NovaBACKUP
Cannot Activate NovaBACKUP due to FIPS Encryption setting is enabled in the OS ("Activation failed for unknown reason" is the error in the "License Registration" dialog in NovaBACKUP all versions). The "FIPS compliance mode" security policy ('gpedit.msc' command, which is the "Local Group Policy Editor" or "Edit group policy" app in Windows) setting will break the online and offline activation in NovaBACKUP PC/Server/Business Essentials software. This can happen either during installation OR after being installed and changing keys/changing from trial mode to registered, etc.. This is a .NET related error.
See the end of this KB article for a potential resolution.
Overview
If "FIPS compliance mode" is ENABLED in the Local Security Policies area of “gpedit.msc” it will cause NovaBACKUP SMB activation to fail. The "FIPS compliance mode" is DISABLED by default in all editions of Windows.
"FIPS compliance mode" is required by certain entities as so can be part of a system wide policy that is forced/enacted on machines and may not be easy to disable, you should at least be able to see if it is enabled.
When you Enable the "FIPS compliance mode" setting it will
A. force offline activation every time even if you have internet connection and all firewalls disabled, and
B. will produce a blank Hardware Key which produces in the end an error message “Activation failed because of unknown reason.”
This probably affects all recent versions of NovaBACKUP that utilize .NET Framework 3.51. This policy edit breaks something in the way that .NET Framework is used by NovaBACKUP for activation.
Confirming if FIPS is enabled
Here are all of the screen shots that make this issue occur, all I did was enable that policy setting and simply attempt to activate NovaBACKUP v17.1.804 (or newer) with a license key (this license key that you see in the screen shots is not valid so do not attempt to utilize that key):
Resolution
The work-around for this is to disable "FIPS compliance mode" in the group policy settings of for the PC(s) with NovaBACKUP client on them, and/or fix the WIM service at the OS level. It is possible that both the "FIPS compliance mode" setting can be re-enabled on the machine after installing and activating NovaBACKUP client, for which this current KB article was written to work-around, and it will affect you after having installed and activated NovaBACKUP the first time, which can then lead to issues with client upgrades later, because they will try to register and activate then for client upgrades, or if you try to perform any activation or registration related changes later in the client Help > Registration dialog, after the "FIPS compliance mode" group policy setting is enabled and confirmed later, and a WIM service problem can also have the same or similar effects to cause the activation workflow to break or have the described problems in this KB article, and we have a separate KB article for the other "WIM service problem", that was mentioned above, here.
Another potential resolution is to contact NovaStor Online Sales to discuss obtaining a "Perpetual" license key so you can perform an offline activation.
US: NovaStor Online Sales (ols@novastor.com +1.805.435.0067) handles email promotions, subscription changes, account changes and change of address, online purchasing, and returns.