Install & Activate Products on Offline Computers

Jun 24, 2024

Learn how to install software to devices that are not connected to the internet.

Important Notes:

  • Check which software version is most suitable for your system and DAW.
  • Current version licenses will activate older version software (V9 and above), as long as the product/s in question exist/s in that software version.
  • Waves Creative Access subscription licenses cover all software versions V9 and above.
  • For more information on using older licenses and software, see below.

Activate Your License to a USB Flash Drive

  1. Download and install Waves Central for Mac | Windows.
    If you already have Waves Central installed, skip to step 2.
  2. Launch Waves Central.
    Windows: via the desktop shortcut or Start Menu > All Programs > Waves Central.
    Mac: Applications > Waves Central.
  3. Connect your USB flash drive.
    For both OS X and Windows compatibility, your USB flash drive must be ExFAT-formatted. For more information, click here. (For VENUE Legacy consoles: Format your USB drive to FAT-32).
  4. Select the Licenses page.
  5. Select Not Activated or Connected Devices, depending on where your licenses are located.
  6. Choose the licenses you want to move.
  7. On the right, under Target Device for Licenses, select the USB flash drive as the target drive.
  8. Click Activate.

You will be prompted once the process is complete.
The products you have selected are now activated on your USB flash drive.

  • Important Notes:

    • Creating an offline installer requires a computer that is connected to the internet.
    1. Launch Waves Central and go to the Offline Installer page.
    2. In the Offline Installer page, click Create.
    3. Select the software products you wish to include in the offline installer package.
      You can select the V15-V10 products you own from the My Products tab, all Waves plugins at the same time under the Plugin Subscriptions tab, or individual plugins, bundles, or live applications and drivers you need from the SoundGrid Applications tab
      • To choose what is shown in the All Products tab, use the View menu - you’ll be able to choose the version of plugins shown (V15-V10) and choose whether to show live applications and drivers
    4. In the Offline Installer properties, define the target and file name.
      Your desktop is the default location for creating an offline installer.
    5. Under Target OS, select the OS that is running on your offline computer.
    6. Check ‘I understand’ on the notice regarding licenses on the right panel.
    7. Click Create an installer.
    8. When finished, copy the new installer from the defined location to a USB flash drive, in order to move it to an offline computer.
    9. Connect the USB flash drive to your offline computer and copy the offline installer folder you created to your desktop.
    1. For your convenience, we created a full V15 offline installer that includes all plugins, Waves Creative Access and SoundGrid apps. Download it for | .
    2. Copy the full offline installer zip file from your online computer to a USB flash drive, in order to move it to an offline computer.
    3. Connect your USB flash drive to your offline computer.
    4. Copy the Offline Installation zip file from your USB drive to your offline computer.
    5. Unzip the file in your preferred location.

    Please note: This offline installer does not include sample libraries for Waves instruments. Download them from the Sample Libraries download page.

Install from an Offline installer

Before you begin an offline installation, make sure you have activated licenses for the products you are installing. Your product licenses are not part of the offline installer itself.

V14 plugins (or higher) will work in demo mode without an activated license, earlier versions (V13-V9) will not work without their licenses.

Please note: We recommend saving the offline installer folder to your desktop.

If Waves Central is not installed on the target computer:

  1. Open the offline installer folder you copied to your desktop.
  2. Locate the Waves Central installer (.exe file for Windows, .dmg for Mac) and follow the prompts to install.

Once Waves Central is installed and running on the target computer:

  1. Browse to the offline installer folder you created or downloaded.
  2. When you are in "Waves - xx.xx.xx", double-click on the file named Install.cen.
  3. Waves Central will open on the Offline Installer page.
  4. From the list, select the products you wish to install.
  5. Click Install.

Please note: the USB flash drive that the licenses are activated to must remain connected to the offline computer for Waves plugins to be authorized on that system.

To check if a plugin exists in an older version, visit the older version's download page.

Software versions earlier than 9.92 cannot co-exist with software versions above V10. To run V9 side by side with a newer version, please install version 9.92.

Tracks Live, DiGiCo, and Venue users should download the dedicated Tracks Live, Waves for DiGiCo (legacy), and Waves for Venue installers.

Need any assistance? Contact Technical Support.