Software Manager Installation Guide

Building Technologies & Solutions LIT-12012388

www.johnsoncontrols.com
2022-05-20 Release 4.0

Johnson Controls
2 Software Manager Installation Guide

Johnson Controls
 Contents
Document introduction................................................................................................................................... 5
Contents
Summary of changes............................................................................................................................ 5
Related documentation........................................................................................................................ 5
Software prerequisites.......................................................................................................................... 5
Detailed procedures.........................................................................................................................................5
Installing the Software Manager using the one-click method.........................................................6
Installing the Software Manager using the custom method........................................................... 6
Uninstalling the Software Manager.................................................................................................... 6
Upgrading the Software Manager.......................................................................................................7
Software Manager troubleshooting.............................................................................................................. 7
Product warranty..............................................................................................................................................8
Software terms................................................................................................................................................. 8
Patents...............................................................................................................................................................8
Contact information.........................................................................................................................................8

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4 Software Manager Installation Guide

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Document introduction
The Software Manager is a software application that manages licenses for Johnson Controls®
software installed on the same machine. Typically, the Software Manager is installed automatically
when you install software that uses the Software Manager to manage its licenses. Follow the
steps in this document if you need to install the Software Manager separately from the licensable
software. Refer to Software Manager Help (LIT-12012389) for more information on using the Software
Manager.
There are two methods to install the Software Manager:
• One-click installation: select if you want to install the Software Manager with the default
settings. See Installing the Software Manager using the one-click method.
• Custom installation: select if you want to install the Software Manager in a customized
location. See Installing the Software Manager using the custom method.

Summary of changes
The following information is new or revised:
• Replaced references to Windows 7 and Windows server 2012, as these are no longer
supported.

Related documentation
The following table provides a list of documents related to the Software Manager and the License
Portals.
Table 1: Software Manager related documentation
For information on the Refer to
Software Manager Software Manager Help (LIT-12012389)
Technician License Portal Technician License Portal Help (LIT-12012391)
Branch License Manager License Portal Branch License Manager License Portal Help (LIT-12012392)
ABCS License Portal ABCS License Portal Help (LIT-12012944)
Customer License Portal Customer License Portal Help (LIT-12012943)

Software prerequisites
The installation or upgrade of the Software Manager requires a 64-bit Windows® or Windows
Server® operating system of Windows 10® or higher, or Windows Server 2016 or higher.

Detailed procedures
Users who have access to the License Portal can access the Software Manager installer if necessary.
To locate and download the standalone installer for the Software Manager, complete the following
steps:
1. Log on to the License Portal (https://software.jci.com/licenseportal/#/login) and click the
Software tab.
2. Use the Search field to find the product named Software Manager.
3. Click the download icon in the Actions column, or click the linked product name in the Product
column to view the product details and download the installer.

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When you run the Software Manager installer, it checks for any existing versions already installed
on the machine. If an older version exists, the installer prompts you to upgrade. If the same version
exists, the installer prompts you to uninstall. If a newer version exists, the installer displays an error
message.

Installing the Software Manager using the one-click method

About this task:
The recommended installation method is to install the Software Manager with default settings.

Note: You must install the Software Manager on the same machine where you install and
license your other Johnson Controls software.

1. Download the Software Manager installer.

2. Browse to the location where you downloaded the Software Manager installer.
3. Double-click SoftwareActivationManager.exe. If prompted, enter the administrator user
credentials. The Software Manager Setup wizard opens.
4. Click Install. A progress bar displays the progress of the installation.
5. Click Finish when the installation is complete.

Installing the Software Manager using the custom method

About this task:
Use the custom method if you want to install the Software Manager at a user-specified location on
the machine.

Note: You must install the Software Manager on the same machine where you install and
license your other Johnson Controls software.

1. Download the Software Manager installer.

2. Browse to the location where you downloaded the Software Manager installer.
3. Double-click SoftwareActivationManager.exe. If prompted, enter the administrator user
credentials. The Software Manager Setup wizard opens.
4. Click Custom.
5. Click Browse to select a custom installation location for the Software Manager. A Browse for
Folder dialog box appears.
6. Select an installation location and click OK. The new path displays in the Install Path text box.
7. Click Install. A progress bar displays the progress of the installation.
8. Click Finish when the installation is complete.

