General Notes

Registering and Unlocking the Software

TinkerTool System 8 is electronically distributed software which is offered following a “First try, then buy” principle. You can download the application free of charge and test whether it fits your needs. You can select between two different modes of testing the program, named Evaluation Mode and Demo Mode.

Evaluation Mode

Evaluation mode allows you to use the software without any limitations, no matter if you own a registration or not. Only the following restriction applies:

You can launch the application six (6) times per computer only. After six launches, evaluation mode will end and can no longer be enabled for any copy of this application having the version number you have evaluated. After the evaluation period has ended, the program will fall back to demo mode.

Certain conditions must be met to activate evaluation mode, however. To check whether your computer is eligible to test the current version of the application, it has to request permission from us via Internet. This permission is also known as evaluation ticket. Such a ticket is usually issued immediately, after a few seconds. To receive a ticket, the following conditions must be met:

• In order to save the ticket, you must have administrative permission for this computer. macOS may ask for administrator credentials.
• The computer must be connected to the Internet while requesting the ticket. For evaluation and operation of the program, an Internet connection will no longer be necessary.
• The Internet connection must not filter https traffic (encrypted web communication).
• You must grant the application permission to send us data containing
  • type and version number of the application,
  • an identification of your computer (e.g. a serial number of the hardware),
  • an identification of your Internet connection (e.g. the IP address), giving us permission to record these items.

The program will explicitly ask for this permission before any data will be sent and a ticket will be requested. After a valid ticket has been received, it will be stored on your computer and the application will be unlocked for evaluation.

Demo Mode

Without a valid registration (and after the free evaluation period has ended), the application will operate in demo mode only.

• A window with the note Running in Demo Mode appears each time the application is started.
• The window Running in Demo Mode also appears whenever you attempt to use a feature which is not included in the following list. This feature will be blocked, so it cannot be used.

The following features of TinkerTool System can be used in demo mode:

• Repairing the shared user folder
• Evaluate RAM size in relation to typical workload
• Removal of old versions of the emergency tool (Standalone Utility)
• Displaying system information
• Displaying processor information
• Displaying system management information
• Displaying the Safe Downloads List (malware protection)
• Displaying the deny lists for App Nap, HiDPI, and application launch
• Accessing classic logs and reports
• Analysis of file contents
• Display of Spotlight metadata for files
• Analysis of the security assessment for applications
• Computation of effective permissions
• Setting user preferences to override the language for specific applications
• Overview and analysis of all jobs auto-started for the current user
• Displaying different definitions of free storage space on volumes
• Changing the startup language
• Display of advanced user account information
• Resetting all system settings which might have been changed to factory defaults

Unrestricted Usage

If you like to use the software permanently, you’ll have to place an order for the required number of usage licenses. For each license you will receive a so-called registration file which will allow you to switch the application from demo mode to normal operation.

Distributing or leasing the application or its license to third parties is prohibited without prior written permission. In particular, you have no permission to transfer the registration to somebody else. The exact contractual obligations for licensing the software are shown and can be printed after you have opened the downloaded software package.

Ordering Registration Files

Placing an order for registration files of TinkerTool System 8 is possible via our distribution partner. The order can be placed via Internet, postal mail, telefax or phone. Delivery is possible worldwide. Payments are accepted in more than 40 different international currencies, with all common payment options supported.

To learn more about placing orders, please use the following Internet page of TinkerTool System 8:

For first written information, you can alternatively select the menu item Help > Purchase Registration… in the application.

Different Types of Registrations

The registration info needed to fully unlock the application can have been delivered to you in three different forms:

• as a registration key, i.e. a sequence of letters and digits which can be easily saved or noted down. Informally, many users often refer to this as a “serial number”, although the term does not really apply.
• as a registration file, usually presented by an entry ticket icon on macOS. Activation occurs by double-clicking or loading the file.
• as a pair of registration name and registration key: Instead of being delivered as a single character sequence, the registration is provided as a two-part text. Name and key belong together and must both be entered.

Which one applies to you should be easy to recognize. The different types of registration are due to the long historical development of the software. In many cases, the type of delivery depends on the date of your order:

• from December 1, 2024 onwards, simple registration keys are usually delivered.
• from June 1, 2016 to October 24, 2024, registration files were delivered.
• from May 1, 2001 to May 31, 2016, or in special license situations (such as press copies), and during the transition period in autumn 2024, pairs of name and key are delivered.

The necessary unlock procedures differ slightly, depending on what type of registration you have received. The following sections describe all unlocking procedures in detail. Only one procedure will apply to you.

Unlocking the Software with a Simple Registration Key

If a key has been sent to you together with a readable registration name, this won’t be the correct section for you. In this case, please look further down at “Unlocking the Software with a Name/Key Pair”.

