- The Host ID for which the license.dat file was generated is not the Host ID of the license server machine
- Missing, corrupt, or incorrect characters in the license.dat file itself
- The system time and date are not set properly. Check to make sure that the date and time are set correctly on the machine before proceeding below.
Why do I receive License Manager Error -8?
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MathWorks Support Team
on 14 Jun 2013
Commented: Image Analyst
on 28 Jan 2023 at 22:27
Why do I receive "License Manager Error -8"?
License Manager Error -8.
License checkout failed. Encryption code in license file is inconsistent.
Accepted Answer
MathWorks Support Team
on 12 Dec 2022
Edited: MathWorks Support Team
on 22 Jul 2022
This issue generally indicates that the license file is served from a network license manager and that there is a problem with the license.dat file on the machine running the license manager. The cause of this error may be due to one of the following:
It is also possible for this error to occur if a network license is attempting to be used in place of an Individual or Designated Computer license. If you are trying to activate MATLAB for a network license, you need either a license.dat or network.lic from the person who maintains the Network License Manager. Read more information from the link below about the differences between license files types:
What are the differences between the license.lic, license.dat, network.lic, and license_info.xml license files?
This issue may also occur if you are using MATLAB R2007b or below with a standalone license file generated for R2008a or higher.In this case, generating a license file for the correct release of MATLAB will resolve this issue.
If the time and date are set correctly, and you are not using R2007b or below with a standalone license file for R2008a or higher, see the steps below for troubleshooting the license file:
The first step is to locate the license file (license.dat) for the license manager. The license.dat file on the server machine is located in:
$MATLABROOT/etc
Where are the license files for MATLAB located?
(where $MATLAB is the MATLAB installation directory)
Please check for the following:
1) Make sure that the Host ID specified in the license file matches the Host ID on the "SERVER" line of the license file. Also if the Host ID is not proceeded by "ID=", it must match the Host ID of the license server. For more information on obtaining your Host ID, see the related solution listed below.
The Host ID of the license file will be in a comment line in the license file. For example:
# BEGIN------cut here------CUT HERE-----BEGIN
# MATLAB license passcode file.
# LicenseNo: 123456 HostID: 001122334455
In this example, the Host ID is the MAC address 001122334455. This same MAC address should be in the SERVER line of the license file. For example:
SERVER my-license-host 001122334455 27000
If the wrong Host ID is used in the SERVER line, or if the license file was generated for a different Host ID, this error will occur. Individual licenses use a Host ID that is ID= and the license number. If you have an individual license, this should be the Host ID in the SERVER line. For example:
SERVER my-license-host ID=123465 27000
NOTE: Changing the Host ID listed in the commented section of the license file will not resolve the error. If your Host ID is incorrect, you will need to obtain a new license file generated for the correct Host ID.
2) This error may be the result of having extra carriage returns in your license file. In order to avoid this, ensure that the following strings all begin on a left justified line: #, SERVER, DAEMON, or INCREMENT. Sometimes an INCREMENT line can get wrapped on the end of the preceding INCREMENT line causing it to be omitted.
3) If you are located in Turkey, or the default language of your computer is Turkish, please refer to the article below:
Why do I see license manager error -8 when launching MATLAB on Linux when my locale is set to Turkey?
10 Comments
Colin Fraser
on 23 Jun 2020
If you are still experiencing this issue, please create a service request below.
-Colin Fraser
More Answers (29)
Leonard Bagos
on 29 Jul 2016
are all version of MATLAB so complicated to install? I cannot even start the MATLAB R2016a. If there is a version which is simple to install and start. what version is it?
3 Comments
Ali
on 14 Jan 2023 at 9:09
Most of the time this error happens when the folders listed in the readme files are not properly copied to the %installdir% to overwriting the originally installed files. So make sure you replace them prperly.
Parth Kalra
on 24 Mar 2017
Disappointed with the installation procedure. Facing this same issue. Is there an easy way out? This is not user friendly at all.
4 Comments
Walter Roberson
on 29 Oct 2018
It has since come to my attention that another case in which this problem shows up is in connection to some cracked versions of MATLAB. We delete all information about how to crack MATLAB.
Kamal Lamichhane
on 16 May 2018

Hi, please help me to solve following problem!
8 Comments
Walter Roberson
2 minutes ago
The shortcut could have a -c option designating a license file that contains a SERVER line that refers to a host that cannot be resolved. Or the shortcut could make an assignment to one of the environment variables used by MATLAB to give information about the license server.
