Trouble Shooting - ZBrush "Activation Failed"

Trouble Shooting - ZBrush "Activation Failed"

This information is now out of date as ZBrush has moved to subscription only. Your subscriptions should be managed through the Maxon App and is no longer linked to Pixologic.


“Activation Failed” after entering activation code:
  • The serial number your receive will not be the same as the activation code. Serial numbers are 16 characters in length, with both letters and numbers. Activation codes are longer and have all letters. Your serial number will never be entered directly into ZBrush. It is always used via Web or Phone activation to create an activation code.
  • Make sure you are not trying to use an outdated activation code. Any time you install ZBrush you must begin with a new Web or Phone activation to create a new activation code. Codes from previous activations cannot be reused.
  • Your system clock must be set to the correct date, including year. If the date is wrong, activation will fail.
    After correcting the date you will need to start the activation process over from the beginning.
  • Make sure that you are logged into the computer as an administrator when installing and activating ZBrush. After it has been activated it may be run by any user on that computer, but the initial installation and activation must be done under an admin account.
  • (Mac Users) If you launch ZBrush and immediately receive an error message (such as a virtual memory error) that must be resolved before activation can be done successfully. This error is typically caused by permissions. For most environments, simply get info on the ZBrush OSX 4XX folder. Unlock permissions and then assign Read & Write permission to the “Everyone” user group. Next, click the gear icon underneath the users list and choose the option to “Apply to Enclosed Items”. When the process completes you should be able to launch ZBrush without an error message and may then proceed to activation.

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