Troubleshooting Registration Issues


Reference Number: KB-01191
Last Modified: September 16, 2021

The information in this article applies to:

Chief Architect Premier or Chief Architect InteriorsHome Designer Professional or Home Designer Architectural or Home Designer Suite



QUESTION

I receive one of the following error messages when I attempt to register, or activate, the license for my Chief Architect software:  

  • "Cannot connect to the Internet. Make sure you have a default Internet browser installed and that you are able to access the Internet through it."

  • "Could not Register Online. Could not connect to the internet. Please contact your system administrator or internet service provider."

  • "The primary registration server could not be contacted. Please check your firewall settings. Would you like to try connecting to the secondary server?"

  • "Could not connect to the activation server. Please check your internet connection and try again later."

  • "Data from the activation server is invalid."

  • "Chief Architect needs to re-establish an Internet connection in order to verify security and check for new updates. You must connect this computer to the Internet and run Chief Architect prior to "DATE". If these operations are not performed, this program will terminate and this software may require re-registration."


How can I resolve this?


ANSWER

Please use the following troubleshooting steps to resolve the registration issue you're experiencing. Try each step in the order presented here.


Reboot the system

Reboot your computer, then attempt to register your license.

If you're unable to register your license after restarting, please continue to the next section.


Verify internet connectivity

Launch a web browser and browse to: https://www.chiefarchitect.com/

If you can connect to the Chief Architect website, attempt to register your license again. If the registration does not complete successfully, then continue to the next section.

If you're unable to connect to the Chief Architect website, please contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) for further assistance.


Check firewall and other security software settings

Check your firewall settings to ensure that it allows for access across Ports 80 (HTTP) and 443 (HTTPS).

Add an exception to allow connections to *.chiefarchitect.com and *.amazonaws.com

For a complete list of endpoints that Chief Architect uses, please see the following link:


Contact the manufacturer of your currently installed security software, malware/spyware protection, and other similar applications, to determine how to configure them properly to allow the Chief Architect application to contact the internet.

Once you have correctly configured your firewall and other security software, open Chief Architect and attempt to register your license.

If you're still unable to successfully register the license, continue on to the next section.


Log in as the Administrator

After receiving the error message, reboot the computer and log in under the Administrator account.

If you have questions about this process, please stop now and consult with your network administrator or a local computer technician.

Once you have logged in under the Administrator, open the Chief Architect program and attempt to register your license.

If you're still unable to successfully register the license, continue on to the next section.


Safe Mode/Safe Mode with Networking

If you are connected to the internet through a wireless connection, before proceeding, plug an Ethernet cable into the computer directly.

There may be a process running in the background on your system which is stopping the registration information from being sent out, or returned, correctly. In which case, you should be able to ensure that this process is disabled by rebooting your system in Safe Mode on a Mac or Safe Mode with Networking on a Microsoft Windows computer.

For instructions on this process, please see the appropriate resource for your particular operating system below:


Once you have booted your system up into Safe Mode on a Mac or Safe Mode with Networking on a Windows computer, open your Chief Architect program and attempt to register your license.

If you are able to successfully register the program, complete the registration process and then reboot the system back into the normal startup configuration.

If you're still unable to successfully register the license, continue on to the next section.


Router or Modem

It may be necessary to reboot the router or modem.

If you are connected via a wireless connection, connect to the internet directly using an Ethernet cable.

Once you have connected the system to the internet, and rebooted the router or modem, open your Chief Architect program and attempt to register your license.

If you are still unable to successfully register the license, please contact our Technical Support team and include all of the information requested below.


ADVANCED TROUBLESHOOTING

If you have followed all steps listed above and are still unable to register your Chief Architect license, please contact Chief Architect Technical Support using the Technical Support Center, and include the information mentioned below.

  1. If you are receiving an error or warning, attach a screenshot image of the message.

    See Knowledge Base article: Creating a Screenshot.


  2. Locate and save the program's Message Log.

    See Knowledge Base article: Locating the Message Log.



  3. Export or save your System Information.

    See Knowledge Base article: Retrieving System Information to Send to Technical Support.


  4. Sign in to the Technical Support Center and create a new support case to send to Technical Support.

    See Knowledge Base article: Using the Technical Support Center.


  5. Give the case a short but descriptive title.

    In the text of the case, include the results of the troubleshooting you've already completed based on this article, including the computers default web browser, firewall software on the system, if you are connected from behind a proxy server, signed in to the computer as an administrator, what the results of Safe Mode were, and if you were able to connect via a wired connection.

    Click the Browse button and attach the Screenshot ImagesMessage Log, and System Information files to your case, then Submit it.

    Note: Some of the requested information may identify you, as well as specific information about your computer, but it will also help us determine the source of the problem. Please be assured that any files submitted to Chief Architect Technical Support will be used for troubleshooting purposes only.