How can I remove my licence key?

[Board Room]

Hi

I'm selling my old PC.

I uninstalled my registered SD v4 and then downloaded and installed SD v5.

But it has somehow inherited my name and licence key from the uninstalled v4!

My old PC is being picked up at the weekend but I dont want the new owner to use my registered licence key!

I presumed uninstalling it would be sufficient but I guess the registration details are stored in the registry?

Hope someone can help.

Thanks

B R

[petercardiff]

Hi,

I don't know whether this is the answer or not, but you could try this,

In regedit, look for

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
SOFTWARE
PCTOOLS
LIVE UPDATE
SUBSCRIPTION

I'd delete anything which had a reference to PC TOOLS. This way everything is removed from your PC.

Good luck.

[Keith Warner]

I don't have an answer, but I'll be following your question. Last week when I had problems with new V5 I uninstalled it. Before re-installing V4, I wanted to see how well the uninstaller had cleaned up. I went Start>My computer>Local disc (c)>Programs and there was still a Spyware Doctor file. But when I opened it, there was only one small folder. I was thinking of removing it, but I thought, what if that is my reg info. I don't know if that was it, but when I installed V4, it knew who I was. After reading your post I went back in, but couldn't sort the wheat from the chaff. These things aren't labeled in any human language.

Good luck, Keith

[allibear]

Hi

I'm selling my old PC.

I uninstalled my registered SD v4 and then downloaded and installed SD v5.

But it has somehow inherited my name and licence key from the uninstalled v4!

My old PC is being picked up at the weekend but I dont want the new owner to use my registered licence key!

I presumed uninstalling it would be sufficient but I guess the registration details are stored in the registry?

Hope someone can help.

Thanks

B R

Petercardiff is right, on the first installation the key is put into the registry, this is why every time you uninstall /reinstall, any of PCTools products you don't have to re-enter your licence code, unless you have reformatted. The other thing with this is that it will not allow you to enter another licence code for that product, so say the new owner buys a Spyware Doctor licence they will not be able to use their purchased licence key until your old one has been removed.

I would try what Peter Cardiff has suggested and delete the PCTools folders in 'SOFTWARE' HKEY_LOCAL_MACHNE and HKEY_CURRENT_USER but I have seen threads where people have deleted the actual key and not solved the problem, but if you contact support they tell you exactly what to do. It happens often when people for whatever reason buy a new Licence.

PS. If you are selling your PC would it not be nice to recover it to it's Factory Conditions, (if it was an OEM), or reformat and reload windows, (if it was I private build), and then the new owner would have a nice clean slate? :) I did this with my old one, but I just gave it away as nobody would have paid 2 pennies for it LOL.

[allibear]

I don't have an answer, but I'll be following your question. Last week when I had problems with new V5 I uninstalled it. Before re-installing V4, I wanted to see how well the uninstaller had cleaned up. I went Start>My computer>Local disc (c)>Programs and there was still a Spyware Doctor file. But when I opened it, there was only one small folder. I was thinking of removing it, but I thought, what if that is my reg info. I don't know if that was it, but when I installed V4, it knew who I was. After reading your post I went back in, but couldn't sort the wheat from the chaff. These things aren't labeled in any human language.

Good luck, Keith

Hi Keith,

Programs that retain your Licence information usually do it in the registry, I'm not 100% but I think it is the only way that system can work.

There are very few, (but some), programs that don't delete their 'bits&bobs' on uninstallation. Sometimes it is just a folder left in program files with a few minor files. It is safe to just delete any remaining 'program files' folders or 'application data' folders referring to the program you have just uninstalled.

Empty the recycle bin and reboot immediately afterwards.

I sometimes take the remnants out of the registry myself, if I think they are going to cause future conflicts, mainly after uninstalls of no longer wanted security applications. (But you need to know what your doing in there)!

But usually I just run Registry Mechanic to clean up after an uninstall.

PS. Love your avatar's do you have a different one for every day of the week? :D

[Saxel]

Board Room
I would recommend that you contact customer support on this issue.
The licence code is stored in the registry.
Certainly with V4 they can provide simple instructions to solve this problem without editing the registry yourself, I guess its similar with V5.

[Fossi2005]

I also have the same issue with my Spyware Doctor, i installed it on a friends pc to show them that they had lots of spyware (they had norton) but after uninstalling SD they asked if i could remove the spyware so i reloaded and it still had my activation code , now the problem is, i have showed them how good SD is but they want to buy their own licence and i cannot remove mine. I (am i just being stupid) cannot find anywhere on this site to contact Support direct or by email to ask how i remove my key....... HELP

[mjq424]

Hi All
For all license problems, please either email: support@pctools.com OR send a PM to AChen or Support.
Hope that helps

[tom.tdw]

hi
the licence info for all pctools products is stored in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\PCTools\Live Update\Subscription (open regedit and delete that key, its quite easy:))

note:
the licence key here will be different from the one that appears on the about page or the email pctools gave you

please backup your registry before doing anything to it (i know my stuff but things go wrong)

if you are disposing of old pc's i recommend you run boot and nuke first