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A new feature-release of FlexSim requires a new license. That is, if the first or 2nd version number (in your case 5.0 changed to 5.1) changes, you need a new license to take advantage of the new release with its new features. The 3rd version number (the 12 in 5.0.12, or the 0 in 5.1.0) designates the bugfix release number. Bugfix releases do not require upgraded licenses.

NOTE: the following instructions apply to standalone licenses. If your license is hosted by a LAN License Server, please see these upgrade instructions.

First, follow the prompt to press OK to open the License Activation Window. You'll see this window:

Press the Request Upgrades button. FlexSim will try to automatically do the following:

1. Contact the website to see if your license can be upgraded
2. Attempt to upgrade your license within your FlexSim Account
3. If your online Account was able to successfully upgrade your license, the software attempts to return the older license you currently have activated
4. The software then attempts to activate the newly upgraded license

Please be patient while this process works. It can take some time, depending on how many licenses are held by your Account.

Sometimes FlexSim Software cannot complete this process due to communication issues with firewalls or other security settings that don't allow FlexSim to talk to www.flexsim.com and license.flexsim.com. In that case, you can still upgrade your licenses, it is just more a manual process.

To do so:

1. Go to the Return tab of the License Activation window
2. Press the Return button for all licenses on your computer, until the selector says "no returnable licenses"
3. Open your web browser and log in to your FlexSim Account
4. Visit your My Licenses page
5. Press the Upgrade Licenses button
6. Find your activation ID(s) in the license table for the latest version. Copy it to the clipboard
7. Back in FlexSim, navigate to the Activate tab of the License Activation window
8. Paste your activation ID into the field, leave other defaults as-is
9. Press the Activate button
10. You'll see several status messages, followed by an indication of Success
11. Repeat steps 6 - 10 for any additional licenses that you need to activate

If FlexSim cannot contact the master license server for any reason, the answer on this question details how to do manual returns and activations. Those instructions apply to FlexSim 7.7 or later. FlexSim HC does not yet have the described functionality built in. If you need to do a manual activation, return, or repair for FlexSim HC, please contact us by posting a new question.