Server error "Failed loading default license file!"

[echoz.io]

Hi,

At about 2am on Saturday, my teamspeak server stopped working with the following logs:

2018-09-01 12:10:56.598199|INFO    |ServerLibPriv |   |TeamSpeak 3 Server 3.2.0 (2018-05-08 06:11:20)
2018-09-01 12:10:56.598337|INFO    |ServerLibPriv |   |SystemInformation: Linux 4.9.0-6-amd64 #1 SMP Debian 4.9.88-1+deb9u1 (2018-05-07) x86_64 Binary: 64bit
2018-09-01 12:10:56.598369|INFO    |ServerLibPriv |   |Using hardware aes
2018-09-01 12:10:56.598993|INFO    |DatabaseQuery |   |dbPlugin name:    SQLite3 plugin, Version 3, (c)TeamSpeak Systems GmbH
2018-09-01 12:10:56.599026|INFO    |DatabaseQuery |   |dbPlugin version: 3.11.1
2018-09-01 12:10:56.599231|INFO    |DatabaseQuery |   |checking database integrity (may take a while)
2018-09-01 12:10:56.626282|WARNING |Accounting    |   |Unable to open licensekey.dat, falling back to limited functionality
2018-09-01 12:10:56.626390|CRITICAL|Accounting    |   |Failed loading default license file!

I'm running only one server, and there has never been even nearly 32 people on it. This happened without me making any changes, and at the time of the crash the server had been running for 60 days since installation.
I could not find anything about this error online, and ended up just buying a commercial license for $30. I have no problem paying for a license, but it would at least be nice to know why this happened. To my understanding you can run an unlicensed server with the same restrictions as long as it is for non-commercial, personal use.

[w00tw00t]

OK, this was a quite shitty implementation of a hard coded expiration date on a free license..

Step by step how to fix the problem by updating to latest version (Linux Ubuntu/Debian, you need to replace with your current username and foldername):

1. Shutdown the server

cd /home/teamspeak/teamspeak3-server_linux_amd64

./ts3server_startscript.sh stop

2. Make a backup of the entire folder

cd /home/teamspeak/

cp teamspeak3-server_linux_amd64 teamspeak3-server_linux_amd64_BACKUP

3. Download the latest version (3.3.1)

wget http://dl.4players.de/ts/releases/3.3.1/teamspeak3-server_linux_amd64-3.3.1.tar.bz2

4. Unpack over your current folder (it must be named teamspeak3-server_linux_amd64)

tar -xvf teamspeak3-server_linux_amd64-3.3.1.tar.bz2

5. Start the server again, your existing structure and permissions should remain

./ts3server_startscript.sh start

That's it.

[dayron]

This is ridiculous. A free licence that expires... Updating to get a new licence was not exactly an idea I thought of doing as the first thought that came to mind was that something was wrong on TeamSpeaks end. Now knowing I have to update the server every month or what ever you guys decide on is honestly annoying as a free/no licence user. You are definitely not helping your user base with this one. Just making it even easier for people considering alternatives.

I have an older version (log below) and have the same issue with license file missing.
I've been running an old Windows 2003 VM on my home network for a long time and use TeamSpeak to play with my kids and they play with their friends. I don't understand the point of yanking a free license out from under anyone when you can simply let it still run and just say in the forums "sorry... we don't support it anymore. You can upgrade IF YOU LIKE".
Super dumb of you TeamSpeak. Why do you even care? Even Microsoft lets me run old versions of their software if I want. You can't even be as lenient as Microsoft??? LOL Sheesh!

2018-09-03 03:23:55.595375|INFO    |ServerLibPriv |   |TeamSpeak 3 Server 3.1.2 (2018-04-24 06:11:19)
2018-09-03 03:23:55.595375|INFO    |ServerLibPriv |   |SystemInformation: Windows Server 2003 SP2 (3790) x86 Binary: 32bit
2018-09-03 03:23:55.595375|INFO    |DatabaseQuery |   |dbPlugin name:    SQLite3 plugin, Version 3, (c)TeamSpeak Systems GmbH
2018-09-03 03:23:55.595375|INFO    |DatabaseQuery |   |dbPlugin version: 3.11.1
2018-09-03 03:23:55.595375|INFO    |DatabaseQuery |   |checking database integrity (may take a while)
2018-09-03 03:23:55.626625|WARNING |UDPServers    |   |Warning, this operating system does not support the network apis needed for sending UDP packets with a source address. Multihomed machines may have issues connecting clients unless you bind to specific ip's. Also in the case of IPV6, you might have an issue connecting clients if you have a IPV6 temporary address
2018-09-03 03:23:55.626625|WARNING |Accounting    |   |Unable to open licensekey.dat, falling back to limited functionality
2018-09-03 03:23:55.626625|CRITICAL|Accounting    |   |Failed loading default license file!

