# Move your licence to a new computer

> Free a computer on your scalpeltrade.com account and activate Scalpel on the new one. How the two-computer limit and the monthly reset allowance work.

Source: https://scalpeltrade.com/guides/move-licence-new-computer
Guide 12.1, Licence, updates and account. Beginner, 5 min read.
Checked with Scalpel 1.12.8 on 2026-10-15. By Scalpel Team.

**In short:**

Quit Scalpel on the old computer, sign in at scalpeltrade.com/account and click **Free this machine** next to it, then start Scalpel on the new computer and paste your licence key. One licence covers two computers at a time, and you can free up to 3 computers in any 30 days.

Your licence is tied to computers, not to you: each one that runs Scalpel takes one of the licence's two slots. Moving to a new computer means giving a slot back and letting the new computer take it. It takes two minutes and you never need the old computer to do it, so a dead laptop is no problem.

**Before you start:**

- Your Scalpel account email: you sign in with a link sent to it.
- Scalpel installed on the new computer ([guide 1.1](https://scalpeltrade.com/guides/install-scalpel-windows) for Windows, [guide 1.2](https://scalpeltrade.com/guides/install-scalpel-mac) for a Mac).
- Be flat on the old computer. Its stops are watched by Scalpel itself, so closing it while you hold a position leaves that position unprotected ([guide 5.1](https://scalpeltrade.com/guides/how-stops-work)).

## How the two-computer limit works

| Rule | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| **Two computers at a time** | A home PC and a laptop, or a trading PC and a backup. A third computer is refused until you free one. |
| **Free up to 3 in any 30 days** | Generous for real moves, and stops a key being passed around. A fourth free inside 30 days is refused: ask support. |
| **The same computer keeps its slot** | Reinstalling or updating Scalpel on the same computer never uses a second slot. |
| **A rebuilt computer is a new one** | Reinstalling Windows or macOS gives the computer a new identity, so it takes a new slot. Free the old entry, which usually has the same name. |
| **Freeing is instant** | No waiting period: the slot is free the moment you click. |

Scalpel identifies a computer by a scrambled code made from its system id, never by your files or hardware details. The account page shows each computer by its name (for example **TRADING-PC**), when it last checked in, and which version it ran.

## Move your licence

### 1. Quit Scalpel on the old computer

Flatten any position first, then close Scalpel (the window's close button, or **System** > **Shut down**). If the old computer is lost or broken, skip this step.

**Careful.**

Scalpel keeps your key saved and checks the licence when it starts and every 12 hours. If the old computer opens Scalpel again while a slot is free, it quietly takes that slot back. Quit it before you free it, and activate the new computer straight away.

### 2. Sign in to your account

Go to **scalpeltrade.com/account**, or click **Manage licence and computers** in Scalpel's **Settings** > **About**. Type your email and click **Email me a sign-in link**. The link works once and expires in 15 minutes.

### 3. Free the old computer

Your **Lifetime licence** panel shows your key and **Machines 2 of 2** (1). Find the old computer by its name and **Last seen** time, and click **Free this machine** (2). The page says "Machine freed" and the count drops to 1 of 2.

*Screenshot: The account page with both slots in use (1). Each computer has its own Free this machine button (2). Demo data.*

Not sure which is which? The one you are moving away from is usually the one with the older **Last seen**. On Windows the name is the computer name in **Settings** > **System** > **About**; on a Mac it is the name in **System Settings** > **General** > **About**.

### 4. Copy your key

Click **Copy key** next to the key on the same page. It looks like **SCLP-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX**. It is also in your purchase email.

### 5. Activate the new computer

Start Scalpel on the new computer. The **Activate Scalpel** screen appears instead of the cockpit. Paste the key and click **Activate** (or press `Enter`). The cockpit opens, and the account page now lists the new computer.

*Screenshot: The licence screen on the new computer, key pasted. The line at the bottom names this computer as the account page will show it. Demo data.*

### 6. Check it in Settings > About

Open **Settings** (`Ctrl`+`,`) and pick **About**. The **Licence** line reads **Licensed** with the last four characters of your key, then "Active on 1 of 2 computers." (or 2 of 2 if your other computer is also active). See [guide 11.10](https://scalpeltrade.com/guides/settings-about).

## Bring your settings with you

The licence moves, but your settings stay on the old computer until you copy them. Your presets, hotkeys, desk layout and every Settings tab are in one file; your Analytics history is in a folder of its own.

| What | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Settings, presets, hotkeys, layout | `%APPDATA%\scalpel\config\scalpel.toml` | `~/Library/Application Support/scalpel/scalpel.toml` |
| Analytics journal (SIM and LIVE) | `%APPDATA%\scalpel\data\journal` | `~/Library/Application Support/scalpel/journal` |

Copy them across before you first start Scalpel on the new computer (or quit it, copy, and start it again). Paste `%APPDATA%\scalpel` into the File Explorer address bar to open the folder on Windows. Re-check **Settings** > **Connection**: the new computer may run TWS or IB Gateway on a different port ([guide 1.4](https://scalpeltrade.com/guides/connect-interactive-brokers)).

## What can go wrong

- **"This licence is already active on 2 machines."** The new computer got there before a slot was free. Free one on the account page, then click **Try again** on the licence screen. Your key is kept, so you do not need to paste it again. More in [guide 13.8](https://scalpeltrade.com/guides/fix-licence-machine-limit).

*Screenshot: With both slots taken, the new computer shows this screen. Free a computer on the account page, then click Try again. Demo data.*

- **"You can free 3 machines every 30 days. Contact support if you need more."** You have hit the moving limit. Ask on [Discord](https://scalpeltrade.com/guides/discord-support) or email hello@scalpeltrade.com and say why; real moves are not a problem.
- **The old computer came back.** If you opened Scalpel on it after freeing it, it has taken the slot again. Free it again, quit Scalpel there, and to stop it for good delete `licence.json` from its data folder (`%APPDATA%\scalpel\data` on Windows), so it asks for a key next time.
- **"Scalpel can't reach scalpeltrade.com to check your licence."** The first activation must reach the site. Check the new computer's internet connection and firewall ([guide 13.9](https://scalpeltrade.com/guides/fix-licence-offline)).

## Questions

**How many computers can I use Scalpel on?**

Two at a time on one licence. You can free a computer from your account page and activate another, up to 3 frees in any 30 days.

**Do I need the old computer to move my licence?**

No. You free it from scalpeltrade.com/account in any browser, so a lost, sold or broken computer is no problem.

**Does reinstalling Scalpel use another slot?**

No. The same computer always gets the same slot back. Reinstalling Windows or macOS does count as a new computer, so free the old entry afterwards.

**Can I run Scalpel on two computers at the same time?**

Yes, both slots can be active together. Each one needs its own TWS or IB Gateway login, and Interactive Brokers allows one trading session per username, so see guide 13.3 before you run both at once.

**What happens if I free the computer I am trading on?**

Nothing mid-session. Scalpel never locks you out during a session: it shows a banner and asks for the key at the next start. It also takes the slot back at its next check if one is free.