Legacy License Keys in QCDS: Display, Clear, and Migration Behavior

Current QCDS 2.0.7 paid access is keyless and resolves through Authorized Domains. An upgraded site can still display a Legacy License Key that was saved by an older release, but that key is no longer the normal activation path.

Use Clear Saved Key only to remove that old local key state. It is not an uninstall, data reset, domain deauthorization, or Max Preview reset.

Why a Legacy License Key Can Still Appear

QCDS retains an older saved key for backward compatibility during migration. When one exists, the Settings licensing card shows it read-only as Legacy License Key, and the Status/Support information can also identify legacy-key state.

Current Pro, Max, and All Access entitlement is resolved from the domain authorized in the QuantaCade account. Do not paste or rotate keys as part of the normal 2.0.7 workflow.

A Safe Migration Sequence

  1. Open Components > QC Digital Signature > Status and record the current Base tier, Effective tier, domain, and verification source.
  2. Open your QuantaCade account and confirm that exact domain is authorized for QC Digital Signature.
  3. Return to QCDS and use Refresh Entitlement. Confirm that the Authorized Domain resolves as expected.
  4. Open Settings. If a Legacy License Key is still shown, choose Clear Saved Key.
  5. Confirm the warning. QCDS removes the saved legacy key and immediately rechecks Authorized Domain entitlement.
  6. Return to Status and verify the resulting Base tier, Effective tier, Verification value, and task health.

What Clear Saved Key Actually Removes

The action clears the locally saved legacy key, its masked display value, and the local validated-key hash. If the installation was still operating in a legacy-key entitlement mode, QCDS first resets that old local entitlement state to a safe pending/Basic condition and then performs a fresh Authorized-Domain entitlement check.

QCDS also removes the old download-key value it previously synchronized to the Joomla update-site record.

What It Does Not Delete

  • Your QuantaCade account or its Authorized Domains.
  • QCDS workspaces, Contacts, Templates, Requests, documents, completed PDFs, or audit/evidence records.
  • The domain's Max Preview status, start/end history, or preview token fields.
  • Identity Verification configuration, User Group Limits, frontend design, or saved Custom CSS.
  • Historical signing transactions.

Clearing the local key does not make a remote paid claim disappear. The immediate entitlement recheck determines what the current Authorized Domain is actually entitled to and refreshes local entitlement state accordingly.

Possible Results After Clearing

  • Authorized Domain confirmed: QCDS returns to the current paid/All Access entitlement for that domain.
  • No current paid entitlement: QCDS continues at Basic.
  • Temporary service failure: the returned message identifies the validation problem; any eligible grace follows the normal bounded entitlement rules.
  • Entitlement task unhealthy: Effective access remains Basic until the required Entitlement Revalidation task is repaired.

Do Not Use Clear Saved Key as a Troubleshooting Reset

If a paid feature is unexpectedly locked, first check the Authorized Domain, Entitlement Automation Integrity, and Refresh Entitlement result. Clear Saved Key is specifically for removing obsolete key state from an upgraded installation; it is not a general-purpose reset button.

Community Discussion

Want to compare workflows, share practical tips, or discuss how you use this QCDS feature? Visit the QC Digital Signature Community. For private support, bug reports, account-specific issues, or feature requests, use the QuantaCade support system.