FAQs
Free Mercury is complaining that the database requires a CSD licence
Solution
This error message appears when you have activated Mercury with a free CSD-Community licence but have installed the full CSD database which requires you to buy a licence. While the 2023 installer offers the option of installing only CSD-Community products, it does not prevent users from installing software or data which they are not licensed to use.
If you have a current licence key but Mercury is not picking up on it, try reactivating from the command line. The activation tool can be found in the ccdc-utilities/software-activation subdirectory of your CCDC installation folder and the command is
ccdc-activator -a -k ACTIVATION-KEY
If you do not have a current licence and are unable to buy one, we recommend uninstalling any software and data which you are not authorised to use (everything except Mercury and enCIFer) via the CCDC Maintenance Tool. Free Mercury will then work correctly.