TROUBLESHOOTING: The dongle is plugged in and still the application is in DEMO mode.

When working with a dongle and that even when plugged in, the application still shows up in DEMO mode, check below.

1. Is the dongle seen by the Mac ?

You can easily check that the dongle is recognized by the Mac, by opening the following application:

/System/Applications/Utilities/System Information.app

In the column on the left, select "USB". You should see a "HD UNIKEY" device like this:

If you see this, the dongle is properly connected, and you can go to point 2. If you don't see the "HD UNIKEY" device, then check if the dongle is properly connected. If it is but still not recognized:

• If the dongle is connected through an adapter, an expansion box, try to connect it directly to the Mac.
• There's maybe a problem with the USB port. Try to change the port.
• There's maybe a problem with the computer. Try to put the dongle in another computer and see if the problem follows the dongle.
• With the USB-C dongles, we have seen some rare issues with the internal part becoming loose and moving (if you lightly push on the usb connector, it moves). 
  • try to connect using the USB-A side
  • OR when the USB-C side is connected, check if the internal part is going out, push it back in.
• The dongle is broken. Then read the following article explaining the procedure when a dongle seems to be broken.  And create a support ticket.

2. Check the license window

With applications released on or after June 2025, all the info about dongle license and serial number licenses can be seen in the same License Window, which makes it easier than with previous versions.

Open the license window using the menu "{Application Name] > Licenses...".

2.1. If your application is licensed

 If the dongle is seen it should show up here, with "Application is Authorized":

2.2. If the window says you are in DEMO

If the window says "Application is in DEMO mode", then there should be some text written below to explain why. There can be a few cases. See below what the licenses will show.

Note that you can also see the content of a dongle easily by using Softron Dongle Upgrader application. See below.

2.2.1. Using the wrong version

In the following screenshot, we had licenses for MovieRecorder 4, but we started MovieRecorder 5:

You can check which version your licenses are for by clicking on the "i" icon:

2.2.2. Using the wrong application

For example you could be starting MovieRecorder Express, while in fact you have licenses for MovieRecorder. The window will look like this:

You can check which licenses you have using Softron Dongle Upgrader. See below.

2.2.3. Starting too many instances of one application

With our applications that handle multichannel by having multiple instances of the application (such as OnTheAir Video), you can only start the same number of instances as there are licenses on the dongle. So for example, if you have 2 licenses on your dongle, you can start a maximum of 2 instances of OnTheAir Video. If you start a third one, all instances will go into DEMO mode!!

You can double-check the number of licenses you have using the Softron Dongle Upgrader application. See below

3. Get a list of licenses with Softron Dongle Upgrader

If you want to know what licenses are on the dongle exactly and have a list of the licenses and versions, you can use the Softron Dongle Upgrader application. It will show you all the licenses on the dongle:

If you have multiple dongles, make sure to select the one you want to upgrade. And verify the licenses.

4. Check if you do have the limitations of the demo mode

As there could be a UI issue (although unlikely), confirm that  if you are indeed in demo mode. Check if your application have the limitations of the DEMO mode or not. To know what limitations you should see for your application, check the download page of each of our software. For example,

• with MovieRecorder, blue frames will be recorded every few seconds in the file. If you do not see these blue frames in the file, your are NOT in demo mode.
• with our playout applications, we'll output blue frames every few seconds. If you do not see blue frames on your output, you are NOT in demo mode.

5. Other troubleshooting

If none of the above helped you understand what is going on, below are other things to check:

• If the application is placed as a login item, sometimes it starts quicker, before the dongle is ready and has been initialized by the system. To overcome this, the best it to write a small AppleScript with a few seconds delay. Place this AppleScript as a login item.
• Some macOS versions require specific versions of our applications, make sure to check the Tech spec page of your application on our website to make sure you use the appropriate application version for your macOS version.
• If you have several dongles, make sure you are using the correct one.
• The dongle is broken. Then read the following article and create a support ticket.