If you just purchased a license and realized you typed the Software ID incorrectly, MikroTik allows a one-time fix: Go to in your account.
| Problem | Solution | | :--- | :--- | | "Command not found: set software-id" | Your device is a RouterBOARD. You cannot change the ID. | | CHR still shows old ID after VM clone | CHR caches hardware info. Run /system routerboard upgrade then reboot twice. | | License says "invalid" after ID change | You must generate a new license key for the new ID. Free licenses (Level 1) are auto-issued. Paid licenses require a transfer. | | Want to keep old license after ID change | You cannot. The license is cryptographically bound to the original ID. | | VirtualBox / VMware ID keeps reverting | Ensure the VM's BIOS UUID is static. Set SMBIOS.reflectHost = "FALSE" in VMware. |
The Software ID is a unique string of characters used by MikroTik's licensing server to identify a specific installation of RouterOS.
The Software ID is hard-coded at the factory based on the storage media (NAND) and the unique serial number of the board. It cannot be changed by the user.
If you just purchased a license and realized you typed the Software ID incorrectly, MikroTik allows a one-time fix: Go to in your account.
| Problem | Solution | | :--- | :--- | | "Command not found: set software-id" | Your device is a RouterBOARD. You cannot change the ID. | | CHR still shows old ID after VM clone | CHR caches hardware info. Run /system routerboard upgrade then reboot twice. | | License says "invalid" after ID change | You must generate a new license key for the new ID. Free licenses (Level 1) are auto-issued. Paid licenses require a transfer. | | Want to keep old license after ID change | You cannot. The license is cryptographically bound to the original ID. | | VirtualBox / VMware ID keeps reverting | Ensure the VM's BIOS UUID is static. Set SMBIOS.reflectHost = "FALSE" in VMware. |
The Software ID is a unique string of characters used by MikroTik's licensing server to identify a specific installation of RouterOS.
The Software ID is hard-coded at the factory based on the storage media (NAND) and the unique serial number of the board. It cannot be changed by the user.
