Unable to Contact License Server Unexpected Error Occurred on Send Error Activating License

Issue

Attempts to activate a Kofax Express 3.2 license result in the following error:

9150  Unable to contact license server
The underlying connection was closed: An unexpected error occurred on a send.

Cause

Kofax Express 3.2 was written in .NET Framework 3.5 which only natively supports TLS 1.0.  The Kofax licensing server no longer supports the older TLS 1.0 protocol used by .NET Framework 3.5.

Solution

.NET Framework 3.5 can be configured to use the TLS versions that are enabled in the Operating System.  This allows Kofax Express to communicate with the licensing server using TLS 1.2.
 

To configure Kofax Express to communicate with the licensing server using TLS 1.2:

1. Run regedit.exe
    
2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\.NETFramework\v2.0.50727
    
3. If one does not already exist, create a DWORD called SystemDefaultTlsVersions
    
4. Set the SystemDefaultTlsVersions value to 1
    
5. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\.NETFramework\v2.0.50727
    
6. If one does not already exist, create a DWORD called SystemDefaultTlsVersions
    
7. Set the SystemDefaultTlsVersions value to 1
    
8. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols
    
9. Create a new Key named TLS 1.2 if one does not already exist
    
10. In the TLS 1.2 Key, create a subkey named Client
     
11. In the Client Key, create a DWORD (32-bit) Value named DisabledByDefault
     
12. Set the DisabledByDefault value to 0
     
13. In the Client Key, create a DWORD (32-bit) Value named Enabled
     
14. Set the Enabled value to 1
     
15. Reboot the machine

Level of Complexity 

Moderate

Applies to  

References

N/A

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