ChessBase Light 2007 - part 9

You'll recall from the previous ChessBase Workshop column that we added analysis to a game, but when we tried to use the "Replace game" feature to save the analysis the program wouldn't let us do it. Instead we received a popup message about "activating the program". What's this all about?

ChessBase Light 2007 in its unactivated form contains a lot of useful features; some players will find it to be entirely sufficient for their needs. For players who wish to go to the next level with CBLight, there's the possibility of activating the program. For a nominal charge, you can purchase an activation code which will unlock many additional useful features; among them are:

• The ability to copy, edit, and save games
• No restriction on the number of databases in use simultaneously
• The ability to create new databases and edit existing ones
• Availability of program updates for ChessBase Light
• Ability to search the 4.2 million game Online Database
• Additional engine features, including the ability to add UCI engines to ChessBase Light
• Multiboard kibitzing on the Playchess server

We'll examine some of these features in greater detail in future ChessBase Workshop columns. In this article we'll examine the process of program activation to turn the downloaded version of CBLight into ChessBase Light Premium.

There are a couple of ways to reach ChessBase in order to purchase an activation code. One is on this very website -- you'll find links in various places (look for links like "How to upgrade to ChessBase Light 2007 Premium" or "How to buy an activation key") on this site. Another way is directly through your present ChessBase Light 2007 program.

An easy way to get to the proper dialogue from a game window is to go to the File menu, and select "Replace". From the database window, you can go to the Help menu, select "Program activation", and then the "Activate" command. In the former case you'll see the following dialogue appear:

If you go the database window route, the dialogue will be different but will still have a button labelled "Buy Activation Key".

If you don't want to upgrade your ChessBase Light to the Premium version at this time, just click "OK" to close this dialogue. However, if you're ready to purchase an activation key (and have an open Internet connection on the same computer, obviously), click the "Buy Activation Key" button. Your browser will open to the proper page; simply follow the instructions and fill out the required information to complete the transaction.

You'll be sent an activation key -- an alphanumeric code you'll use to activate the Premium version of your ChessBase Light program. This is just like any other password or other important personal data you possess: don't lose it, keep it in a safe place -- after all, you've paid for it.

To activate your program after receiving the key via e-mail, go to the Help menu in the database view, select "Program activation", followed by one of the "Activate" commands. The notebook computer I'm using to write this column isn't connected to the Internet, so I've selected "Activate offline" to get the following dialogue:

Type your activation key into the blanks provided, and type it exactly as it appears in the e-mail notification. Then enter the code displayed in the box in your dialogue -- please type it exactly as you see it in the dialogue. Click "OK" and you've finished.

After you've activated your CBLight program (to upgrade it to ChessBase Light 2007 Premium), you'll be able to perform the additional functions listed above. We'll start looking at these features in the next ChessBase Workshop. Until then, have fun!

You can e-mail me with your comments on ChessBase Workshop. All responses will be read, and sending an e-mail to this address grants us permission to use it in a future column. No tech support questions, please.
 

© 2007, Steven A. Lopez. All rights reserved.