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Activate your license

After purchasing Big Picture Money, you receive a license file (license.bp) by email. Use it to activate each data file you use on a computer.

Prerequisites​

  • Big Picture Money installed on your computer
  • Your license.bp file from purchase confirmation email
  • Internet connection for the online activation step
  • An unlocked data file (create or unlock first — the license prompt appears after unlock)

Steps​

  1. Open Big Picture Money and create or unlock a data file.
  2. When prompted, click Import license file (or open Settings → License / Help → License…).
  3. Select your license.bp file.
  4. Click Activate when the app shows your license details.
  5. Wait for the online activation to complete.
  6. Continue — if this file has no accounts yet, Home shows Getting started.

If you do not have a license yet, click Buy Big Picture Money on the prompt to open purchase on the website in your browser.

Every new data file​

Each new data file asks you to import the license and activate again, even on the same computer. You do not buy again — use the same license.bp. After activation for that file on this computer, later unlocks of that file do not need another online check.

Moving a file to another computer​

If you open a data file on a computer that does not match the one stored for that file, Big Picture Money asks you to import the license and activate again for that file on the new computer.

Expected result​

  • The license prompt appears after the data file is unlocked, not before.
  • Until this file is licensed on this computer, finance navigation stays unavailable; Lock remains available so you can switch or create another file.
  • After activation, the app shows your licensed edition year (for example, 2026).
  • Activation completes without creating an account or password for Big Picture Money.
  • On later unlocks of the same file on the same computer, you are not asked to activate again and the app does not contact the license server for that check.
  • A new data file on the same computer still shows the license prompt until you import and activate for that file.
  • Opening the file on a different computer shows the license prompt again until you activate there.
  • If activation fails because you reached the device limit, you see a plain-language message with a link to My Devices on the website.

Troubleshooting​

ProblemWhat to do
Invalid or damaged license fileRe-download from your purchase email or contact support
Device limit reachedRemove an unused device on My Devices
No internet during activationConnect to the internet and try again — activation requires an online step
Prompted again on a new computerExpected — import license.bp and activate for this file on that computer