Hey everyone, what's up?

I'm traveling and brought my Windows 11 laptop with me, but I can't get any plugins to activate using UA Connect. Nothing is happening! I've already reinstalled iLok and UA Connect, but still no luck. Can anyone help me out?

 

UA Connect and iLok can be finicky with activations, especially on Windows 11 or over spotty travel networks. Since you've already tried basic reinstalls, let's dig deeper with targeted troubleshooting based on Universal Audio's official guides. I'll walk you through steps in order of likelihood, focusing on activation hangs where "nothing happens" (often tied to iLok cloud sync, prefs corruption, or permissions).Quick Checks Before Diving In

1. Verify iLok License Manager is running and linked:
   • Open the iLok License Manager app (search for it in the Start menu).
   • Sign in with your iLok account (it must be linked to your UA account—check under Account > Manage Accounts if not).
   • Go to the Licenses tab and click Sync (or the cloud icon) to pull down any licenses. If it freezes or shows no licenses, proceed to reinstall below.
   • Ensure it's set to Cloud Mode (not USB-only) for native UA plugins: In iLok, go to Help > Troubleshooting > Switch to Cloud Mode if needed.
2. Internet and Firewall Basics (Travel Special):
   • Test your connection speed (aim for 20 Mbps+ download via speedtest.net). Hotel WiFi or VPNs can throttle UA Connect's cloud sync.
   • Temporarily disable any VPN, antivirus (e.g., Windows Defender real-time protection), or firewall—add exceptions for UA Connect.exe and iLokLicenseManager.exe if re-enabling.
   • If on public WiFi, try a mobile hotspot for the activation attempt.
3. Run Everything as Admin:
   • Right-click UA Connect.exe (in C:\Program Files\UA Connect) > Properties > Compatibility tab > Check "Run this program as an administrator" > Apply.
   • Do the same for iLok License Manager.exe.
   • Relaunch both and try activating a plugin.

If these don't kick it loose, the culprit is often leftover preference files or a deeper install glitch—your reinstall likely skipped the full cleanup.Full UA Connect + iLok Clean Reinstall (Windows 11)This is the official procedure; it addresses most "stuck activation" cases by wiping corrupted data. Close all apps/DAWs first, and back up any important plugin settings if possible.Uninstall UA Connect

1. Press the Windows key, type Installed Apps, and hit Enter.
2. In the list, find UA Connect, click the three dots (...) next to it, and select Uninstall.
3. Confirm and click OK when done.

Delete Preference Files (Critical Step You Might've Missed)

1. Press Windows key + R, type %localappdata%, and hit Enter.
2. Navigate to the Universal Audio folder.
3. Delete the entire UA Connect folder inside it.
   • Note: This clears cached login/activation data without touching your licenses (they're cloud-based).

Reinstall UA Connect and iLok

1. Download the latest UA Connect from uaudio.com/downloads and run the installer.
2. Download/reinstall iLok License Manager from ilok.com if it didn't survive the process—opt for the latest version.
3. Launch UA Connect, log in, and let it auto-sync.
4. In iLok License Manager, sync again and check for your UA licenses.

Optional: Clean Plugin Folders (If Plugins Show as "Installed" But Won't Load)

• Create a temp folder on your desktop.
• Copy (don't move yet) contents from C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3\Universal Audio and C:\Program Files\Common Files\Avid\Audio\Plug-Ins to the temp folder.
• Delete those UA folders.
• Relaunch UA Connect—it'll recreate them on reinstall/activation.

Manual Activation WorkaroundIf auto-activation still ghosts you:

1. In iLok License Manager, go to All Licenses view.
2. Find your UA plugin license, right-click > Activate.
3. Select your computer (or Cloud session) as the location.
4. Back in UA Connect, refresh the plugin list—it should now show as active.
   • Pro Tip: If you get "Pace Activation Failure: No Eligible Locations," ensure your PC is online and not in offline mode—restart iLok and try again.

 

As connected as the world is today, if you plan on a lot of traveling, or even live gigs, the dongle is the only way to go. With a couple of exceptions, just about my entire tool kit lives on one now (SoundToys suite, Eventide Suite, SSL, UAD, etc) and I will never have to worry about connectivity no matter where I'm at.

 

Did everything you said, I'm still getting this message. Thanks for everything, anyway. I'm gonna keep trying a little longer.

 

had to do the same thing on my laptop a little while ago and it for some reason worked after restarting windows then doing it again.

it was a coffeeshop network with a password , so now i use my phone as a hotspot when using ua connect after testing that out at home and having no issues.

i really hope everything works out for you

 

I think it should be an easier issue.. Your firewall and application settings don't change when you go on vacation. The stuff outside of your computer, between your applications and the actual internet can.

This little block of commands is just to make sure UA Connect can actually talk to its servers on whatever hotel or public Wi‑Fi you’re using. You don’t have to run a dozen random things or mess with your firewall, and it dumps all the info into one file so you can actually make sense of it—or send it to support if needed. Everything’s labeled and in order, and there’s an optional extra for more detail if you want it. Copy, paste, done.

Spoiler

> Okay, here’s the deal. This little block of commands is just to make sure UA Connect can actually talk to its servers on whatever hotel or public Wi‑Fi you’re using.
> You don’t have to run a dozen random things or mess with your firewall, and it dumps all the info into one file so you can actually make sense of it—or send it to support if needed.
> Everything’s labeled and in order, and there’s an optional extra for more detail if you want it. Copy, paste, done.
:: ===========================
:: UA Connect One-Command Connectivity Check (Windows 11)
:: ===========================
:: 1️⃣ Authenticate network first: open browser to http://neverssl.com and complete login if needed
:: 2️⃣ Save all network info and UA Connect reachability tests
ipconfig /all > C:\Users\Public\network-info.txt
echo. >> C:\Users\Public\network-info.txt
echo ==== NSLOOKUP connect.uaudio.com ==== >> C:\Users\Public\network-info.txt
nslookup connect.uaudio.com >> C:\Users\Public\network-info.txt
echo. >> C:\Users\Public\network-info.txt
echo ==== PING connect.uaudio.com ==== >> C:\Users\Public\network-info.txt
ping -n 8 connect.uaudio.com >> C:\Users\Public\network-info.txt
echo. >> C:\Users\Public\network-info.txt
echo ==== TRACERT connect.uaudio.com ==== >> C:\Users\Public\network-info.txt
tracert -d connect.uaudio.com >> C:\Users\Public\network-info.txt
echo. >> C:\Users\Public\network-info.txt
echo ==== PATHPING connect.uaudio.com (optional, takes ~2 min) ==== >> C:\Users\Public\network-info.txt
pathping connect.uaudio.com >> C:\Users\Public\network-info.txt
echo. >> C:\Users\Public\network-info.txt
:: 3️⃣ Finished! All info is in C:\Users\Public\network-info.txt
echo Done! Check C:\Users\Public\network-info.txt for results.