Classic License Activation Issue (2020) - "Invalid License" Error and End of Support

Technical Problems
1

Hello everyone,

I am seeking guidance regarding an activation issue with a Classic License (Perpetual) of SketchUp Pro.

Our company owns a legal license purchased through TotalCAD (the official distributor in Brazil). We have all the documentation, including the Invoice, Serial Number, and Authorization Code.

Recently, we attempted to reinstall and activate the software on versions 2019, 2020, and 2021. However, the application returns the error message: “Invalid or incompatible license.”

Steps already taken:

  • TotalCAD Support (Brazil): They informed us that they no longer provide technical support for these versions, as their policy only covers the current version or licenses up to 3 years old.

  • Trimble Support (Manufacturer): We opened a ticket (Case #10927995), and the response was that SketchUp 2020 is outside of maintenance and support. They stated that they are no longer actively maintaining the systems and servers for these versions.

The issue: This is a Perpetual/Classic License. While we understand that there are no longer feature updates or technical assistance for these versions, the inability to activate the software essentially disables a product we purchased permanently. It appears that the activation servers for these versions are no longer accepting valid credentials.

Is there any technical workaround, offline activation method, or patch that allows us to continue using the version we legally own? How should we proceed when the activation server for a paid perpetual license is no longer available?

Thank you in advance for any assistance.

2

I see two licenses for you, one for 2020, and one for 2021. There is a misleading error you can get if you have activated a license three times, and try to activate it a fourth time. That is what happened when you tried 2020. I tested your 2021 license, and it does add ok.

So, for a new machine, either use your 2021 license, or find an old machine using your 2020 license, and remove the license to then free it up for a new computer.

I will send you a private message to show what computers are using the 2020 license, in the hope that will help you to find out which one you could remove the license from.

4

Please do not post your license information on this public forum!

5

One difficulty is that the license is under a someone with ‘acropoluz’ in the email address. Is that an account that is part of your company? It may be that the 2021 license belongs to someone else.

Were you able to see if the machines with 2020 activated can have the license removed?

6

Hi Colin,

Acropoluz is actually the name of the company that purchased the license, and I am authorized to represent them.

Regarding the 2020 activations, I haven’t been able to check those yet. Could you please specify which machine names or email addresses those licenses are currently linked to? This will help me identify and manage the removal process more effectively.