By reading the license path that Kamal posted, we can see that Kamal's situation involved a network license path, which would have been set somehow by their administration. IT Administration sometimes choose odd ways of implementing such things.
VAIBHAV BHARDWAJ
on 26 Jun 2016
can you provide video so that I can remove error from my system while installation of MATLAB 2016/a
3 Comments
Walter Roberson
on 4 Jul 2016
Was Mathworks Support unable to assist you with your installation problem?
I estimate that it would take me about a month or two months of full time effort to create a suitable video, as I would have to research all of the possibilities, load all of the different operating systems, figure out how all of those operating systems worked, research all the various ways things could go wrong. Make that three months full time work, perhaps four. Plus the time to learn video editing, and the cost of buying the various operating systems to experiment with. I am sure I would have learned a lot by the end, but keep in mind that during that time I would not be answering Questions here because I would be busy working on the video to answer one Question. A Question that Mathworks Support might already know the answer to for any particular operating system and release.
Muhammad Kashif
on 23 Dec 2017
I was getting the same error in Matlab 2017b. I tried the solutions given on this page but they didn't work for me unfortunately. The problem was solved simply by changing the computer name. I bought the new laptop and the computer name was something like Asus-64489 . I just changed it to a 6 letter word like "SkScan". This fixed the problem. AlHamduliLLah
1 Comment
fatma zein
on 18 Feb 2018
1. The Host ID for which the license.dat file was generated is not the Host ID of the license server machine
2 Comments
Zarwish Javaid
on 23 Jan 2021
How to match the Host ID and Host ID for Server Machine for windows 10
RaviTej NaNi K
on 2 Jun 2019
Edited: RaviTej NaNi K
on 2 Jun 2019
Hi Friends. If your are facing licence checkout failed-8 and Licencing error -8523 issue.Please update your windows properly then it will resolve the issue. I have faced same issue and struggled for 1 week.Finally after updating windows it is working without any licence issues.Hope it helps.
1 Comment
Liqaa mezher
on 7 Oct 2019
Hi, please help me to solve following problem!

1 Comment
Colin Fraser
on 10 Oct 2019
Edited: MathWorks Support Team
on 9 Dec 2020
Hi,
If you are still experiencing this issue, please contact MathWorks support:
-Colin Fraser
loukriz abdelouadoud
on 25 Feb 2020

WE NEED YOUR HELP TO FIXED HIS PB
1 Comment
Walter Roberson
on 1 Mar 2020
Edited: MathWorks Support Team
on 12 Dec 2022
error -8: corrupt license file, or license server hostid not same as license file https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/100496-why-do-i-receive-license-manager-error-8 ; or flexnet bug for redundant servers https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/103212-with-flexnet-10-8-why-am-i-getting-a-license-manager-error-8-when-running-redundant-servers ; or bug that affected locale Turkey https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/357580-why-do-i-see-license-manager-error-8-when-launching-matlab-on-linux-when-my-locale-is-set-to-turkey ; or attempt to use cracked license
Saeed Esmaillvash
on 12 Mar 2020
Hi, please help me to solve following problem!

1 Comment
Walter Roberson
on 12 Mar 2020
Notice the license_server.lic file. That file should contain a SERVER line that indicates which computer is your network license server. That license server needs to have its license repaired (or possibly you are not pointing to the correct license server)
Remil Batista Ferreras
on 22 Mar 2020
why the matlab is activated by but if I open it ,it shows "License manager -8"?
1 Comment
Walter Roberson
on 22 Mar 2020
Edited: MathWorks Support Team
on 12 Dec 2022
error -8: corrupt license file, or license server hostid not same as license file https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/100496-why-do-i-receive-license-manager-error-8 ; or flexnet bug for redundant servers https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/103212-with-flexnet-10-8-why-am-i-getting-a-license-manager-error-8-when-running-redundant-servers ; or bug that affected locale Turkey https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/357580-why-do-i-see-license-manager-error-8-when-launching-matlab-on-linux-when-my-locale-is-set-to-turkey ; or attempt to use cracked license
Those are all of the license manager error -8 cases that I have been able to track down. The first three of those deal exclusively with problems on a license server. When you are using a license server, you do not do Activation, you just point yourself to the license server. The license server itself would be installed using other tools that are not Activation.