[ANR Daemon]

Great move. Did you took this example from Microsoft?
What if I can't update to 3.3 since it simply won't start on the system?

[inflac]

Hallo,
Hier mein Problem:

Ich habe einen Teamspeak auf einem V-Server installiert. Eigentlich lief alles flüssig bis ich am 01.09.2018 mich nicht mehr mit dem TS verbinden konnte. Natürlich habe ich sofort Putty gestartet und alles ausprobiert. Beim Versuch ihn zu starten bekomme ich diese Fehlermeldung: 2018-09-05 12:05:14.098213|CRITICAL|Accounting | |Failed loading default license file!
Ich weiß leider nicht weiter und benötige Dringend Hilfe.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen
Inflac
Benjamin P.

[dante696]

Update einfach deinen TeamSpeak Server.
https://www.teamspeak.com/en/downloads#server

[akernel]

hi guys! today faced a problem. at start of the TS server writes to me that can't load the license file. I downloaded and unpacked the new version, but also nothing starts. the mark on the forum topic "resolved" is not clear to me. who solved it?

[dante696]

Then your case has nothing to do with this thread.
Please read server log0 it will tell you why it did not start.

[MaximalCrazy]

Guten Tag,

vorab: Ja, mein Problem wurde bereits in diesem Forum besprochen, ABER es wurde dort eine Server.ini Datei verändert, die ich in der Version 3.2.0 nicht besitze.

Logs:
2018-10-22 17:11:55.394291|INFO |ServerLibPriv | |TeamSpeak 3 Server 3.2.0 (2018-05-08 06:11:20)
2018-10-22 17:11:55.394461|INFO |ServerLibPriv | |SystemInformation: Linux 3.13.0-149-generic #199-Ubuntu SMP Thu May 17 10:12:50 UTC 2018 x86_64 Binary: 64bit
2018-10-22 17:11:55.394509|INFO |ServerLibPriv | |Using hardware aes

2018-10-22 17:11:55.395788|INFO |DatabaseQuery | |dbPlugin version: 3.11.1

2018-10-22 17:11:55.431227|WARNING |Accounting | |Unable to open licensekey.dat, falling back to limited functionality
2018-10-22 17:11:55.431351|CRITICAL|Accounting | |Failed loading default license file!

Sollten noch Informationen benötigt werden, bitte Bescheid geben.

Über Hilfe würde ich mich sehr freuen

MfG MaximalCrazy

[dante696]

Dein Server ist einfach nur veraltet. Du brauchst Server 3.4.0.
Keine Ahnung was die ini Datei damit zu tun haben soll.

[dante696]

Guess your server version is to old and you already see in the log that the end date has passed by.

[2Insane4You]

Hi Guys,
i cant start my Teamspeak Server.
|CRITICAL|Accounting | |Failed loading default license file!

I Updated the complete System But its not working.
Im Using an NPL -> Reason?
Deleted Licensekey File for testing but its not working either.

Need the Teamspeak for our Community..

Thanks.
René

[dante696]

You are not using server 3.6.1 where the license date is still valid.

Moved your 3.7.0 report to right thread.

[Zeus440th]

This is the second year in a row that this has happened so I must be doing something wrong. Our TS server just went down about an hour ago when this time stamp was reached. Last year when this happened the only way to get this going again was to start a fresh TS installation and I would really like to avoid that. I would also like to figure out why this happens...it's got to be a licensing / accounting server issue but I can't figure it out.

Is there a way to get running again?

