Getting started with SPSS · UC Irvine OIT

These steps are for people who have already ordered SPSS. If a colleague needs SPSS, please do not share your activation keys with them. Point them to the AntSoft software catalog so they can place their own order and receive their own keys.

Before you begin

One thing to have ready before you install.

You need your SPSS activation keys. They were sent to you in your SPSS order approval email, listed by version. You will enter one of them near the end of the installation to activate the software, so have that email open before you start. Your keys are issued just for you, so please keep them private and do not share them.

Can't find the email? Contact oit-licenses@uci.edu and we will resend your keys.

Your activation keys

You receive five keys, one for each SPSS version IBM currently supports. Use the key that matches the version you are installing. Each key is single-use, so use the one for your version and keep the rest for future installs.

If you install…	Use the key labeled
SPSS Statistics 32	Version 32
SPSS Statistics 31	Version 31
SPSS Statistics 30	Version 30
SPSS Statistics 29	Version 29
SPSS Statistics 28	Version 28

Match the key to the version. A Version 32 key only activates SPSS 32 (Version 32 is the newest). If activation is rejected, double-check that the key you entered matches the version you actually installed.

🔑 View your activation keys online →

Lost your approval email? Sign in with your UCI account to see and copy your keys anytime, only you can see them.

SPSS runs on the calendar year, not the fiscal year. Your keys expire December 31, with an automatic 30-day grace period so SPSS keeps working into late January. The new-year codes aren't available until about mid-January (that's when IBM issues them, OIT can't provide them sooner). Place your renewal in November/December when you see the warnings; the new codes follow in mid-January. More below.

Just updating your license?

Already have SPSS installed

If SPSS is already on your computer and you only need to apply a new authorization code (for example, at the annual renewal):

Open SPSS and go to the File menu.
Select Manage License.
Click Launch License Wizard.
Follow the prompts, entering your new authorization code when asked (this is step 3 of the first-time steps below).

Installing SPSS for the first time? Skip this and start with Download SPSS below.

Download SPSS

If you're asked to sign in, use your UCI Microsoft 365 account. The download site usually opens right up. If it does prompt you, log in with your UCI Microsoft 365 account (the same login you use for UCI email), your full UCInetID address, for example peter@uci.edu.

Open our software download site and sign in with your UCI Microsoft 365 account, then open the SPSS folder.
Open the folder for the version you want (for example Version 32), then select the installer for your operating system, Windows or Mac.
When prompted, select Download.
Once it finishes downloading, continue with the install below.

Pick a version you have a key for. Your approval email lists a key for each version, so any of the five will work. If you're unsure, choose the newest.

Install SPSS (first time)

Work through these in order. When a screen is not mentioned, leaving the default is safe.

Double-click the file you downloaded and follow the prompts to begin the install. Agree to any license agreements and accept all the default settings.
When the Product Authorization dialog appears, select Authorized user license, then click Next.
When the License Manager dialog appears, enter the authorization code for the version you installed (it's in your approval email, or you can view your keys online), then click Next.
The Internet Authorization Status dialog appears and shows a confirmation message. Click Next.
The License Completed dialog appears. Click Finish.

That's it. SPSS is installed and activated. You're ready to go.

What's included

The UC site license gives students, faculty, researchers, and staff access to all SPSS modules, nothing is held back:

Statistics Base & Advanced Statistics
Regression, Forecasting & Neural Networks
Custom Tables, Categories & Conjoint
Complex Samples, Exact Tests & Bootstrapping
Data Preparation, Missing Values & Decision Trees
Direct Marketing

About the annual renewal

SPSS licenses run on a calendar year. UCI's contract with IBM renews in December, so new authorization codes are not available until sometime in January.

Don't worry, you won't be locked out on January 1. SPSS has an automatic 30-day grace period after the license expires on December 31, so it keeps working (with a nagging reminder window) into late January while the new codes are prepared.

When you see the expiration warnings in November or December, go ahead and place your renewal order. For now that re-issues the current keys. The new-year codes are not available until about mid-January, which is when IBM issues them, and OIT cannot provide them any sooner.

Coming in 2027: once you've placed your renewal, we'll email you the new activation codes automatically as soon as they're available in mid-January, so there's no need to ask.

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, they are also a great first stop for installation help.