Other than the case of attempting to use a cracked license, there is one case where Activation applies, and that is the case where you have Activated a local copy, but you also have your license path pointing to a license server, and your local license might be okay but the problem could then arise when your local version tried to talk to the license server. A locally-licensed MATLAB would try to talk to a configured license server if you attempted to use a function from a toolbox which you do not have locally licensed, in which case the local license would want to reach out to the license server to see if a license for the toolbox was available there. This situation would require repairing the license file on the license server, or (sometimes) pointing yourself to a different license server (it has been known to happen that a new license server is created but the old one is not completely turned off and ends up sitting around with invalid licenses.)
tingting jiang
on 28 Apr 2020
Edited: Walter Roberson
on 28 Apr 2020
我并没有看懂解决方法,也不知道哪里出错了,作为一个电脑小白,我希望有有图片或者视频指导。
I don't understand the solution, and I don't know what's wrong. As a person who doesn't know much about computers, I hope to have a picture or video guide.
1 Comment
Walter Roberson
on 28 Apr 2020
I have tracked down three possible causes for this problem on MATLAB installations. All three of them are problems with remote license servers, and require that the license server administrator make changes. If you are someone who does not know much about computers, then you are not the license server administrator, so you should ask your license server adminstrator to repair the problem.
The one case that I tracked down that involves something on the user's machine, involves cases where the user is using a cracked version of MATLAB. People who are running cracked versions of MATLAB should purchase MATLAB.
popat chavan
on 27 May 2020

1 Comment
Colin Fraser
on 2 Sep 2020
If you are still experiencing this issue, please create a service request below.
-Colin Fraser
Meseret Adane
on 23 Aug 2020
I want to have activation key with full licence
1 Comment
Walter Roberson
on 23 Aug 2020
Activation keys only apply to individual licenses. Error 8 only applies to licence servers for network licenses, with the exception that Error 8 can show up for some attempts to use cracked licenses.
龙 蔡
on 8 Nov 2020
because you have updated this version of matlab , thus result in an erros.
solution:please renew the license and bin file from your origin matlab file. you can reference to soft management.
1 Comment
Walter Roberson
on 8 Nov 2020
In my experience, the above advice is only relevant to people who are using license cracks.
Kleiderson Reyes Flores
on 27 Jan 2021
License Manager Error -8.
License checkout failed. Encryption code in license file is inconsistent.
1 Comment
Walter Roberson
on 27 Jan 2021
There are three ways that "Encryption code in license file is inconsistent" can happen:
- An invalid license key was entered in the network license file on the license server
- The license file on the license server is corrupted, including cases where extra newlines were accidentally introduced during copying and pasting
- An attempt is being made to use a cracked version of MATLAB.
Nadia Malik
on 7 May 2021
PLZ HELP the lince of matlab.what is the error?
1 Comment
Walter Roberson
on 7 May 2021
What error message are you observing? What kind of license do you have?
Student licenses do not have license numbers, only activation codes.
Note: the volunteers who answer questions here do not have access to the license database, so we cannot answer questions about specific accounts.
Casey Lee
on 8 May 2021
You can try to run matlab.exe under the installation directory. I just succeeded by doing this. Delete the matlab.exe shortcut and creat one with the original one under the installation directory.
My problem caused for I deleted the original system on Windows 10 I guess.
Hope u success. :)
1 Comment
Walter Roberson
on 8 Jun 2021
That particular error message has two known causes:
- A license server is being used, and the license file stored on the license server is damaged and needs to be re-loaded from Mathworks, by the systems administrator. For example historically sometimes license files used to get emailed through systems that did not do a good job of preserving line boundaries, and when the systems administrator copied the file without the proper line breaks, it would not work; OR
- A license server is not being used, but a cracked version of MATLAB is being used and MATLAB is detecting that something is wrong with the cracked version
Alutsyah Luthfian
on 19 Jun 2021
Edited: Alutsyah Luthfian
on 19 Jun 2021
My solution is (MATLAB R2020b Update 5):
- Go to C:\Program Files\MATLAB\R2020b\licenses
- Delete all license file (.lic file) existing there.
- Then start the MATLAB application. With no license file in place (because it has been cleared in step 1), MATLAB will start a new activation prompt. Choose "activate with internet connection" (sometimes you can use .lic file, but I do not know why my legally downloaded .lic file is sulking me).
- Login with your MATLAB credential as normal.
- When a warning box appears, asking that MATLAB needs to contact the license provider (in my case, my university) to verify, click the blue link in the dialog box (upper left part). Start the verification in your browser, then when it is succesfull, click OK on the warning box and repeat the activation process.
