Before using dotConnect for Zoho Desk, you need to activate the product—whether it's a purchased or trial version—using one of the following methods:

• Using NuGet packages.
• At runtime.
• Via the setup wizard.
• In Visual Studio.
• Via the command line.

Activate using NuGet packages

After installing the product via NuGet packages, you can activate dotConnect for Zoho Desk directly in Visual Studio or from the command line.

Activate in Visual Studio

1. In the activation dialog, choose one of the activation methods:

• Enter your activation key.
• Upload the file with your activation key by clicking Load Activation Key.

2. Click OK.

Activate via the command line

1. Open Command Prompt as an Administrator.

2. Navigate to the folder containing dcZohoDeskActivator.dll. The default path is:

%USERPROFILE%\.nuget\packages\devart.data.ZohoDesk\version_number\tools

where:

• %USERPROFILE% – Your profile name.
• version_number – The version number of the NuGet package.

3. Run the following command to get the license key:

dotnet dcZohoDeskActivator.dll -get-license

This redirects you to the Devart website, where you can sign in to copy your license key.

4. Enter the following command, replacing your_key with your own value.

dotnet dcZohoDeskActivator.dll -a your_key

Activate at runtime

Runtime activation supports two methods: directly in the connection string or via a static method.

1. Sign in to the Customer Portal.

2. Copy the activation key available in your Customer Portal account.

3. Apply it using one of the following methods:

• Add the activation key to the connection string while setting up a connection with a database.



using Devart.Data.ZohoDesk; string connectionString = "" + "Host=127.0.0.1;" + "UserID=TestUser;" + "Password=TestPassword;" + "LicenseKey=**********;";

• Provide the activation key before opening a connection using a static method.



ZohoDeskConnection.LoadLicenseKey("**********");

Activate via the setup wizard

1. Run the installation wizard and follow the on-screen instructions.

2. In the License Information dialog, activate the product using one of the methods:

• Input Activation Key: Activate the product immediately by entering your activation key or uploading the file with the activation key. To upload the file, click Load Activation Key.
Note You can find your activation key in the registration email or in your Customer Portal account. To access the portal, click Get Key from Customer Portal.
• Activate later: Skip activation for now. You can activate the product later.

3. Click Next.

Activate in Visual Studio on Windows

1. Open Visual Studio.

2. On the menu bar, select Tools > ZohoDesk > Activate or Get License Information.

3. In the License Information dialog, click Input License Key.

4. In the product activation dialog, choose one of the activation methods:

• Enter your activation key.
• Upload the file with your activation key by clicking Load Activation Key.

5. Click OK.

Activate the product via the command line

1. Open Command Prompt.

2. Navigate to the folder where the product executable file is located. The default path is:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Devart\dotConnect\Zoho Desk\Tools

3. Run the following command, replacing activation_key with your actual key:

dcZohoDeskActivator.exe -a activation_key