> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.abbyy.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Types of protection

> Compare hardware, software, and online protection keys for ABBYY FlexiCapture, with activation via the Internet or email and rules for repeat activation.

To use ABBYY FlexiCapture, a valid protection key is required.

ABBYY FlexiCapture can include one of the following types of protection key:

* Hardware protection key
* Software protection key
* Online protection key

## Hardware protection key

This is a USB dongle that plugs into a USB port on your computer.

For ABBYY FlexiCapture to run with a hardware protection key, you need to install the iKey driver or CodeMeter Key. On 32-bit operating systems, both drivers are installed automatically. On 64-bit operating systems, manually run the setup file located in the iKey subfolder of the distribution folder. To use the program, your hardware protection key must be plugged in at all times.

The hardware protection key stores the parameters of your license.

### Hardware key activation methods

* **Remotely via the Internet**\
  An empty hardware protection key can be activated remotely, using only the serial number of your license. This is done in the License Manager utility, which contacts the activation server over the Internet, requests the parameters of the serial number, and saves them in the key.
* **By email**\
  If you choose this activation method, an email activation request will be generated automatically. Send this email message to the address specified. To ensure a prompt reply from the mail robot, do not alter the subject or the body of the email message.

## Software protection key

This is a license file.

For ABBYY FlexiCapture to run with a software protection key, the license file must be activated on the ABBYY activation server. You can activate your license file from the License Manager utility.

Information required to activate your license file is sent to ABBYY as a code (Product ID) generated from information about the computer on which ABBYY FlexiCapture is installed. No personal information is used to generate a Product ID and this code cannot be used to identify the user.

### Software key activation methods

* **Via the Internet**\
  Activation over the Internet is carried out automatically and takes seconds to complete. An active Internet connection is required for this method.
* **By email**\
  If you choose this activation method, an email activation request will be generated automatically. Send this email message to the address specified. To ensure a prompt reply from the mail robot, do not alter the subject or the body of the email message.

In the case of activation over the Internet, no additional steps are required. In the case of activation via email, you will receive an activated file from the activation robot. Save this file to your hard disk, run the License Manager utility and provide the path to the saved file in the Activation Wizard.

## Repeat activation

You can reinstall ABBYY FlexiCapture any number of times on the computer on which it was activated. However, if you make substantial upgrades, format the hard drive, reinstall the operating system, or change the name of the computer (for example, the name is changed when moving the computer from a workgroup to a domain or back) you may need to activate the product again.

<Note>
  If you are using an online license, a repeat activation will not be required. For more information, see [Online licensing in ABBYY FlexiCapture 12](/flexi-capture/license-manager/online-licensing).
</Note>

The activation server keeps a log of how many times each serial number has been activated. Once a certain threshold for a serial number is exceeded, the serial number gets blocked and can no longer be activated.

You can deactivate an activated license to use it on another computer. When you deactivate a license, the activation server reduces the activation counter for this serial number by one.

<Warning>
  You will be able to use the activated program only on the computer on which the Product ID was generated. To move the program to another computer, first deactivate your license.
</Warning>