Tools: License, Status, Refresh, and About: Confirm the Add-in Is Ready
Check refresh, licensing, versions and PowerPoint bitness in Tools and Status.
Read the three Status lines first
MX Design → Status shows the add-in version, PowerPoint version and bitness, and license/readiness state.
- Plugin: <version>: record the Mingcedar Studio add-in version.
- PPT: <version and bitness>: confirm the PowerPoint environment, including x64 or x86.
- Status: Ready: authorization is validated and usable.
- License: Not activated / Checking saved authorization: wait for validation or open License Center.
- Status: Not read: open License for detail and restart PowerPoint if necessary.
Use Refresh for the Behavior Browser
Tools → Refresh rereads pages, components, templates and behaviors when the tree is stale. It does not validate licensing or export pages.
- A newly created object is missing from the tree: Refresh.
- A renamed component still has the old label: Refresh.
- A template insertion or ungroup has not updated the tree: Refresh.
- For authorization status, use Check in License Center instead.
Read License Center fields before changing anything
Click Tools -> License. License status gives the current result. Current Device shows Status, License, Host, Instance, Environment, and Last update / Grant. Record these values before activating, checking, or releasing the device.
- Status: current authorization state and usability.
- License: display name and License Code.
- Host: computer name and machine identifier.
- Instance: activation instance identifier.
- Environment: current runtime environment.
- Last update / Grant: most recent validation and ticket validity.
Activate online
Choose Online in Activation, enter License Code, and click Activate. Wait for the status area to update, then click Check to validate the current activation. After success, the ribbon should change to Status: Ready.
- Choose Online.
- Enter the complete License Code without surrounding spaces.
- Click Activate and wait for the controls to become available again.
- Click Check and confirm the activation remains valid.
- Close the window and confirm Status: Ready on the ribbon.
Activate an offline device
Choose Offline Files. Enter License Code and click Export .hqreq. Move that request to an online machine, complete activation on the self-service page, and obtain the returned .hqlic file. Back on the original device, click Import .hqlic.
- Original device: export .hqreq.
- Online device: submit the request and download .hqlic.
- Original device: import the matching .hqlic.
- Confirm Status, License, Host, and Grant after import.
- Do not mix request and response files from different devices.
Use Check and Release Device
Check revalidates an existing online activation. Release Device removes the local ticket and asks the server to release this device after confirmation. Use release only when moving the license, replacing the computer, or intentionally freeing the device slot.
- The network has recovered or status may be stale: Check first.
- The current machine must keep working: do not release it.
- The device is being replaced: choose Release Device and confirm.
- After release, verify that the ribbon no longer shows Ready.
Use About when recording a problem
Tools → About shows Software, Company, Version (x64/x86) and Website. Report these with Status, License Center, and the PowerPoint version and bitness.
- About: software, company, version, bitness, and website.
- Status: plugin, PPT, and license or readiness lines.
- License Center: status detail and last validation; do not share the full License Code.
- Reproduction: which command was clicked, what object was selected, and what message appeared.
