# Create a Trial Version

You can add a trial period to any .NET assembly, regardless of the programming language used to create it. A matching license file can later remove the trial restrictions without rebuilding the application.

You can try this workflow with either the demo or the full version of .NET Reactor.

# 1. Configure the trial

Open your compiled assembly in .NET Reactor and go to Lock Settings.

Enable Run Without License so the application can run as a trial without a license file. Then enable Evaluation period, set Evaluation type to Trial, and enter the Evaluation time, for example 14 days.

Leave other locks disabled for this example, and review how the application should behave when the trial expires.

Save the .nrproj project. It contains the Master Key you will need to create matching licenses later.

# 2. Protect and run the application

Click Protect, then test the application using the output created by .NET Reactor, together with all required dependencies.

Make sure no license file is present for this test. The protected application should now run with the trial settings you configured.

# 3. Create a license file

Open the same saved project and switch to the License Manager.

To remove the trial limit, disable Evaluation period in the license settings. Leave other locks disabled for an unrestricted license, or configure only the restrictions that should still apply.

Click Create License and save the file using the license filename configured for your application. Place it next to the protected assembly and restart the application. The matching license now supplies the active settings instead of the inbuilt trial settings.

For automated license creation with LicenseGen.dll, see Create License Files.

# 4. Test the result

Check that the protected application runs as a trial without a license and behaves as intended when the trial expires. Then add the matching license and restart the application to confirm that the configured trial restriction is removed. Any restrictions you enabled in the license should still apply.

If you distribute an installer, repeat the test with the installed application to check that the license is in the correct location.

To display trial or license information in your application, you can optionally use the License.dll SDK.

# Related topics

Evaluation Lock · How Locks Work · Unlock a Locked Assembly