Nx Witness licence expiring
Your Nx Witness client says a licence is about to expire, and you want to know what that means and how to sort it before recording stops. Here is how to see which licence it is, what happens when it runs out and how to replace it. We sell Nx Witness licences worldwide and deliver the codes by email. nxwitness.nl is the Nx Witness practice of CameraInstallatie.nl, a Dutch security integrator working since 1999 and a partner of Network Optix.
Short answer
Why does Nx Witness say my licence will expire?
Because the system holds a licence with an end date: usually a trial licence, a time-limited key or an Enterprise service. The client warns you in the days before it ends. When a recording licence runs out, the cameras on it stop recording. You solve it by activating a new licence key before that date and removing the expired one.
The quickest way to know where you stand: open the licence list, look at the type and the expiry date, and send us a screenshot. We tell you which licences you need and you can order them online the same day.
Check first
How do you see which licence is expiring?
- Open the licences. Main Menu > Site Administration (Ctrl+Alt+A) > Licenses.
- Look at Active Licenses. Every key is listed with its type, the number of channels and an expiry column. A status such as “License expires in N days” tells you how long you have.
- Open Details. There you find the licence key and the hardware ID of the server it is bound to. You need both if you activate a new key offline.
Send that screen to us and we read it with you. That takes a few minutes and tells you exactly what to order.
The usual causes
Which Nx Witness licences can expire?
| Licence | How long it runs | What happens at the end |
|---|---|---|
| Trial | 30 days, up to 4 devices, once | Recording on those cameras stops. A trial cannot be extended, deactivated or activated again. |
| Time-limited key | Until the end date the reseller set | Recording on those channels stops until a new key is active. |
| Enterprise service | Monthly subscription or a prepaid term | When payment lapses a service can be suspended; recording only stops when it is shut down. |
| Professional | One-off purchase, up to 10 years | Bound to the server’s hardware ID; see moving licences below. |
A Professional licence is not something you renew every year, so a renewal warning nearly always points to a trial or a time-limited key. See how Nx Witness licences work for the full model.
Replace it
How do you renew an expiring Nx Witness licence?
You do not extend the old key; you activate a new one. Buy a Professional licence for every camera that has to keep recording, activate the new key, check that the cameras record on it and then remove the expired key from the list.
- Count the channels. One recording licence per camera. The licence list shows how many channels the expiring key covers.
- Order the licences. Online at €137.49 per camera excl. VAT, 5% less from 11. The codes come by email after payment. Outside the EU no Dutch VAT is charged.
- Activate online. Licenses > Internet Activation, enter the 16-character key. The server needs internet access.
- Or activate offline. Choose Manual Activation, copy the hardware ID and send it to us with the key. You get an activation file back that you upload in the same screen.
- Remove the expired key. Once the new licences are active, the old one can be deleted from the list.
Order a few days before the end date, not on the last day. A bank transfer from outside Europe can take a few days to arrive.
New server, same licences
Can you move an Nx Witness licence to another server?
Yes, a limited number of times. A licence is bound to the hardware ID of the server, which comes from the motherboard and the network card. A key can be deactivated and moved about 3 times; the server has to be online to deactivate, and trial licences cannot be moved at all.
Replace a motherboard or network card without deactivating first, and the licences become invalid on that server. Recording keeps running for a grace period of 30 days, which gives you time to sort it out. Plan a hardware change, and we deactivate and reactivate with you so nothing stops recording.
Worth checking at the same time
Is your version still supported?
If the system runs version 5.1 or older, plan the upgrade before 1 January 2027. From that date Nx Cloud no longer keeps backward compatibility for those versions and they may lose their cloud connection. The upgrade from v5 Professional to Gen 6 Professional is free. See Nx Witness download for the current installers.
How we help
What can we do from here?
Read your licence list with you, tell you exactly what to order, deliver the licence codes by email and, if you want, activate them over a remote session in English. Remote help is €95 per hour excl. VAT. We also do this for systems bought somewhere else.
See remote support for how a session works.
Frequently asked
What people ask about expiring Nx Witness licences
Does recording stop when an Nx Witness licence expires?
For a trial or a time-limited recording licence, yes: the cameras on that licence stop recording. Activate a new key before the end date to avoid a gap.
Can I extend an Nx Witness trial licence?
No. A trial runs for 30 days, once, and cannot be deactivated or activated again. After that you need a Professional licence per camera.
How fast do I get a replacement licence?
The licence codes are sent by email after your payment has arrived. Order a few days before the end date if you pay from outside Europe.
Do I need to buy from the company that installed the system?
No. You can buy licences from any authorised reseller, including us, and activate them on your existing system.
Can you activate the licences for us?
Yes, over a remote session in English at €95 per hour excl. VAT, or offline with an activation file if the server has no internet.
Licence about to run out?
Send us a screenshot of the licence list and we tell you what to order, or go straight to the shop.
A quick word
Questions about your situation? Call John.
Watches over the part you only notice years later: continuity, and agreements that hold. Describe your situation and you will hear straight away what we would do, with no obligation.
John van den Bosch · Co-founder