes, I am not fully aware of the name issue; I was under the impression that the computer auth was coupled to the HW serial of the computer. In any case, if you have lost a computer auth for one of our licenses, you can send in a support request an we can reset it.

As far as CP goes, we switched to iLok due to it basically being required for Pro Tools in the AAX transition, and many years of people requesting it for license portability.

While having a server-based licensing scheme is obviously something that's do-able, its something to spend engineering resources on that doesn't really pertain to the products; seems like iLok is the better call. At least that's where we are at the current time.

I don't really understand how the MIO pertains to this topic...

Also - SpectraFoo is not going to work on Apple Silicon right now; we are still in the process of updating it (it needed a rewrite to make that happen). So, if this is on an Apple Silicon machine, its a different issue.

Steinberg update....looks like they've modified the system to be easier.......

On a system that cannot be accessed, e.g. due to a defect, Steinberg Licensing-based licenses cannot be deactivated as usual via the Steinberg Activation Manager. In these cases, deactivation is still possible via a special function in your MySteinberg account.

Please select "Deactivate licenses on unavailable computers" and follow the on-screen instructions to deactivate all product activations on an affected system.

Thank you for your reply BJ, you guys are top notch ... I know its been a hard couple of years. Sorry if I was grumpy, but this needed attention :-)

UPDATE ... Metric Halo & Steinberg BOTH replied to my support emails. They're top notch and they earn their living! Gearslutz ... er... space is also a great place to get QUICK responses for the companies that care. My heart feels less restless after a crappy weekend. All is right with the world, thank God!


In any case, yes, it's good to see that good companies are striving to improve in this new different world to help us make our living, and I feel good about supporting them as well. ??

Ok, after YEARS of having issues with iLok and Migrating from one Mac to another;

Procedure:

* (OS Monterey & previous):
..... • Go to System Settings>Sharing
..... • Go to "Computer Name" and change the Computer Name (from the old Computer Name you Migrated from)

*(Mac OS Ventura & recent 2025)
..... • Go to System Settings>General>Name and change the Computer Name (from the old Computer Name you Migrated from)

* Open (ilok License Manager App
..... • Go to File > Sign Out or click on the sidebar to Sign Out
..... • Quit (ilok License Manager App

*Restart Mac

* * Open (ilok License Manager App
..... • Go to File > Sign Out or click on the sidebar to Sign In
..... • IMPORTANT <<< the OLD computer name will STILL be displayed!!!!
..... • Go/Click on (to) your Account Name on the left side
                        panel to see your Licenses.
..... • Find a License that can ONLY be authorized TO A COMPUTER
(NOT a Cloud Based or USB Dongle Based License!)
..... • RIGHT/Ctrl CLICK to Activate License on the computer that you're on
..... • A POP UP will appear stating something like,
"Activate bla blah License" on "OLD computer name"?
IMPORTANT <<< the OLD computer name will
be referred to and STILL be displayed!!!!
..... • Click YES/CONFIRM YES ..... blip-a-dee-bloop-a-dee-BLOP
..... • Your UPDATED Computer Name will be changed!

I could NOT find this answer ANYWHERE on the magical and ALL POWERFUL Google, iWon.com, Yahoo, Netscape or AOL!

By ONLY Signing Out of iLok does or ONLY Changing the Name of your Mac/PC does NOT work in and of itself. You have to ACTIVATE something or another and then go through the steps of begging to use the stuff you've legitimately paid for ... oh yeah AND Mac Ventura and recent updates are making Macs to be like iPads, but not the other way around, that way NO ONE is happy! It's like getting in your car, and the steering wheel is moved to between your legs cuz Apple said so so, cuz it's BETTER. Oh yeah, SEAT BELTS are subscription ONLY and you're breaking the law if you DON'T use/subscribe to seat belts. Thieves get rewarded. Honest people? $UK IT!

Enjoy the plugins and apps you own ... I mean ... enjoy the plugins and apps that you have the privilege to be licensed to use. JOY! :-)