Once you buy the DCS module, your module serial number will bind to your account data to either Steam or Eagle Dynamics (ED) sites/services. The Steam version will start downloading upon your purchase, while the ED Store version will appear on the list of available modules once you start DCS and log-in.

Since the activation has to be done online, you have to make sure that you are connected to the Internet.

Module activation is simple: just run DCS with the module installed and insert your serial number when prompted.

When you buy our modules for DCS we want to make sure your asset (the module) is well protected and that it can be used only by you as its owner.  However, protecting your module is a split responsibility between us as developers and you as the client. Think of this as similar to buying a new car: you get anti-theft protection from the manufacturer and two sets of keys for the car. Keeping the keys safe and having the spare key set safe at any time is your responsibility.

Therefore, to use the module you have to activate it (“unlock it, and bind it to your machine”). Activation process binds your module with your PC and Operating System (OS). This is very important: if you change anything in your PC configuration or change your OS for any reason, your activation might be rendered invalid.

Why does this happen? Because the module protection system assumes that someone else – not you – is trying to use your property. Although the protection mechanism is pretty good, the protection software can’t tell who and why changed the PC configuration, whether the module was copied to a new PC or some methods are used to “emulate” binded machine.

Therefore, if you attempt to upgrade/change your hardware or OS, you have to deactivate the module, to unbind it from your PC and save the activation for another use. After you deactivate, make any changes to your PC you want, restart and activate the module again.

Each module comes with a limited number of available activations. If you run of activations we can’t help you.

Download our <Activations Troubleshooting> manual. Normal deactivation is performed via “Automatic online deactivation” which is described at the beginning of the manual. Manual is available in EN and RU languages.

Download our troubleshooting manual. Try to deactivate your module using “Automatic online deactivation”. If that fails try either “Offline deactivation” or “Delete Leatherneck Simulations registry entry” procedure. Note that if you have no other option but to delete “Leatherneck Simulations” registry entry, you will lose one activation.

If you wasted all your activations you can try to deactivate the module on some of your PCs, therefore regaining activations. However, if you can’t deactivate for any reason and you have no more activations left, server-side protection will add you one activation after 30 days, so be careful when activating / deactivating.