StruCad Password Tool

Overview
This password tool allows you to perform the following tasks:

Generate StruCad new installation version passwords for StruCad 97 through to StruCad V15.5
inclusive.
Display the CNC post processor installer passwords for installation of post processors for StruCad
V8 through to StruCad V11 inclusive.
Reset the dongle last used date and time for permanent dongles for StruCad V16.

This tool does not support StruCad V16 machine tied licenses.

System requirements
The tool is only available with an English language user interface.
The tool is a 32 bit application and is designed for Microsoft Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7, both 32 bit
and 64 bit versions.
The installer checks for a number of prerequisites and will install these directly from the Microsoft website
if they are not already installed on the machine. The prerequisites are; Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5,
Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 runtime libraries.
If the Dongle last used reset feature is required then the appropriate StruCad dongle driver for the format
of dongle (parallel or USB) must be present on the target machine. It is not installed with the password tool
and therefore it is recommended that this tool is installed on a machine that has StruCad already installed.

Installation
The software should be installed outside of the Windows Program Files area eg C:\StruCad Password
Tool\.
The following files will be installed:
StruCadPasswordTool.exe
StruCadPasswordTool.pdf
DongleHelper.dll
UsageUtility32.dll
After installation you must copy the Dongles.xml file (that is provided separately) into the installation
folder before using the tool. If a newer version of this Dongles.xml file is made available at a later date it is
recommended that a backup is made of the old file prior to overwriting it with the newer file. Close the tool
before renaming or overwriting the Dongles.xml file.

StruCad 2011 Ltd

Page 1 of 5

V1.2

Monday, 19 October 2012

StruCad new installation password generation (StruCad 97 to StruCad V15.5 inclusive)

To generate a new installation password you will require a valid dongle and matching dongle code.
Your dongle code, which would have been supplied by Support, can be obtained from a previous working
installation of StruCad.
In the <StruCadInstallation>\strucad\config\ folder there will be a text file called strucad.cfg
In this file there will be one or more CPU entries similar to the one highlighted in yellow below, near the
beginning of the file:
* --------------------------------------* STRUCAD Configuration File for STRUCAD
* --------------------------------------* THIS FILE MUST NOT BE ALTERED !
* ALTERING THIS FILE COULD STOP STRUCAD FROM WORKING
* USE THE NEW "STRUCONF" PROGRAMME
*
VERSION STRUCAD 15.5 26-10-09
SERIAL 1998-01215
USER AceCad Software Ltd.
COPYRIGHT COPYRIGHT (C) 1986-2012 ACECAD SOFTWARE LTD. , ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
HARDWARE Windows
*
* DO NOT ENTER CODES HERE ! USE THE NEW STRUCONF PROGRAMME !!!!!
*
CPU 21767159121344/1215
*
* STRUCAD Software No. in 1 => 5 , Title in 6=> 80
*

The number after the slash is the dongle number, so if you have more than one CPU entry in your file, look
for the one that matches your dongle number.
IMPORTANT You should backup this file to a secure location as you will not be able to generate a version
password or configure StruCad without this file and the information it contains.

After installing StruCad on a new machine and configuring it in the normal way create and open a new
model and at the point when the new model is opening StruCad will prompt for a new installation version
password.

StruCad 2011 Ltd

Page 2 of 5

V1.2

Monday, 19 October 2012

Using the version password tool, enter the dongle number, dongle code and for StruCad V12 to StruCad
V15.5 also enter the Security Code that the StruCad new version password request dialog displays.
If all the data is valid then a new installation password will be generated and should be entered into the
StruCad new version password request dialog.

CNC post processor installation passwords (StruCad V8 to StruCad V11 inclusive)

If you need to install a post processor for StruCad V8 through to StruCad V11 inclusive then you need to
enter a password for each required post processor during the installation.
These passwords are displayed in the grid so just look up the password for the required post processor and
version of StruCad being installed.

StruCad 2011 Ltd

Page 3 of 5

V1.2

Monday, 19 October 2012

Permanent dongle last used date reset (StruCad V16)

With StruCad V16 with a permanent dongle license, if the clock goes forward in time accidentally and
StruCad V16 is used and then the clock is corrected to the right time StruCad V16 will then fail to run.
If StruCad V16 is configured to automatically use the last license selected then you will get the following
error:

If you normally select a license each time you start StruCad V16 then the desired license will no longer be
displayed in the license selection dialog eg:

In this case toggle menu View\Available Only from the License Manager dialog and you will see the license
and the fact that it is not available. Select the information icon in the right hand column:

And it will then display the following dialog:

StruCad 2011 Ltd

Page 4 of 5

V1.2

Monday, 19 October 2012

To reset a permanent StruCad V16 dongle last used date you will need to install the version password tool
on a machine that has StruCad installed so that the required dongle driver is already available for the tool.
Ensure the dongle is connected to the machine and then enter the dongle number and dongle code in the
version password tool and select the Reset Last Used Time button.
If the entered data is valid, matches the connected dongle and the dongle is of a supported type the last
used date will be reset.
If any error occurs an error message will provide information about the error.
The dongle reset feature will only work with permanent dongles that have been configured for StruCad
V10.2 or greater.
Error message
Error initialising dongle
communication

Cause
No dongle driver/s installed. Driver
for the specific format of dongle
(parallel or USB) not installed. No
dongle. Not a StruCad dongle.

Error dongle does not match

dongle number specified

The dongle number specified in

the tool does not match the
dongle number of the dongle.
Only permanent dongles can have
the last used date reset.

This is a pre 10.2 nonpermanent dongle and last

usage cannot be reset
This is a post 10.1 nonpermanent dongle and last
usage cannot be reset
This is a pre 10.2 permanent
dongle and last usage cannot
be reset

StruCad 2011 Ltd

Solution
Ensure dongle driver is installed
and dongle connected. Remove
all hardware keys of all makes
except the one StruCad dongle of
interest. If a USB dongle ensure
the USB driver is installed. If
necessary install a newer version
of StruCad such as V15.5
Check the dongle number you are
using.
Must be a permanent dongle.

Only permanent dongles can have

the last used date reset.

Must be a permanent dongle.

This dongle is an old format dongle

and has not been touched by
StruCad V10.2 or newer. It cannot
be reset.

Configure a newer version of

StruCad (V10.2 through to V15.5
inclusive) to use the dongle and
ensure struconf is run against the
dongle in that version of StruCad
before trying again with the
version password tool.

Page 5 of 5

V1.2

Monday, 19 October 2012