Autodesk License Borrowing + Laptops + Windows 7 + Power Saving

Difficult cases can be a treat and license borrowing can be tricky.  We were so lucky to find a spooktacular solution to this issue.

You have followed the following steps to borrow a license...

http://upandready.typepad.com/up_and_ready/2011/11/general-licensing-how-to-borrow-a-license-from-the-license-server.html

If you disconnect from the network, it stops working.  When you launch an Autodesk product,  it is basically looking for the license server and comes up with the FLEXnet License Finder.

The interesting part of the scenario is that the laptop was staged using the built-in network card and not the wireless card.  The issue was that when Windows 7 is disconnected from the network, it would go into power saver mode and basically disable the network card.

When you borrow a license, it is binding the Autodesk product to a the MAC address of the ethernet or wireless card.  The solution was to not allow the network card to be disabled.

http://www.addictivetips.com/windows-tips/stop-network-adapter-from-getting-disabled-in-windows-7/

We have lots of treats and last years trick is below:

http://upandready.typepad.com/up_and_ready/2011/10/autodesk-suites-identifying-your-products-on-the-usb-media-using-the-product-key.html

Reference

http://upandready.typepad.com/up_and_ready/2012/09/borrowing-a-license-for-maya-doesnt-allow-you-to-use-mental-ray.html

 Thanks to Chris Newlen for confirming that this trick worked.