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Command Line Activation


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The vast majority of users should activate Photo Mechanic by following the prompts presented when launching the software. For those that need it, we provide the ability to activate Photo Mechanic via the Command Line/Command Prompt.

Before you begin, Photo Mechanic must not be running, and you will need an active internet connection.

There are four commands that can be run:

  • Activate (you’ll need to replace <key> with your specific 16-digit License Key)

    • macOS:
      • "/Applications/Photo Mechanic.app/Contents/MacOS/PMLicenseSpringHelper" activateOnline PM <key>
    • Windows:
      • "C:\Program Files\Camera Bits\Photo Mechanic\PMLicenseSpringHelper.exe" activateOnline PM <key>
  • Deactivate:

    • macOS:
      • "/Applications/Photo Mechanic.app/Contents/MacOS/PMLicenseSpringHelper" deactivateOnline PM
    • Windows:
      • "C:\Program Files\Camera Bits\Photo Mechanic\PMLicenseSpringHelper.exe" deactivateOnline PM
  • Check online for valid activation

    • macOS:
      • "/Applications/Photo Mechanic.app/Contents/MacOS/PMLicenseSpringHelper" checkOnlineActivationValid PM
    • Windows:
      • "C:\Program Files\Camera Bits\Photo Mechanic\PMLicenseSpringHelper.exe" checkOnlineActivationValid PM
  • Check locally for valid activation

    • macOS:
      • "/Applications/Photo Mechanic.app/Contents/MacOS/PMLicenseSpringHelper"  checkLocalActivationValid PM
    • Windows:
      • "C:\Program Files\Camera Bits\Photo Mechanic\PMLicenseSpringHelper.exe" checkLocalActivationValid PM
  • Note: The commands above are using the path that Photo Mechanic is typically installed in. If you install Photo Mechanic to some other location, please make sure to use the correct path to the installation.


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