'License error: System clock setback detected' on Microsoft Windows XP

Answer

Following are three potential causes for this error and their respective resolutions:

Cause 1: If there is a Server / Client setup then the most likely cause of the error is a discrepancy in the time/date between the server and the other machines in the network.

Resolution: This can be resolved by synchronizing the time on the server with that on the client machines.

Cause 2: The system on which the licenses are set up has been Back Dated.

Resolution: This can be resolved by any or all of the following:

• Correcting the system date and restarting the machine.
• Deleting the files in the temp folder and clearing the cookies, then uninstalling and reinstalling the license server.
• System clock set back may also corrupt the license file hence after correcting the system clock date time to the current date and time configure the LMTOOLS with the new license file then Stop and restart the server.

Cause 3: If there are files present on the OS that are dated past the current date.

Resolution: This can be resolved by locating files that are dated into the future and changing the date. Below are the steps to find the files that are dated into the future:

1. Select Start -> Search
2. Select "All files and folders"
3. Click on the "When was it modified?" option
4. Select the "Specify dates" option
5. Select "Modified Date" from the drop down
6. For the "from" field put in today's date (6/21/2007)
7. For the "to" field put in a date 10 years from now (6/21/2017)
8. Click on the “More advanced Options” and select “Search hidden files and folders”
9. Click the Search button

Note: The license manager daemon, checks the timestamps on certain OS generated files to ensure that the system clock has not been changed.

When the FlexLM licensing system detects that the system date has been changed and if it has been reverted back to correct time, then it will not consider the license valid, as it cannot trust the system date.

The change in the timestamp of the files present on the OS can be caused by modifying the date on the OS, which leaves a time 'footprint' of changed operating system file dates, or from shared files from other users.

The FLEXnet software, being sensitive to such changes for security reasons, senses these forward-dated files and regards it as a security breach, giving you the "System clock setback detected" error.