Error: "Cannot Open Activation Key File - No Valid Activation Found" when starting Sage 100

• Insufficient Permissions
• Missing or corrupt activate.pvx file
• Insufficient drive space

Sage 100 Standard

You must explicitly tell Windows to run the program as an administrator, even if you're logged in with domain administrator rights, due to UAC settings.
Use the following steps:

• Right click Sage 100 shortcut and select Run As Administrator

• The user does not have sufficient network permissions to launch Sage 100 Standard. To test permissions, perform the following:
  1. In Windows Explorer, go to "..\MAS90\Home\Lib\Keys".
  2. Try to create and delete a text (.txt) file in that folder.
  3. If an access error occurs, give the user sufficient rights to the entire ..\MAS90\ folder and all subfolders, using the following guidelines:.
     • Change (RWXD) or "Full Control" permissions at the sharepoint.
• The Activate.pvx file in "..\MAS90\Home\Lib\Keys" on the server may be missing or corrupted:
  • Try replacing it with a backup copy.
  • If it was renamed, such as to "MIGRATE_ACTIVATE.PVX", try renaming it back.
• ..\MAS90\Home\Lib\Keys\Activate.pvx is Read-Only. This might occur if Sage 100 was restored from a CD-ROM backup. Remove the "Read-Only" type attributes from all Sage 100 files.
  • Open a command prompt, go to the "..\MAS90" folder, and type the following command to remove "Read-Only", "System", and "Hidden" attributes from the ..\MAS90 folder and all subfolders:
  • ATTRIB -r -s -h /s
• The path to "..\MAS90" is incorrectly mapped. For example, the ..\Mas90\ folder itself might be shared so that the workstation only sees the folders beneath ..\Mas90\ (F:\Home\ instead of F:\Mas90\Home\). To resolve, perform the following:
  1. Remove the share from the "..\MAS90" directory, and share the drive above ..\MAS90\.
  2. At the workstation, remap the drive so that it points to the new sharepoint,
  3. Run Workstation Setup (..\MAS90\Wksetup\Setup.exe or Wksetup.exe).
• The server might have insufficient disk space to run the program. Verify that the server has sufficient disk space.
• A virus might be interfering with Sage 100 Standard processes.
  • As of 09/20/2001, the following file types have been known to interfere with Sage 100.
    • *.eml
    • *.nws
    • RICH*.DLL
    • MPE*.*
  • If any of these types of files exist on the network, the virus must be cleaned from the network before troubleshooting Sage 100 issues. If Sage 100 is infected by a virus, perform the following:
    1. Rename the "..\MAS90\Home" and "..\MAS90\CM" directories.
    2. Reinstall the System Setup, Library Master, and Custom Office (if installed) modules.
    3. Reactivate the system in Product Registration. It is not necessary to reenter the serial numbers and unlocking keys.
    4. To retain configuration settings, such as Device Configurator, copy all *.ini files from the old "..\MAS90\Home" directory to the new "..\MAS90\Home" directory.
• The PVX.INI file in the "..\Windows" directory of the server contains an absolute path to the "..\MAS90\Home\Lib" directory that is incorrect. The path to the "..\MAS90\Home\Lib" directory must be the same as the path in the "..\Windows\PVX.INI" file at the server
• Delete the "..\Windows\PVX.INI" file on the local workstation, and then run Workstation Setup.
  • This resolution applies only if the error occurs within the program rather than when launching it.

Review Sage 100 Security Permission section in Sage 100 Install Guide