Inventory before retiring the old machine
List the plug-ins used in active projects, including version, format and account or license manager. Note which use a hardware key, computer activation, cloud session or another method. Keep purchase records and account recovery information secure. The goal is to know how each product is authorized before the old computer is erased or becomes unavailable.
Check the vendor's current migration and activation rules. The number of allowed activations and supported destinations can differ between products. A license manager is a delivery system, not a promise that every publisher offers identical rights. Do not assume that a second installation is permitted simply because the installer runs.
Deactivation is not uninstallation
Removing application files may leave a computer activation assigned to that machine. iLok's help explains that deactivation returns an activation from its location to the account. Follow the relevant publisher and license-manager procedure while the old computer is still accessible. If it has already failed, use the documented recovery process rather than deleting unrelated account entries.
Do not deactivate working licenses casually before confirming the migration plan. An urgent session may still need the old system. Where the license permits it, test the new machine first and retire the old arrangement only after the required projects open correctly. The appropriate sequence depends on the allowed activation count.
Reinstall the working environment
Use official installers for the supported operating system and processor. Install required sample content using the vendor's location and relocation workflow. The license, plug-in program and library files are separate parts of the setup; having one does not prove the others are present.
Open a copy of a representative project and check every important instrument and effect. Compare against an audio reference from the old computer. Missing presets, different major versions or another plug-in format can produce changes even after authorization succeeds. Keep a list of unresolved differences rather than assuming the absence of an error message means the sound is identical.
Prepare for future recovery
Store a dated inventory with project notes and keep installers only where the vendor permits and they remain useful. Do not distribute licensed installers, keys or sample libraries to collaborators as a substitute for their own licenses. Share rendered audio or documented settings as appropriate, and let each person obtain the software legitimately.
Before disposing of the old computer, confirm that important sessions, custom presets and user-created samples are backed up and that required activations have been handled. A careful migration ends with a tested project on the new system, not merely an empty license list on the old one.
