Migration to IDA 8.5

This guide will walk you through the process of migrating from an IDA 8.4 perpetual license to version 8.5. For an overview of new features and changes in version 8.5, please refer to the IDA 8.5 Release Notes.

Migration Steps

  1. Verify your license status:

  • Pending activation IDA 8.4 license: First, activate your IDA 8.4 license. Once activated, you can proceed with the upgrade to IDA 8.5.

  • Active IDA 8.4 license: You can proceed directly to upgrading your license to IDA 8.5.

  1. Choose your license type for detailed upgrade instructions:

How the upgrade works?

  • License configuration transfer: Your existing settings from previous licenses will be moved to new 8.5 licenses (e.g., decompilers or MAC addresses). However, you will have the opportunity to review and modify these settings. You need to do that before downloading the license files.

  • New license file format: After the upgrade, the license will be available in the new .hexlic format for download.

  • License Server update: If you're using a floating license server with IDA 8.4, you must update your legacy FlexNet License Server to the new Hex-Rays License Server that supports IDA 8.5.

What to expect after migration?

In a typical scenario, for named/computer licenses, after the upgrade you should see an updated IDA license entries that match 1:1 your previous settings. If you have IDA Pro floating licenses, you'll see a new entry called IDA License 8.5 Server Plan.

Q&A

Q: The number of new IDA License 8.5 Server Plans shown in my account doesn’t match my current requirements. What should I do?

Example: I had perpetual IDA Pro Floating Licenses with 10 seats and three servers assigned to three different Host IDs (MAC addresses). What should I expect after migrating to 8.5?

A: After clicking the "Upgrade to IDA 8.5" button in the banner, you will see three new 8.5 License Server entries, each pre-filled with the different Host ID (MAC address) from your previous configuration.

If your current setup only requires one license server (e.g., all IDA Pro instances will now connect to one server), you need to review/update and download only one server license files. You can ignore the remaining entries.

On the other hand, if you now need more servers than before, you can add additional server license entries by clicking the + Add Server button.

Upgrade to IDA Pro 8.5 with named or computer license

  1. Log in to the My Hex-Rays portal using the email address associated with your previous license. In the banner at the top of the Licenses tab, click Upgrade to IDA 8.5 Now to proceed.

Upgrade banner

  1. All your eligible licenses will become updated automatically. After the upgrade, you should see updated IDA license entries that match 1:1 your previous settings.

  2. Click on upgraded IDA 8.5 license to check it's details, based on your previous settings, and modify them if needed. If you are sure that all information are correct, you can continue and download your license file(s).

  3. Click the three dots under the Actions column, then select Download hexlic to get your new license file.

Upgraded licenses

  1. Download the IDA Pro 8.5 installer via our Download center and follow the steps in the Installation Guide.

Upgrade to IDA Pro 8.5 with floating license

The legacy FlexNet server used with IDA 8.4 is not compatible with version 8.5. To complete the upgrade, you must also migrate to the new Hex-Rays License Server.

  1. Log in to the My Hex-Rays portal using the email address associated with your previous license. In the banner at the top of the Licenses tab, click Upgrade to IDA 8.5 Now to proceed.

Upgrade your floating licenses to 8.5

  1. Your upgraded IDA 8.5 licenses should appear automatically in the Licenses list as IDA License 8.5 Server Plan. The number of 8.5 new license entries depends on your previous configuration, such as the Host IDs.

New License 8.5 Server Plan entries

  1. Review your new IDA License 8.5 Server Plan configuration. Click on the entry to view the license details, and select Edit if you need to make any changes. Ensure to double-check the following:

  • Host ID (MAC address)

  • IDA Pro licenses assigned with your server

  • License Manager email

Once downloaded, license files can no longer be modified. Be sure all license details are accurate before proceeding with the download.

  1. Click the three dots under the Actions column, then select Download hexlic and Download certificate to get your new license files.

Download license files

  1. Download the IDA 8.5 License Server installer and IDA Pro 8.5 installer via our Download center.

The downloaded hexlic file works with both IDA Pro 8.5 and the new Hex-Rays License Server.

  1. Follow the Hex-Rays License Server Migration Guide for detailed server installation steps.

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