Earlier this month the logs showed this...
2019-06-16 12:31:20.536793|INFO |ServerLibPriv | |TeamSpeak 3 Server 3.3.1 (2018-08-20 08:19:20)
2019-06-16 12:31:20.536793|INFO |ServerLibPriv | |SystemInformation: Windows Server 2012 R2 (9600) x64 (AMD or Intel) Binary: 64bit
2019-06-16 12:31:20.536793|INFO |ServerLibPriv | |Using hardware aes
2019-06-16 12:31:20.708804|INFO |DatabaseQuery | |dbPlugin name: SQLite3 plugin, Version 3, (c)TeamSpeak Systems GmbH
2019-06-16 12:31:20.708804|INFO |DatabaseQuery | |dbPlugin version: 3.11.1
2019-06-16 12:31:20.786947|INFO |DatabaseQuery | |checking database integrity (may take a while)
2019-06-16 12:31:20.908811|WARNING |Accounting | |Unable to open licensekey.dat, falling back to limited functionality
2019-06-16 12:31:21.158844|INFO |Accounting | |Licensing Information
2019-06-16 12:31:21.158844|INFO |Accounting | |licensed to : Anonymous
2019-06-16 12:31:21.158844|INFO |Accounting | |type : No License
2019-06-16 12:31:21.158844|INFO |Accounting | |starting date : Sun Jul 1 00:00:00 2018
2019-06-16 12:31:21.158844|INFO |Accounting | |ending date : Wed Jul 31 00:00:00 2019
2019-06-16 12:31:21.158844|INFO |Accounting | |max virtualservers: 1
2019-06-16 12:31:21.158844|INFO |Accounting | |max slots : 32
2019-06-16 12:31:21.346363|INFO | | |myTeamSpeak identifier revocation list was downloaded successfully - all related features are activated
2019-06-16 12:31:25.049477|INFO | | |Puzzle precompute time: 3573
2019-06-16 12:31:25.049477|INFO |FileManager | |listening on 0.0.0.0:30033, [::]:30033
2019-06-16 12:31:25.114143|INFO |Query | |listening for query on 0.0.0.0:10011, [::]:10011


Now they show this...
2019-07-31 01:11:55.044751|INFO |ServerLibPriv | |TeamSpeak 3 Server 3.3.1 (2018-08-20 08:19:20)
2019-07-31 01:11:55.044751|INFO |ServerLibPriv | |SystemInformation: Windows Server 2012 R2 (9600) x64 (AMD or Intel) Binary: 64bit
2019-07-31 01:11:55.044751|INFO |ServerLibPriv | |Using hardware aes
2019-07-31 01:11:55.044751|INFO |DatabaseQuery | |dbPlugin name: SQLite3 plugin, Version 3, (c)TeamSpeak Systems GmbH
2019-07-31 01:11:55.044751|INFO |DatabaseQuery | |dbPlugin version: 3.11.1
2019-07-31 01:11:55.044751|INFO |DatabaseQuery | |checking database integrity (may take a while)
2019-07-31 01:11:55.060375|WARNING |Accounting | |Unable to open licensekey.dat, falling back to limited functionality
2019-07-31 01:11:55.060375|CRITICAL|Accounting | |Failed loading default license file!

[sneak310]

Just got the same issue. This really makes no sense. One of the reasons we stick with TS3 is to avoid arbitrary or stupid restrictions. Forcing us to update software running on our own server makes no sense. That's up to us.

EDIT: Server is already latest version. What's going on?

Log file Error:

Error creating ephemeral license: EXPIRED

Error when starting server:

|CRITICAL|Accounting    |   |Failed loading default license file!

I didn't do anything. I came home from work and suddenly nobody can connect.

EDIT 2:
After over an hour and a half of messing with this stuff to try to resolve an issue which should never have existed in the first place, because licenses for unpaid software on our own private servers makes zero sense to begin with, I've found a work-around for this nonsense...

You basically follow the instructions for an "update" posted by the team but you are installing the SAME version of TS3 since there is no new version available then replacing the database file (and whitelist/blacklist/etc as applicable) with your old one. Shouldn't have to do all this and thanks for that huge waste of time for something so pointless. And now, I will have everyone asking me about the warning that appears when they connect, which has a reasonable intention but fails in this scenario due to the unreasonable reality of this license system randomly shutting our servers down without notice and requiring such a struggle to get them back up.

When you add useless obstacles like this to your software you only encourage people to go get cracked licenses or use something else.