Note that during installation some multi-version products, like RSLogix 5000, do require a valid serial number to run in “Grace Period” mode in the desired version (i.e. To utilize the “Grace Period,” clients install their Rockwell Software on a new PC (or virtual machine) that has not previously had the software in question running in “Grace Period” mode. In an emergency situation, if the client’s PC crashed and they were in a remote location without the ability to contact Rockwell’s activation group for a reset, this “Grace Period” mode gave them a temporary solution to get back up and running quickly. This “Grace Period” allowed customers to install and run the software on a new PC for up to seven days without activation. To address this, in CPR9 Rockwell added a FactoryTalk Activation “Grace Period” mode into software products which used FactoryTalk activation.

For some it was the fact that the older “Floppy Master Disk” activation would allow the use of the original “Master Disk” as a back-up activation in case the movable activation file was lost or corrupted.

When FactoryTalk Activation (FTA) was first released, many clients expressed reservations about moving to it.