Product cannot be activated because the license key is of a previous version. Upgrade license key or purchase maintenance from https://customer.3cx.co

[sajeed]

Hello -

I upgraded my 3CX v18 from Windows VM to Debian OS (downloaded from 3CX). During the upgrade process, I was successfully able to restore my backup from my old Windows install to the new Debian Install. From there on, I was able to upgrade Debian and 3CX to V20. Once the v20 was successfully completed, that's where I realized that my System Owner password doesn't work, tried all possible combinations. I also realized that the root owner was not working or removed in v20 (per some post on this forum).

So I scratched that installation VM and started all over again, this time I made sure to reset my System Owner password, took a fresh backup. Now when I try to restore this fresh backup, I am getting this error message "Product cannot be activated because the license key is of a previous version. Upgrade license key or purchase maintenance from https://customer.3cx.com/orderform/default.aspx"

What are my options? Any help/guidance will be much appreciated.

SL

 

[TheodorosG_3CX]

Are you trying to re-deploy to V18?
Furthermore have you ensured that the assigned System Owner has a unique email?

 

[sajeed]

I am not trying to re-deploy to v18 as I already have the previous v18 as a VM. All I am trying to do is, redo the upgrade from my v18 backup with corrected System Owner credentials so that I am able to login once v20 upgrade is completed.

 

[sajeed]

I also noticed just now that my license shows Standard 2SC instead of 4SC like it's supposed to. Did anything change that I am not aware of for the Free Tier. I had signed up during the Pandemic when 25 users were allowed.

 

[ictm]

I have the same problem, I tried to upgrade to V20, but after many problems due our SIP provider I returned to V18, restored server and everything looks ok but now shows "Product cannot be activated because license key is for a previous version. Upgrade license key or purchase maintenance from here."

 

[SteveITS]

@sajeed https://www.3cx.com/blog/news/v18-free-expiration/ and prior blog entries re: Free.

Re: keys, you can try to reach out to [email protected] to see if they can help. As I understand it keys are “moved” to v20 at some point relatively soon after upgrading so let’s say a couple days after it becomes tied to v20.

 

[ictm]

Thank you, I just sent an email

Best regards

Gerard

 

[Charles_3CX]

@sajeed https://www.3cx.com/blog/news/v18-free-expiration/ and prior blog entries re: Free.

Re: keys, you can try to reach out to [email protected] to see if they can help. As I understand it keys are “moved” to v20 at some point relatively soon after upgrading so let’s say a couple days after it becomes tied to v20.

Hi Steve, please allow me to clarify this. Once you moved to 20 the subscription will update to v20 and can not be downgraded back to v18.

 

[SteveITS]

OK I thought I’d read other posts it was possible. That is inconvenient in today’s world of VMs and snapshots which typically are quick restore paths.

 

[Thiek]

Wait, am I understanding this correctly because I just ran into this same error on my test system. I successfully installed version 20 but then wanted to go back to version 18 so I could review how things are setup, take some notes/screen-prints, then upgrade to 20 a second time. PLUS I have 17 production sites to upgrade to version 20 so I figured it would be good to know how to revert back to v18 (and how long it takes) in case I run into issues such as a SIP circuit connection issues, a "show stopper" as I'll be doing these at 2am on a Saturday morning during a downtime window (yes that's 17 Saturdays in a row) and when I do an upgrade to v20 everything needs to be working before hundreds of employees come into work. Yet you are saying sorry, once you roll over to version 20 that's it, no going back????