Turn Software Updates into a Subscription Renewal Strategy with Advanced Installer Updater

Controlling Access to Updates

Suppose you are a vendor offering licensed software. Customers with an active subscription can download the latest version of your product, while those with expired subscriptions must renew first.

The standard auto-update behavior doesn't fully cover this situation. That’s because it typically assumes users either have access to the latest version or none at all, depending on subscription validity.

What you really need is a custom update solution that:

• Notifies users when a new app version is available.
• Grants access to the download if the subscription is valid.
• For users with an expired subscription:

- Inform them why they cannot download it directly.

- Provide them with a link to your license portal to renew.

Integrating License Check with the Advanced Installer Updater

Advanced Installer features an Updater that checks for updates, informs the users about new releases, and manages downloads and installs.

You can find a tutorial on how to configure auto-updates for your application here: Configure Auto Updates for Your Application with Advanced Updater

The Updater can be easily integrated with Windows applications since you only have to launch it using the corresponding command line option.

Here’s how you can configure the Updater for license-restricted updates:

1. Create a license validation script and host the script on your server.

The script must give an answer in the form AnswerCode\nMessage, where “Message” is an exploratory message and the possible return code can be one of:

• 601 – License is valid → proceed with update.
• 602 – License not valid, but update can still be downloaded.
• 603 – License not valid; update should not be downloaded.

2. Configure the Updates Configuration project (which generates the UpdateConfigFile.txt consumed by the Advanced Updater) to use the validation script:

- In the Advanced Page, check the “Verify license before applying updates” option and provide the URL of your validation script.

3. Trigger the update check from within your application code and pass the license ID:

updater.exe /silent -licenseid abcdef

4. The updater will take action depending on the code returned by your server-side validation script:

• 601 - The updater will go on to download the updates.
• 602 - License is not valid, but the updater will display the message and download updates.
• 603 - License is not valid, and the update will not be downloaded. The updater will display a message and stop.

The Advanced Updater allows you to fine-tune the update experience. You can block downloads for outdated subscriptions but show a message and provide a link to your License Portal to renew the licenses.

Check out the auto-updater’s functionalities: Auto-Updater: Get Your Application's Lifecycle Ready for Market Continuity.

Handling Expired Licenses

Some users may have a license that is valid for their current version but not for newer ones. To manage this:

• Set the Updates Release Date in your Updates Configuration project.
• Pass both the license key and the expiration date (DD/MM/YYYY) when triggering an update check:

updater.exe /checknow -licenseid abcdef 01/01/2014

If the expiration date is earlier than the release date, a warning appers, allowing the user to decide whether to proceed with the update installation.

Keep Your Users Notified

The Advanced Installer Updater also lets you notify your users directly. Notifications are sent to all the users, whether they are subscribed or unsubscribed.

You can use this feature to inform users in advance about upcoming updates, offering details about what the new version will include. The key advantage is you can include a direct link to your portal in the notification. So, the unsubscribed users can access renewal options.

This way you can keep your users informed and connected to your product. Notifications can be configured in the Notifications page from the Updates Configuration project.

The auto-updater feature is available starting with the Advanced Installer Enterprise edition.

Benefits of Using the Advanced Installer Updater

The Advanced Installer Updater provides both technical and business value by combining license validation and update notifications.

It can increase renewal rates by reminding users of new releases and help you to redirect the users who have expired subscriptions to the renewal portal. Thus, users will receive a clear explanation of why they cannot download the latest version instead of silent failure or an unexplained error.

The update gives you controlled access. Only the valid subscribers can install the newest version. In this way, you maintain a flexible experience for different license states.

Conclusion

When dealing with subscription-based licensing, the default updater behaviors may not be sufficient. By integrating a license validation check into the update process, you can keep customers informed about new releases and also ensure only entitled users can access them.

This approach not only protects your licensing model but also supports your renewal strategy. It turns software updates into a consistent driver for customer retention.