How do I authorize my Waves software on a USB flash drive?

Waves V9 software and up require activation on a computer or USB flash drive. For both Mac and Windows compatibility, your USB flash drive must be FAT32-formatted. By default, most flash drives will be formatted to FAT32. Should you receive permissions error messages in Waves License Center, or if your flash drive activations are not working when moving between a Mac and Windows computer, verify that your flash drive is formatted to FAT32.

Here’s how to check:

IMPORTANT: Before reformatting your flash drive, please back up anything you have saved on the flash drive. A reformat will erase everything.

Windows

1. Go to My Computer, right-click on your USB flash drive and choose Format.
2. The second drop-down File System will display the current format.
3. If it’s not FAT32, select FAT32 from the drop-down menu, and then click Start.
4. Once done, launch Waves License Center.
5. Log into Waves License Center using your Waves account information.
6. If you had licenses on that USB flash drive before you reformatted it, they will be reactivated automatically.

Mac

1. Go to Applications > Utilities, and launch the Disk Utility app.
2. Select your USB flash drive on the left, and then choose the Partition tab from the top menu.
3. The Format drop-down menu will display the current format.
4. If it’s not MS-DOS (FAT), you will need to reformat it.
5. Select 1 Partition from the left drop down menu.
6. Select MS-DOS (FAT) from the Format drop down menu, and then click Apply.
7. Once done, launch Waves License Center.
8. Log into Waves License Center using your Waves account information.
9. If you had licenses on that USB flash drive before you reformatted it, they will be reactivated automatically.

Knowledge Base