"That license code was not found or is already in use": the three causes

You pasted your license code into Set up your account and got "That license code was not found or is already in use." This article walks through the three things that cause it, from most common to least, so you can get past the gate.

Cause 1: the code was already activated - sign in instead

A license code activates exactly once. Activation is the step where the code gets bound to your username, and it is one-time by design. If you already set up Booked Solid OS on another computer (or on this one, before a reinstall), the code is used up - and that is fine, because you do not need it anymore.

1. On the account screen, click Already set up on another computer? Sign in.
2. Enter the username and password you created when you first activated.

Sign-in works on any number of computers. There is no device limit, so never try to re-activate the same code - just sign in.

Cause 2: a typo in the code

License codes look like BS-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX - four groups of four characters. That is a lot of characters to retype by hand, and one wrong letter means the code is simply not found.

• Open the email with the subject Your Booked Solid OS license code (it comes from Booked Solid, at booked@send.kivimedia.co).
• Copy the whole code and paste it into the app. Do not retype it.
• Check that you did not grab an extra space at the start or end.

Cause 3: the subscription behind the code is paused

A code only activates while the subscription that created it is active. If the subscription was canceled, or a payment failed, the license is paused on the server and the code stops matching - even if you never used it.

Renew the subscription first, then try activating again. If you believe your subscription is active and the code still will not go through, email support with the address you bought with, and a person can look up your license.

Seeing a different message? "That username is taken, or the code was just claimed"

This one is not about the code at all in most cases - it usually means the username you picked already belongs to someone else. Pick a different username and try again. (In the rare case someone activated the same code at the same moment, trying again will make that clear too.)

Good to know

• Activation happens once, ever. Every computer after the first uses plain Sign in with your username and password.
• If you cannot find your license email, check spam for "Your Booked Solid OS license code."

Still stuck? Email bookedsolid@kivimedia.freshdesk.com and a person will help.