Unlocking the software by a simple registration key requires that your computer is connected to the Internet. (If you don’t have an Internet connection, an alternative solution might be possible, but only in specific cases. Contact us for more information.) You should have received your registration key from the software reseller after your order had been processed successfully. Note that the key code represents a value, so it should be archived at a safe place, e.g. by printing it on paper or saving it into a password manager. If you had ordered multiple licenses for the same application, you will have received separate keys for each copy.

To unlock the application, perform the following steps:

1. Launch the application. The window Demonstration Mode will appear. Click the button Unlock…. (If the application was running already and the demo window had been closed, you can also select the menu item TinkerTool System > Unlock TinkerTool System….) The window Registration and Activation will appear.
2. Upon the question which type of registration you have received, click the button Registration Key.
3. Transfer the registration key exactly as you have received it into the field Registration Key. You can type the data manually. However, if you currently have the registration data on the order web page or the delivery email on the same computer, it will be easier to transfer the data by the features Edit > Copy (⌘ + C) and Edit > Paste (⌘ + V).
4. The application will be unlocked via Internet, and you’ll eventually see a window which confirms your successful registration. In case of multiple licenses, the window will also inform you which key out of which order you have used.

If your Internet connection is not working correctly, or in the rare case that all licensing servers have technical problems, you will receive a related error message. In that case, please follow the instructions given in that message.

The registration becomes valid for all user accounts of that computer.

Unlocking the Software with a Registration File

This section describes how to use a registration file you have received from the software reseller. If you have received a readable key, possibly with an additional name, please look for more information in either the previous or next section at “Unlocking the Software with a Simple Registration Key”, or “Unlocking the Software with a Name/Key Pair”, respectively.

Unlocking the software by registration file requires that your computer is connected to the Internet. (If you don’t have an Internet connection, an alternative solution might be possible, but only in specific cases. Contact us for more information.) You should have received your registration file from the software reseller after your order had been processed successfully. Note that this file represents a value, so it should be archived at a safe place, e.g. by copying it onto a USB pen drive reserved for that purpose.

If you had ordered multiple licenses for the same application, each registration will be represented by a separate registration file. The reseller has packed them into a single “zip” file. You can unpack this zip file by double-clicking it in the Finder.

A registration file is presented with the icon of an “MBS key card” and has a name ending with the marker “mbsreg.” We assume that you had tested the application before placing the order for a permanent license, so both the program and the registration file should now be onto your computer. To unlock the application, perform the following steps:

1. Double-click the registration file in the Finder.
2. The application will be started if it is not running yet, it will be unlocked via Internet, and you’ll eventually see a window which confirms your successful registration. That’s all.

If your operating system is affected by technical problems, so it cannot locate the downloaded application for some reason, you can also load the registration file manually in the program:

1. Launch the application. The window Demonstration Mode will appear. Click the button Unlock…. (If the application was running already and the demo window had been closed, you can also select the menu item TinkerTool System > Unlock TinkerTool System….) The window Registration and Activation will appear.
2. Click the button Load from file… at the bottom of the window.
3. In the navigation sheet, locate the registration file and click the Open button to load it.
4. The application will be unlocked via Internet, and you’ll eventually see a window which confirms your successful registration. This window also contains a confirmation code. Note: This code is not a key which could be entered.

If your Internet connection is not working correctly, or in the rare case that all licensing servers have technical problems, you will receive a related error message. In that case, please follow the instructions given in that message.

The registration becomes valid for all user accounts of that computer.

Unlocking the Software with a Name/Key Pair

This section describes how to use a delivery that contains a pair of Registration Name and Registration Key. If you have received a single key or a registration file from the software reseller instead, please see one of the two preceding sections.

Please note that the data pair you have received represents a value and should be archived at a safe place for future reference, e.g. by printing it on paper. The code consists of two parts, the Registration Name and the Registration Key.

Entering a Data Pair Manually

Perform the following steps to unlock the application for unrestricted usage:

1. Launch the application. The window Demonstration Mode will appear. Click the button Unlock…. (If the application was running already and the demo window had been closed, you can also select the menu item TinkerTool System > Unlock TinkerTool System….) The window Registration and Activation will appear.
2. Click the button Name and Key when you are asked for the type of registration you have received. Fields for the entry of the data pair will appear.
3. Transfer the registration name exactly as you have received it into the field Registration Name. You can type the data manually. However, if you currently have the registration on file on the same computer, it will be easier to transfer the data by the features Edit > Copy (⌘ + C) and Edit > Paste (⌘ + V). Please pay attention not to transfer any additional blanks or empty lines. Also note that the contents of this field is case-sensitive.
4. With the same method, transfer the registration key into the field Registration Key.
5. Use the buttons at Activate for to select whether you like the registration to become active for the current user account only or for all users of this computer.
6. Click the button Save.

