Help! My Trapcode or Red Giant License Won’t Activate Anymore! Here’s THE FIX

We get a lot of inquiries about older software no longer working. It’s usually due to the Maxon app needing an update. But it can also be because you are using old installers instead of the Maxon app. Or, perhaps you’ve upgraded your computer and want to install your old licenses and they just won’t work. We are here to solve your Red Giant and Trapcode issues… or at least help you figure out why they are not working.

What can you do if your software is no longer compatible?

Maxon discontinued perpetual licenses for Red Giant plugins, and the perpetual licenses that we sell (at the point of this article’s publishing date) are a few versions old. I know it physically hurts for some people to switch over to a subscription from a perpetual license but honestly, it’s a better deal for customers to get subscriptions, especially with new updates coming out as rapid-fire as they have been over the last few years.

If you’re a perpetual license holder for any Red Giant product, no matter how old it is, you are eligible for a $210 discount on the first year of a Red Giant Complete subscription. It’s $389 vs. $599 for an annual subscription. Red Giant Complete comes with all the tools from Trapcode, Magic Bullet Suite, VFX Suite, Universe, and Pluraleyes, and they are all up-to-date versions that will run on the latest hardware and Adobe releases.

Red Giant Complete

4. You’ve Installed a Newer Version than your license

If you bought Trapcode Particular v4 and recently reinstalled it from the installer in the original email, you may find that you are no longer able to activate your serial number. What has happened is that you inadvertently installed v5. No worries. Here is how to fix it.

1. First, verify that you have the incorrect version installed. For example, if you have a license for Trapcode Suite 14, make sure that is the version that you installed. In the Maxon App, the most current versions are listed, so if you don’t have a license for that version, do not install it. It will not work.

2. If you have already installed a newer version, uninstall it completely. To do this, click the … icon on the right side of the software you want to uninstall. Select Uninstall from the pulldown menu.

3. Make sure there are NO other instances of the software on your machine, including older versions of the plugins installed with older versions of After Effects. Note, your version may look a bit different from the screenshot, below, but it should have the same general information.

4. Need the installer? Installers for Legacy Maxon, Red Giant, and Redshift Products

5. If you do not see the version your installer listed, please contact Maxon Support through the Maxon App. They will send you a link that is good for 48 hours.