Your Node-locked client based license checkout may fail with an F104: protection error when the computer ID of your system does not have a constant value.
The computer ID is an alphanumeric value that uniquely identifies your computer. Therefore, the computer ID must have a constant value. If the value changes then the association between the node-locked license and your computer is lost, i.e. the license cannot be checked out.
The computer ID is calculated based, besides other characteristics, on the MAC address(es) of the Ethernet adapters in your computer. MAC addresses of the Ethernet adaptor(s) can change or become visible or invisible. For example, due to the replacement of an Ethernet adaptor card, addition or enabling/disabling of a Wi-Fi interface, tethering via Wi-Fi, inserting a laptop into a docking station, enabling/disabling flight mode, enabling/disabling a VPN client, etcetera. If such an event occurs, the checkout of a node-locked license can fail. Especially the first release (v1.1) of TLM is sensitive to changes in MAC addresses and enabled/disabled Ethernet interfaces.
Make sure your system configuration at the moment you obtain(ed) a license is the same as when you use the license. You can verify this by executing the getcid.exe program and checking whether the displayed computer ID is equivalent to the computer ID shown in your license file.