After both parts have been entered correctly, the window Registration and Activation will show your Certificate of Registration, with details about your license. You can close the window. If some part of the code has been entered incorrectly, an error message will be displayed. In this case, please check both parts of the code for exact match with the data that had been sent to you.

Entering a Crossgrade or Upgrade Registration

We may offer special licenses that permit to switch from a different product to the current version of TinkerTool System. In this particular case, it could happen that two registrations must be entered to unlock the program: one for the current application, and one for the application you previously used. The steps are the same as outlined in the previous sections, you only have to perform them twice. Please take care not to confuse the two different registrations.

• If you received a simple registration key for the previous product, enter it into the corresponding field in the Upgrade section of the window and leave the name field blank.
• If you received a registration file for the previous product, drag the file from the Finder onto the window.
• If you received a pair of name and key for the previous product, enter the data into the two fields in the Upgrade section of the window.

If the previous product is still on your computer and fully unlocked, you will not be asked to provide a proof of purchase for the previous product.

Deactivate the Registration

You can deactivate the registration any time. Please perform the following steps:

1. Select the menu item TinkerTool System > Manage registration….
2. Click the button Remove registration in the product registration panel.

Handling Updates and Migrations

You usually don’t need to care about your registration if you replace your copy of the application by a free update. Just drag the icon of the new version into the same folder where you have stored the previous version. The Finder will ask you if the old copy should be replaced. After the new version has been copied, you can simply launch it, and your registration will still be intact.

When migrating to a new computer, the situation could be different: If the application was unlocked by a personalized registration (with a Registration Name), you can simply use Apple’s Migration Assistant to transfer all files of your system. Your registration will still be preserved and you won’t need to re-enter it.

However, if the application was unlocked by use of a registration file or a single key, you will need to activate your registration once again, using the instructions given previously in this chapter.

Creating a Combined Ticket for Upgrade Licenses

As outlined in the previous section, you may need to re-register the application in some cases when moving to a new computer. This usually requires that you provide your registration data, and in case of an upgrade, a second key (or registration file, or name/key pair) for a previous product that proves that you are eligible to use the upgrade.

To avoid these tedious two steps, you can combine the two registrations into one single file. This file can then easily be loaded in a single step whenever it should become necessary to re-register the software. To create such a one-step upgrade ticket, perform the following steps:

1. Ensure that the application has been unlocked successfully by an upgrade license.
2. Select the menu item TinkerTool System > Manage registration….
3. Click the button Create single-step upgrade ticket in the product registration panel.
4. Follow the instructions to select the folder where the new file should be stored.

You should archive the file at a safe place. You can easily double-click the file later to re-activate your upgrade license on this or another computer. You will no longer need two separate registrations.

Working with Volume Licenses

If you need software licenses for an organization with a large number of computers, a single volume license can be used more efficiently than having separate licenses for each system. We may offer site licenses (for use on all computers of an organization located at one contiguous geographical site), and global licenses (for use on all computers of an organization worldwide), depending on product.

Please note the following guidelines if you are working with a volume license that was delivered after June 2016:

1. Customers with Volume Licenses can download the latest standard version of the software from the official web site.
2. One copy of the application must be registered with the Volume License registration file, using the normal method outlined in this chapter.
3. For that copy, the administrator enables a special feature of the application to generate an Automatic Registration Request File for Volume Licensing.
4. When copying the application onto a different computer of the organization, the request file must additionally be copied into a specific folder.
5. The first time the additional copy is launched, it will automatically register and activate the license.

So instead of just copying the application package only, a single additional file must be copied onto the destination computer. Note that each computer requires a working Internet connection when launching the application for the first time.

Generating Request Files for Automatic Volume Licensing

Ensure that you have already registered the application on one computer. Then perform the following steps:

1. Launch the application and open the menu TinkerTool System.
2. Hold down the option (⌥) key and select the menu item Show Advanced Registration Features. A window with a list of options will open.
3. Choose the option Create auto-registration request for site license or global license and click the Start button.
4. A navigation sheet will open, asking for a destination folder to save the file. Select a folder of your choice.
5. The application creates the request file in that folder. The file name ends with the marker mbsalicreq. You must not rename the file. Archive the file at a safe place, so you can distribute it to other computers of your organization later.

Using the Automatic Registration Request File

Each time you need to install the software on a new computer of your organization, you can have the application automatically register itself:

1. Copy the application bundle to the target computer.
2. Copy the auto-registration request file into the folder /Users/Shared of the target computer.

That’s all. The application will auto-register as soon as it is launched. When the volume license could be confirmed via Internet, the auto-registration request file is automatically removed, so it cannot fall into wrong hands.