Uninstalling the Software Manager

About this task:
If you uninstall the Software Manager, it removes the Johnson Controls licensing service from your
machine. Even though licensable software automatically installs the Software Manager, it does not
automatically uninstall the Software Manager. If you want to remove the Software Manager from a
machine, you need to do it separately from any uninstallers you use for licensable software.

Important: Software cannot detect its license if you uninstall the Software Manager while
licensed software is still installed on the machine.

You can reinstall the Software Manager after you uninstall it. If you uninstall the Software Manager
and then reinstall it in another location, the Software Manager is not able to locate any license data
that exists. To avoid this issue, always reinstall the Software Manager in the same location. Also see

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Software Manager troubleshooting. If you reinstall the Software Manager or install any licensable
software, it restores the Johnson Controls licensing service on the machine.

You may want to uninstall the Software Manager, for example, if you want to remove the licensable
software, or if you want to troubleshoot a license issue. When you uninstall the Software Manager,
it does not remove any license data and does not deactivate any licenses; however, the software is
considered as unlicensed. If you reinstall the Software Manager after you uninstall it, any license
that was active before you uninstalled the Software Manager will be active again. You can access
the Software Manager Setup wizard to uninstall the Software Manager from the Control Panel
or through the Software Manager installer. You cannot uninstall the Software Manager while it is
running.

1. From the Start menu, browse to Control Panel > Programs and Features.
Note: The location of Programs and Features depends on the version of Windows
installed.
2. Right-click the Software Manager program item and click Uninstall. The Software Manager
Setup wizard appears with an Uninstall button.
Note: The same Software Manager Setup wizard with an Uninstall button appears if
you run a Software Manager installer that matches the currently installed version of the
Software Manager.
3. Click Uninstall. A progress bar displays the progress of the uninstall.
4. Click Finish when the uninstall for the Software Manager is complete.

Upgrading the Software Manager

About this task:
If you run the Software Manager installer when an older version of the Software Manager is already
on the machine, the Software Manager installer automatically detects the existing installation and
prompts you to upgrade.

1. Run the Software Manager installer and click Upgrade. A progress bar appears during the
upgrade.
2. Click Finish when the upgrade is complete.
Note: If your machine requires a restart to complete the setup process, a prompt to
Restart Now instead of Finish appears.

Software Manager troubleshooting

The Software Manager log file records any errors that occur during the installation process. You can
open the log file using the View Log File link on the installer window
The log file is named: Software_Manager_<datetime>.html where: <datetime> = Year/Month/
Day/Hour/Minute/Second.
The log file is always located in: C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local.
For all software licensing questions contact: licensing-support@jci.com

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Table 2: Troubleshooting
Error/error message Description
An exception has occurred while This message appears along with an additional
completing your request. error text if an error occurs during installation.
See this table for the error messages and see
the install log file for error details.
Johnson Controls Software Manager is This additional message appears if you
running. Please close Johnson Controls attempt an install, upgrade or uninstall while
Software Manager and run this setup the Software Manager is running. Close the
again. Software Manager and retry.
Downgrade is not supported. There is a This additional message appears if you attempt
new version already installed. to install the Software Manager while a newer
version of the Software Manager is already
installed on the machine. Retry with a newer
installer.
After an uninstall and reinstall, existing licenses This issue may occur if you uninstall the
are not displayed in the Software Manager. Software Manager and then reinstall it in
a different location. Uninstall the Software
Manager again and then reinstall it in its
original location. Alternatively, use the Software
Manager to reactivate your licenses.

Product warranty
This product is covered by a limited warranty, details of which can be found at
www.johnsoncontrols.com/buildingswarranty.

Software terms
Use of the software that is in (or constitutes) this product, or access to the cloud, or hosted services
applicable to this product, if any, is subject to applicable end-user license, open-source software
information, and other terms set forth at www.johnsoncontrols.com/techterms. Your use of this
product constitutes an agreement to such terms.

Patents
Patents: https://jcipat.com

Contact information
Contact your local branch office: www.johnsoncontrols.com/locations
Contact Johnson Controls: www.johnsoncontrols.com/contact-us

© 2022 Johnson Controls. All rights reserved. All specifications and other information shown were current as of document
revision and are subject to change without notice.

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