- Now the activation process will run smoothly and you can use your MATLAB.

0 Comments
majid bhatti
on 14 Aug 2021
Edited: Walter Roberson
on 14 Aug 2021
(This issue is frustrating). Matlab support is telling everyone to open a ticket with them. Why dont they simply make a public solution????????
1 Comment
Walter Roberson
on 14 Aug 2021
Edited: Walter Roberson
on 30 Sep 2021
They did post a public solution.
There are only a small number of publicly known causes for Error -8:
- License is being served by a license server and the license file was configured for a different server, such as if the license file was moved to a new server instead of being regenerated for the new server. Solution: server administrator needs to regenerate the license for the new machine
- License is being served by a license server, but it was configured for a different MAC address than can be detected at the moment; https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/100496-why-do-i-receive-license-manager-error-8#comment_540790 . Solution: server administrator might need to regenerate the license file, or might need to configure uniform device naming (Linux), or (uncommon!) might need to disconnect a thunderbolt IP bridge on a Mac server for a certain range of MATLAB releases around 6 years ago
- License is being served by a license server and the license file is corrupt and needs to be downloaded and reinstalled. Solution: server needs to regenerate the license file and reinstall it through download or copying by memory device (avoiding emailing it through BITNET gateways for example.)
- System time is set in the future or system detects that the time has been set back (such as to avoid expiration of a license). Solution: administrator needs to fix the PC time. Might even need to reinstall the operating system if the time had been deliberately set into the past, as setting the time significantly into the past leaves traces on the file system that the operating system can detect
- User is using a cracked version of MATLAB on their local machine. Solution: delete the cracked version, buy an official version, or install Octave
- Glitch involving Turkish locale in some old releases
If there are additional causes, then I am not aware of them.
In cases where a license server is not being used, and where I have heard a resolution, the resolution has almost always been that the user was using a cracked MATLAB.
A small number of times, an end user with their own license got confused about license server and thought they had to install a license server on their machine instead of just installing a standalone license, and ran into problems doing that.
If there are additional causes, I have not seen them posted.
Zafar Ali
on 30 Sep 2021
than what is solution
1 Comment
Walter Roberson
on 30 Sep 2021
What did you observe when you did the debugging steps listed in https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/100496-why-do-i-receive-license-manager-error-8#answer_109844 ?
Jeison ferney Caballero jaimes
on 5 Nov 2021
License Manager Error -8.
License checkout failed. Encryption code in license file is inconsistent.
3 Comments
Walter Roberson
on 5 Nov 2021
The license file needs to be reloaded into the license server, as it is corrupt (or possibly does not match the server hardware.) In older times, this could happen when license files were emailed but the email process mangled the line boundaries; these days, download the license file directly from Mathworks if practical.
Note: this is not an end-user problem, this is a problem on the license server, which is probably not the same system the user is executing on.
Exception to the above: people who are using a cracked version of MATLAB might see this message; for those people, the way to fix the situation is to purchase an authorized version of MATLAB.
jimin
on 3 Mar 2022
License checkout failed. Encryption code in license file is inconsistent.
1 Comment
Walter Roberson
on 3 Mar 2022
What happened when you used the debugging steps described at https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/100496-why-do-i-receive-license-manager-error-8#answer_109844
世杰 王
on 27 May 2022
This issue may also occur if you are using MATLAB R2007b or below with a standalone license file generated for R2008a or higher.In this case, generating a license file for the correct release of MATLAB will resolve this issue.
0 Comments
lang tian
on 15 Sep 2022
Delete the desktop shortcut, start from the installation path, and recreate the shortcut
5 Comments
Image Analyst
1 minute ago
@Jestzer because then they will just read that item and only that item. If they don't go to the FAQ, they will never realize that there is a ton of other stuff there in the FAQ that could benefit them in the future. I do not want to deprive them of all that additional knowledge that they could learn. There are many, many questions there on a wide variety of subjects that are widely useful, such as a bunch of error messages, a bunch of questions on graphics (like drawing circles and other shapes), code to show you how to process a sequence of files, etc., etc.
Muhammad
on 21 Jan 2023 at 15:51
Edited: Walter Roberson
on 21 Jan 2023 at 18:48
what is the case that i cannot activate matlab and how will i put the license id in it
hurry up reply meeeeeeee
Why do I receive "License Manager Error -8"?
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