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How to transfer your EMU licence if the old laptop is dead

Updated May 07, 2026
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Dead Laptop Transfer License EMU license

If your laptop or PC has died and you can no longer deactivate the EMU licence on it, you can still transfer the licence to a new machine — as long as you can log in to the ENTTEC account it was registered to.

How EMU Hardware ID slots work

Each EMU licence covers 2 Hardware IDs — typically your main machine and a backup. While you have an active update entitlement (annual or monthly), Hardware IDs can be swapped relatively freely. Once your licence is perpetual and your update entitlement has lapsed, each Hardware ID slot can be changed once, so plan the move carefully.

Transfer steps

  1. Log in to your ENTTEC account using the email and password the licence is registered under, then click My Licenses from the Dashboard.
  2. Click View License on the relevant licence.
  3. If the old machine's slot still shows as active, click Deactivate to free it up.
  4. On your new computer, open EMU → Settings (gear icon, top right) → License tab. Copy the Hardware ID.
  5. Back on the ENTTEC site, on the licence's License Information page, click Get Offline Key. Paste your new Hardware ID and click Get Key.
  6. An Offline License Key is generated. Copy it.
  7. In EMU, click Offline License, paste the key, and click Change. The licence will activate on the new machine.

If the portal shows "account suspended" or your licence as "inactive"

Don't worry — these messages can appear during routine backend maintenance even when your licence is fully active. Contact support@enttec.com with your account email and your new computer's Hardware ID. We can confirm the licence status server-side and update the Hardware ID for you directly. There's no need to hunt for an "account administrator" before you've checked with support.

Video walkthrough

YouTube tutorial — transferring an EMU licence to a new device

If both Hardware ID slots have been used

If the licence has hit its slot limit and you can no longer self-serve a transfer, contact support@enttec.com with the details — we can review the case server-side. In the meantime you can keep working with the free EMU tier, which still controls moving heads and most fixtures on Windows 10/11 and macOS, just with a single universe and without Premium features.

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