Getting started with Wolfram Mathematica

These steps are for people who already have a Mathematica license. If a colleague needs Mathematica, point them to the AntSoft software catalog so they can place their own order.

Overview

What Mathematica is, and what you get.

Wolfram Mathematica excels across all areas of technical computing, including mathematical calculations, neural networks, machine learning, image processing, geometry, data science, and visualization. Product details are at wolfram.com/mathematica.

No activation key or license file. As of September 4, 2025, your campus Microsoft 365 account, the same one you use for AntSoft, signs you in to both the Wolfram Portal and the Wolfram application. Activation keys are no longer needed or provided.

Install and sign in (single machine)

Install Wolfram on your own computer and activate it with your UCI Microsoft 365 account.

Go to the Wolfram site: open wolfram.com/siteinfo.
Enter your email: type your UCInetID@uci.edu address and click Continue.
Download and install: follow the on-screen steps to download the Wolfram installer for your operating system. When the download finishes, run the installer and follow the prompts to install the software on your machine.
Launch the application: open the Wolfram app. A prompt appears asking you to sign in and activate your product. This shows up the first time you install, or after you upgrade to a newer version.
1. If the software was previously installed, use the Sign In option, usually in the top-left or top-right corner.
Sign in: a browser window opens. Enter your UCInetID@uci.edu address. When the menu of sign-in options appears, choose SSO: UC Irvine.
Authenticate: you are redirected to the campus Microsoft 365 service. Sign in with your UCInetID@ad.uci.edu account, the same one you use for AntSoft.
Activate: when the Confirm Activation window for Mathematica appears, select Activate.

Once authenticated, your Wolfram application is activated and ready to use. Follow the prompts to close the browser window and return to the Wolfram app.

Have an old Wolfram ID from a uci.edu email? You will still see an option for it, but only use that after you have left the university. While you are here, always choose SSO: UC Irvine to use your new sign-in method.

Can't activate? The "No Compatible Licenses" message

If you see this message while activating, the fix is usually to delete the mathpass file from your Wolfram license location. Once you remove it and activate again, a new, valid mathpass file is created automatically.

What is a mathpass file?

The mathpass file is a plain text file Wolfram products use to store your licensing and activation information. It is created automatically when you activate, so you do not have to re-enter your details each time. If it becomes corrupted or holds old information, it can block activation, which is why deleting it often clears the problem.

The file lives in one of three places per operating system, depending on the install type. Find yours below, delete it, then activate again.

💻 Windows

C:\ProgramData\Wolfram\Licensing\mathpass: default, system-wide (all users).
C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Wolfram\Licensing\mathpass: user-specific (current user only).
C:\Program Files\Wolfram Research\Wolfram\<version>\Configuration\Licensing\mathpass: alternative or legacy install location.

The ProgramData and AppData folders are hidden by default. Turn on "Show hidden files, folders, and drives" in File Explorer's View options to see them.

🍎 macOS

/Library/Wolfram/Licensing/mathpass: system-wide (all users).
~/Library/Wolfram/Licensing/mathpass: user-specific (current user only).
/Applications/Wolfram Research/Wolfram <version>/Configuration/Licensing/mathpass: may exist depending on the install.

The ~/Library folder is hidden by default. In Finder, click Go in the menu bar, hold the Option key, then choose Library.

🐧 Linux

/usr/share/Wolfram/Licensing/mathpass: system-wide.
~/.Wolfram/Licensing/mathpass: user-specific (current user only).
/usr/local/Wolfram/Wolfram/<version>/Configuration/Licensing/mathpass: alternative install location.

The ~/.Wolfram folder is hidden by default. In most file managers, press Ctrl + H to reveal hidden files.

Mathematica Online

Run Mathematica in your browser, nothing to install. Product details are at wolfram.com/mathematica/online.

Getting access: go to wolframcloud.com and sign in with your UCI account (choose SSO: UC Irvine).

Wolfram|Alpha Pro

The Pro tier of Wolfram|Alpha. Product details are at wolframalpha.com/pro.

Getting access: go to wolframalpha.com, select Sign In in the upper-right corner, and use your UCI account.

Additional troubleshooting FAQs

Tutorials, videos, and sample calculations

Mathematica

Wolfram|Alpha and Wolfram|Alpha Notebook Edition

Tips for coursework

Mathematica

Wolfram|Alpha and Wolfram|Alpha Notebook Edition

Tips for research

Professional development

Mathematica (network installation)

For network administrators only. Most people should use the single-machine steps above.

Go to wolfram.com/siteinfo.
Enter your UC Irvine email address and click Continue.
Under the Mathematica download link, click the link to request a network license key.
Fill out the form and click the link to access your new network license.
Download, install, and activate MathLM on your license server, following these instructions.
Download and install Mathematica on the client machines, following these instructions.
When prompted to activate on a client, select Other ways to activate and follow these instructions to connect to MathLM.

Need help?

If you get stuck, email oit-licenses@uci.edu and the OIT licensing team will help you out. If your computer is managed by a departmental CSC (Computing Support Coordinator), they are also a great first stop for installation help.