iTWO costX Education

Student FAQ

Got a question? Check out our Student FAQ and it might already be answered!

Go Back to Forum keyboard_arrow_right
  • How can I get an educational license?

    Just go to this page, fill in the details (making sure you use your educational email address), and after making the payment, you should receive your license in just a few days!

  • How much does the educational license cost?

    You can choose to pay either $19.99AUD, £9.99 or $14.99USD for the license. Payments are made via Stripe; using a credit card or bank account. RIB does not store or handle any payment details.

  • I have an error when I try to make a payment, what should I do?

    If the error is showing on Stripe, please contact Stripe directly. If the error is showing on our side, please send a screenshot to costx.education@rib-software.com so we can investigate.

  • Which version of RIB CostX® should I apply for/download and what are the differences?

    Generally speaking, you should install the version your institute is on. Ask the appropriate contact from your institute and determine which version of RIB CostX® is currently being deployed. The differences vary from version to version, this may include but is not limited to additional functionalities, removed functionalities and bug fixes. It is crucial to use a corresponding version as there may be compatibility issues if you don’t.

  • Why didn’t I receive my license details yet?

    While most licenses are approved within an hour or so, it can take up to 5 days to receive your license details. If you haven’t received your license within an hour and you have an urgent circumstance requiring fast approval, please email costx.education@rib-software.com with your details.

  • Can I get a refund after I’ve made payment for a standalone educational license?

    Unfortunately we cannot offer any refunds after your purchased standalone license has been activated.

  • Can RIB CostX® run on Mac OS?

    While the construction industry is still predominantly Windows based, you can run Windows on a Mac by either booting to Windows using Apple’s Boot Camp or running in a virtual machine using Parallels or VMWare. Please ensure you leave lots of time to arrange this before your course starts.

  • I almost finished downloading RIB CostX® before this error message shows up: “[1557] Setup was unable to set up the database cluster successfully”.

    If you encountered this database cluster issue, you need to ensure that you delete the Exactal folder from:
    C:\ProgramData\Exactal (the programdata directory is hidden by default).

    Once deleted, empty the recycle bin, then proceed with the new installation.
    If you don’t delete the Exactal folder the old database will still be there.

  • I’m trying to download RIB CostX but the website won’t accept my license number.

    Please open an incognito browser window and copy/pasting the download link into the browser (instead of clicking on the hyperlink). Then ensure you copy/paste the serial number in, rather than trying to type it in manually.

  • I’m receiving an error message: “This Database is from an older version of RIB CostX®. It needs to be upgraded before being used with this version of RIB CostX®.”

    This is a database error where you have kept the old database from the previous version of RIB CostX®. To upgrade to a newer release of RIB CostX® you will have to completely uninstall the current version of RIB CostX® including selecting “No” when prompted if you wish to keep the database.
    CostX Database error message

  • I couldn’t activate my RIB CostX® license? When I enter the serial number it says “Activation failed cannot be re-activated, please contact your distributor. Serial Number: XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX”

    A serial number should be able to be reactivated once. If you need to reactivate more than once, then you’ll see this message. If you have an acceptable reason, you can contact costx.education@rib-software.com to request the re-activation from your current serial number.

  • I installed RIB CostX® but I’m getting an error message: “Educational restriction failed (Requested non-educational, license requested is educational)”.

    The error prompt “Educational restriction failed (Requested non-educational, license requested is educational)” is most commonly due to an installation error where you may have ran the “Network” option instead of “Standalone / Educational (Run with a local standalone database)”. Firstly, completely uninstall RIB CostX® from your current computer, including selecting ‘No’ when asked if you wish to keep the database. Then reinstall RIB CostX® with the “Standalone / Educational (Run with a local standalone database)” option, which appears during the installation process. After that, it should be able to work for you.
    CostX educational restriction failed

  • When I run RIB CostX® it is asking for my username and password?

    You will only be prompted to provide login credentials if you are trying to run the “RIB CostX® (Client)”. For Educational licenses, you should be running the “RIB CostX® (Standalone)”. Make sure you select RIB CostX® (Standalone) from the installation location to run the program.
    Run CostX Standalone or Client

  • I installed RIB CostX®, however, it says it is unable to connect to the database when I try to open it?

    Primarily, there are two common reasons for this error. Firstly, you should check if the CostX Database service is running. Open your Services windows and scroll down to “CostX Database” and check the Status. If it is not running, right click and select “Start”. If you have done this and still get the unable to connect to the database error, then this may be due to a firewall or antivirus software assuming that RIB CostX® is a malware. In this case, you will need to either add the RIB program folder to the AV exclusions list, disable the AV scan and run RIB CostX® installer again to repair RIB CostX® services.
    Unable to connect with database

  • When I run RIB CostX® I get the error message “The following services that RIB CostX® requires are not running:”

    There are generally two common reasons that cause this issue. Open the Services application and scroll down to “CostX Database”, “CostX Auth”, “CostX Core” and check the Status. If they are not running, right click and select “Start”. If you have done this and the services fail to start or are missing, then this may be due to a firewall or antivirus software assuming that RIB CostX® is malware. In this case, you will need to either add the RIB program folder to the AV exclusions list, disable the AV scan and run RIB CostX® installer again to repair RIB CostX® services.

  • If screenshot says “Activation failed: Invalid activation server. Serial number: XXX”

    There may be times where a proxy server may be blocking activation of the serial number from taking place. The activation process contacts the RIB License Server to validate the serial number.
    To activate the software manually, you will require to fill out the information on the Activate Product form (shown below) and click Manual and follow the on-screen instructions.

  • If RIB CostX is lagging

    Please try to change the graphic drivers first.
    RIB CostX Start button –> RIB CostX Options –> Drawings –> Graphic Drivers –> Change to Direct3D and click OK –> restart RIB CostX and try again

  • Can I install RIB CostX® onto two computers?

    Technically speaking, a student may only have one license during the academic year, however, if there is a valid reason for having two licenses, you could apply for a second license here (with a different email address) while noting the reason in the “Message/Comments” section of the application form. Alternatively, you could write an email request to costx.education@rib-software.com. Do note you need a second serial number for running on two computers as one serial number cannot be installed on more than one computer.

  • What is the Student deal and am I entitled for it?

    The student deal allows student to purchase a commercial license with a discount of 70% off the license price. To be entitled to this offer you will need to provide your name, institute, academic email address and your RIB CostX® educational serial. This offer strictly expires one year after expiry of your serial code and is limited to one license per student. To find out more please send an enquiry to sales.int@rib-software.com.