Offline Return - Network License

This article describes how to use the GoldSim License Portal to perform an offline return of a network license. For an overview of the GoldSim License Portal, go here.

An offline return - or what is called a Manual Return in the License Portal - allows you to return (i.e. deactivate) a GoldSim network license on a machine that does not have internet access. To do this, you will need to have some way of transferring a file from the machine where you are returning the license to another machine that has internet access.

Follow these steps to perform the offline return:

1. On the server, Stop the GoldSim License Server Vendor Daemon if it is still running.
2. Open the GoldSim License Activation Utility (GLSActUtil) on the machine where you want to return a license.
3. Hold down the Ctrl button on your keyboard and click the 'Return...' button.
4. Select 'Initiate offline Return...'.
5. When you click on 'Initiate offline Return...', you will see a message dialog that describes the steps to carry out for an offline return. Click 'Yes'.
6. You will be prompted to save a ReturnRequest.xml file. Save the file to a location where you will easily be able to find it.
7. After saving the ReturnRequest.xml file, you will be asked if you want to view the file in Internet Explorer. Click NO here.
8. Now GLSActUtil dialog will show the license being disabled. 
9. Remove the disabled license from your machine by holding the Ctrl+Shift key then click the Return button and select "Delete Activation...".
10. Click Yes when warned about deleting this license.
11. Next, you will be asked to confirm a file location as shown below. Click Yes.
12. To complete the deletion process, you must do the following:
    • Navigate to a directory of your choice on a computer that has internet access. 
    • Click Save. If you click Cancel, the return process will not complete.
    • This file can be deleted later and will not be used.
    • 
13. You will see a confirmation of successful deletion. Click OK.
14. Open an internet browser on that computer.
15. Navigate to our License Portal login page: http://goldsim.com/LicensePortal/.
16. Click the 'With Activation ID' radio button, enter your Activation ID and click 'Login'.
17. After successful login, you should see the main page of the GoldSim License Portal.
18. Click on the 'License Support' menu and then click on 'Manual Return'. 
19. In the next screen, click the 'Choose File' button and upload the ReturnRequest.xml file that you generated previously.
    • You should have transferred this file from the machine where you are returning (i.e. deactivating) a GoldSim license to the machine where you are logged into the License Portal. 
20. After you have uploaded the ReturnRequest.xml file, click 'Submit'.
21. In the next screen, click the 'Save To File' button to save a responseXML.xml file. Be sure to save this file to a location where you will easily be able to find it. You will need to transfer this file back to the machine where you are returning a GoldSim license. 
22. Save the responseXML.xml file to the computer where you are returning a GoldSim license
23. Launch GLSActUtil on the old machine you are returning the license from.
24. Hold down the Ctrl button on your keyboard and click the 'Return...' button.
25. Select the option to 'Process offline Response...'.
26. Click "Yes" when prompted.
27. Navigate to the folder location of the responseXML.xml file, select the file and then click 'Open'.
28. You should see a message dialog saying that GoldSim successfully processed the offline XML response file.
29. In the GoldSim Licensing dialog, you should see that Fulfillment Details for your license have been removed.

You have successfully completed the offline Return. This license is now free to activate on a different machine.