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

QC Live Forum 1.1.27 uses Authorized Domains for current paid entitlement. A saved license key on an upgraded site is Legacy License Key compatibility data, not the activation method customers should use for current releases.

QCLF keeps older keys carefully so upgrades remain compatible, but the Administrator interface treats them as read-only historical credentials.

How a Saved Legacy Key Appears

When an older saved key exists, Settings shows a masked, read-only Legacy License Key field. QCLF does not provide a current key-entry workflow beside it.

The key can still support a hardened compatibility fallback when an upgraded installation needs to prove a paid entitlement, but Authorized Domains remain the primary current path.

Prepare Before Clearing It

  • Add the site’s detected domain to the QC Live Forum Authorized Domains in the QuantaCade account first when paid access should continue.
  • Check Status and note the current Base/Effective tier and verification mode.
  • Keep the canonical Entitlement Revalidation task healthy so the replacement Authorized-Domain state can be confirmed.

Clear the Saved Key

  1. Open Components > QC Live Forum > Settings.
  2. In Licensing & Entitlement, confirm the masked Legacy License Key is the compatibility value you intend to remove.
  3. Select Clear Saved Key. The action requires Manage License.
  4. Confirm the warning.
  5. QCLF clears the saved/encrypted key fields and updater download credential, then immediately resolves Authorized-Domain entitlement again.
  6. Review the resulting message and verify Status.

What Clearing Does Not Delete

Clearing the Legacy License Key does not delete Sections, Categories, Topics, Messages, forum configuration, email templates, Custom CSS, or other QCLF content. It also does not reset Max Preview history.

When the current entitlement mode actually depended on the legacy key, QCLF clears the old key-backed entitlement/cache fields before re-resolution. If an Authorized Domain is available, paid access can be confirmed again; otherwise the installation safely returns to Basic.

Migration Result

After a successful migration, Status should show Authorized Domain or Authorized Domain + All Access as the verification path instead of Legacy License Key.

Do not paste an old key back into Joomla as a troubleshooting shortcut. Correct the Authorized Domain, task health, or account entitlement that current QCLF expects.

Community Discussion

Want to compare forum workflows, share practical QCLF tips, or discuss how other Joomla site owners use this feature? Visit the QC Live Forum Community. For private support, bug reports, account-specific entitlement problems, or feature requests, use the QuantaCade support system.