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name: techsmith-install-auth description: >- Select and verify the supported Snagit or Camtasia install, license, activation, connectivity, and Snagit COM-registration path. Use when provisioning a workstation or resolving activation ambiguity. Trigger with "install TechSmith", "activate Snagit", or "configure Camtasia license". argument-hint: "[product] [operating-system] [license-model]" allowed-tools: Read, Glob, Grep, WebFetch, Write, Edit version: 1.6.0 author: Jeremy Longshore jeremy@intentsolutions.io license: MIT tags:

• desktop-automation
• techsmith
• setup model: inherit effort: medium compatibility: Designed for Claude Code; TechSmith product execution requires an approved Windows or macOS desktop as documented

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TechSmith Installation and Activation Decision

Overview

This skill treats activation as a product and entitlement decision, not API authentication. Individual subscriptions activate by account sign-in, while business licenses use a software key and support managed deployment and, where documented, offline activation.

Prerequisites

• Product, operating system, target version, architecture, and system requirements
• Authoritative entitlement owner and license model: individual, business, or legacy
• Approved installer source and endpoint-management channel
• Connectivity, proxy, offline-use, update, and connected-feature policy

Tool Discipline

Use Read, Glob, and Grep to inspect local scripts, manifests, logs, and tests. Use WebFetch only for current primary TechSmith documentation. Use Write or Edit only after confirming the target repository file and approval boundary.

Current Contract

• Individual subscriptions require the purchasing account to sign in and do not use a software key.
• Business subscriptions use software keys; approved offline activation is a business-license path.
• Subscription software normally needs initial activation connectivity and periodic verification within the vendor's current interval.
• Snagit COM should register during Windows installation; SnagitCapture.exe /register is an elevated recovery, not a default step.

Licensing and Authentication

TechSmith desktop activation is not API authentication. Resolve individual sign-in versus business-key or approved offline activation before execution. Redact all keys, account identifiers, activation artifacts, and sensitive endpoint details.

Instructions

1. Resolve product/version and confirm the entitlement before downloading or installing anything.
2. Choose standard interactive installation, managed Windows MSI/MST, documented macOS deployment, or approved offline activation.
3. Verify installer origin and checksum, then install through the approved endpoint channel.
4. Activate by individual sign-in, managed business key, or the documented offline exchange without logging secret material.
5. Confirm product launch, displayed version/license state, and required connectivity.
6. For Windows Snagit automation, create the COM object; use vendor registration recovery only if creation fails and approval is recorded.

Approval Boundaries

Never paste a license key into chat, source control, a public CI variable, or diagnostic output. Do not convert an individual subscription into an unattended shared-worker credential.

Output

Return product/version, installer hash, deployment mode, redacted license model, activation result, connectivity disposition, COM probe result where applicable, and owner.

Error Handling

Condition	Response
Entitlement cannot be confirmed	Stop before installation and contact the license owner.
Individual sign-in unavailable	Do not substitute a shared account; resolve assignment or use an authorized business license.
Offline activation requested for individual plan	Reject the path and explain the documented business-license requirement.
COM registration recovery fails	Capture redacted install/version evidence and escalate to TechSmith support.

Examples

The example below shows the minimum redacted evidence expected from a successful invocation of this operator workflow.

product=Snagit; platform=Windows; license=business-key(redacted); install=managed; com_probe=pass

Resources

• Skill-specific official documentation
• Activation overview
• Deployment overview