This article is also available in Japanese.

ZEMAX is sold in two versions, SE and EE. As long as your key has current support, you can upgrade to EE for the difference in price between these two versions.

If you have an obsolete key type (a parallel port key or a purple USB key) then the key is simply returned to ZEMAX Development Corporation and is replaced with a new black USB key type. The new key will be an EE key.

If your key is a black USB key type, then it can be easily upgraded without being returned. Just follow this procedure once you have ordered the upgrade to EE:

Step 1: Remove all software protection keys. Download and install the latest key driver from our downloads page. Plug your ZEMAX key back into your machine.

Step 2: Download this small zip file, and unzip its contents into a temporary folder:

SecureUpdate.zip (157 kB)

Step 3: Run SecureUpdateUtility.exe by double-clicking the file in the temporary folder. The following dialog will appear:



Press the button Generate Request Code. You will be prompted to save the request code file. Save this file with the file name set to your key's serial number. In this graphic, we are upgrading key 27999, so we save the file as 27999.req:



Use your key's serial number! Save the file as {Your_Key}.req. Then, email this file to sales@zemax.com.

Step 4: We will email you a file called {Your_Key}.upw and a new license code. Save the .upw file to your hard drive. Close ZEMAX if it is running. Run the SecureUpdateUtility.exe again and this time use the  browse button to find the .upw file we emailed you:



and then press the Activate Application button:



You will be rewarded with a cheery message:



Click OK to close the utility.

Step 5: Download and install the latest version of ZEMAX from our downloads page.  (Note, if you are upgrading from a version of ZEMAX older than October 2009, there are important changes to the installation procedure. See here for full details.) It will request the new license code that was included in the email we sent you with the .upw file. Enter this code and ZEMAX-EE will start. Note this license code will only work with the current version of ZEMAX, so you must be running this version for the code to work. Once this process is successfully completed you can delete the temporary folder containing the SecureUpdate utility.