Setting up a new Groove account

When you complete the Groove installation and start the program, the Groove Account Setup Wizard opens and displays a "Welcome to Groove" screen. Complete the wizard as follows:

Select "Create a new Groove account" and click Next.

If you want to add a Groove account you're already using on another computer instead of creating a new account, select "Use an existing Groove account." See Adding a Groove account to another computer for more information.
On the Activate Groove screen, enter your activation key and click Next.

Tip: You can copy and paste the activation key into the Activation Key field.

You should be able to FIND YOUR ACTIVATION KEY from one of the following sources:

If you downloaded the Groove Virtual Office software from groove.net, your activation key will be in an email received from Groove Networks.
If you obtained your Groove Virtual Office software from your workplace, your activation key will be in an email received from your Groove administrator.
If you obtained your Groove Virtual Office software from an installation CD, your activation key will be on the CD case.
Your account page on groove.net. Go to http://www.groove.net, click Log In at the top of the page, enter your account log-in information (or complete the registration, if necessary), and click Log In. On your account page, click My Software.

Depending on how you obtained Groove, you may also see an "Activation Server" field. In most cases, this field is pre-filled with the URL of the required activation server. In some cases, your Groove administrator may give you a different URL to enter in this field. For more information, see your Groove administrator.

Note: If you're simply evaluating Groove before purchasing, you can click the Activate Later button. This will allow you to activate the free 60-day trial version of the product. (This option is not available if you obtained your software via site license, typically from your employer).

Read the End User License Agreement, click the checkbox to accept the terms, and click Next.
If prompted, select a certificate for authenticating your identity and click Next.

You see this prompt only if your Groove license is governed by a management policy that requires a signed authentication certificate. Typically, such certificates are used in workplaces that use a "smartcard" log-in system.
Complete the "Enter Account Information" screen as follows and click Next:

Enter an account name and an email address.

The name you enter is the contact identity (display name) by which people will recognize you. Depending on how you obtained Groove, the account name and email address fields may already be filled out for you and not editable. This is typically the case if you received your activation key from an administrator at your workplace.

Note: You cannot use the following characters in an account name: {}=/;
Enter password and hint information to keep your account secure.

If you selected an authentication certificate (from Step 4), you can click the link to use a smartcard or certificate to secure your account (instead of using a password).

Select options for your Groove account.

If desired, check the option for allowing the account to be added to other computers.

If selected, a secure copy of the account will be uploaded to groove.net. You can then log in to the account from any computer on which Groove is installed and then download your account information. The required email address field is automatically filled with the email address provided on the previous screen. You can use this address or provide a different address.

Note: If you select this option, your uploaded account is automatically updated on groove.net every 60 days. You can also manually update your uploaded account on groove.net at any time by clicking Upload Account Now in your account preferences.
Select an option for listing your contact information in the public groove.net directory, or select the option to not list your contact information.

Listing your name enables other Groove users to find you and start Groove activities with you.

Click Finish.

When you complete the Account Activation wizard, Groove creates the account and opens the Groove Launchbar.