When I enter my authorization key, I get a message saying the authorization key is invalid. How do I fix it?
The authorization key and the machine ID are a pair. When this message appears, it is most often because the machine ID you have entered on the website is incorrect. Common problems include substituting a 0 (zero) for an O (as in ocean). Other letters and digits are also hard to distinguish. If you enter the Machine ID incorrectly on the website (even one single digit), then the authorization key that you receive from the website won't work on your machine. At the bottom right corner of the registration dialog is a button labeled 'Spell Machine ID.' Use that button for help in distinguishing between the letters and numbers in the machine ID. If you will re-enter the machine ID on the website with the correct information, you will get a different authorization key.

When I start up the software, I get a message saying the software is out of date. How do I fix it?
Each version of the software expires approximately every 60 days. If you have used the software for an earlier tournament in the season (or perhaps for a tournament last year), it is likely that the version you are trying to run is the version you installed for the earlier tournament. Because the software is continually being enhanced, a check is made when you start up the software to make sure that you are running a version of the software that is relatively recent. Use the "Software Update" link from the home page to update your software. The software update page always lists the "current version" that is available via the website. You can check the version you are running from the "Help" menu via the option labeled "about Joy." If the version numbers don't match, you've found the problem. You may want to use the Control Panel "Add/Remove Software" option to remove the version that is currently on your computer and then re-install the software from the "Software Update" page.

What is a Machine ID?
The Machine ID is a number generated on your machine that will uniquely identiy your computer. The number is generated by an algorithm inside the Joy of Tournaments PC software. It is based entirely on the hardware configuration of your computer.

Where do I find the Machine ID?
From the 'Start Menu', go to 'Programs' and find the icon for 'The Joy of Tournaments. Inside the software, select Help, then Registration from the menu. The Machine ID is the first field displayed on that dialog.

What is my serial number?
The serial number represents your license to use the software. If you are using the website for registration, your serial number is available via the 'Software Download' option on your 'Administration' page. If you are not using the website for registration, your serial number will be provided to you via email.

What is an authorization key?
The authorization key unlocks the PC software so that you may use all of the features you have purchased.

How do I get an authorization key?
Browse to the Authorization Key page on the website. Enter your serial number and password, then enter your Machine ID. The website will generate an appropriate authorization key for your machine.

How do I enter my authorization key?
Select Help, then Registration from the Joy of Tournaments menu. Enter your authorization key in the third field on the dialog that appears (labeled Key).

When I enter my serial number and password on the website, I get a message saying 'Invalid serial number supplied'. What does this mean?
The serial number you have entered on the website is incorrect. Check the serial number closely for typos or other errors. Your serial number will be listed on the 'Software Download' option on your 'Administration' page (if you are using the website for registration), or it will be provided to you via email (if you are not using the website for registration). Your serial number will be similar to 1480-2480-10541 (it will always be 4 digits - 4 digits - 5 digits). The serial number is not to be confused with your computer's serial number (for example, the PC serial number provided by the manufacturer - Dell, Compaq, IBM, etc.) The serial number you need is provided by Joy of Tournaments when you purchase the software.

When I enter my serial number and password on the website, I get a message saying '1st field of serial number is missing or invalid'. What does this mean?
The serial number you have entered on the website is incorrect. The first field of your serial number needs correction. If your serial number were 1480-2480-10541, the website would be indicating that the '1480' portion of the serial number is in error.

When I enter my serial number and password on the website, I get a message saying '2nd field of serial number is missing or invalid'. What does this mean?
The serial number you have entered on the website is incorrect. The second field of your serial number needs correction. If your serial number were 1480-2480-10541, the website would be indicating that the '2480' portion of the serial number is in error.

When I enter my serial number and password on the website, I get a message saying '3rd field of serial number is missing or invalid'. What does this mean?
The serial number you have entered on the website is incorrect. The first field of your serial number needs correction. If your serial number were 1480-2480-10541, the website would be indicating that the '10541' portion of the serial number is in error.

When I enter my serial number and password on the website, I get a message saying 'Invalid password supplied'. What does this mean?
The website recognizes the serial number you have entered as a valid serial number, but the password you entered is incorrect. Try re-entering the password again. The password you should be using here is supplied along with your serial number when you purchase the software. The password here is not to be confused with your email password or with the password you use to register for tournaments on this website.

When I enter my authorization key in the PC software, I get a copyright message. What is wrong?
Somewhere in the authorization key process there is an error. Check to make sure that you have entered the serial number correctly. Check to make sure that you have entered the authorization key correctly. Check for upper case and lower case letters as case is important. If both of these are OK, then double-check that the machine ID has been entered correctly. Use the 'checksum' field to verify that the Machine ID entered on the website matches the PC's machine ID. The checksum displayed to the right-hand side of the machine ID on the PC must match the checksum calculated by the website when you generate the authorization key.

I don't understand the checksum. How does this work?
The checksum is designed to help you catch errors when entering the machine ID. Since the machine ID is a long number, it is the most frequent cause of trouble when registering the software on a new computer. The checksum is a five digit number. Each digit in the checksum represents one field of the machine ID. For example, if your machine ID were 61099-51874-JABEZ-6C8E-F47A, the checksum would be 53461. The '6' in the checksum represents the 4th field of the machine ID (6C8E). If the website displayed 53471 for the checksum, this would indicate that the 4th field of the machine ID had been entered incorrectly (because the two numbers differ only in the 4th digit). You would also know that the other fields were probably correct. The checksum will not match if you have made an error when entering the Machine ID. Since there are only 5 digits in the checksum, it is possible for the checksums to match but there still be an error in the Machine ID although it isn't very likely.