Cubase: Unable to Activate Because the License Limit of Three Computers Has Been Exceeded

Release the Licenses of Computers You Are Not Using

From Cubase 12, the USB key (eLicenser) for license activation was discontinued, greatly improving convenience.
Being able to use Cubase on up to three computers per account is another welcome point.

However, there were several occasions when the license came off a computer because of things like "updating Cubase" or "logging in to the account again."
You try to activate the license again, but a message saying it cannot be activated because of the computer limit appears...

Here, we explain how to resolve this.

Deactivating a Computer's License

First, go to this page.

If you are not logged in, log in to your Steinberg account.

Select the option to deactivate licenses on computers you can no longer use.

Set the computers on which you do not use Cubase to "Deactivate".
If you do not know the computer names or are not sure, one option is to deactivate all computers and then activate again on the computers you need.

This restores the license limit, and you can activate Cubase.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What should I do when the "computer limit" error prevents me from activating my Cubase license?

Log in to your Steinberg account and use the function on the official page for deactivating licenses on computers you can no longer use. Releasing the licenses of unneeded computers allows activation on a new device.

Q2. What changed from Cubase 12?

From Cubase 12, the traditional USB key (eLicenser) was discontinued and activation became account-based over the internet. You can use Cubase on up to three computers per account.

Q3. What should I do if I don't know which computers are in use?

We recommend deactivating the licenses on all computers and then activating again on the computers you actually use. With this method, there is no worry about removing the wrong device.