Tools and files

Can you move a slave tool to a new master?

Yes, usually: your current master agrees, the tool maker moves the tool, and the new master takes it on. What it takes, what it can cost and what to ask first.

Updated 6 November 2026 3 min read By the team behind TunerEngine

In short

Usually yes. Your current master has to agree, the tool maker makes the move, and your new master takes the tool on; the fee and the conditions depend on the maker and on the master you are leaving.

A slave tool is tied to one master, so its encrypted reads can only be opened there. That tie is not for ever. If your master has become slow, expensive or hard to reach, you are not forced to buy a new tool to get away.

The move is a normal request that makers and file services handle regularly. What catches people out is the order of the steps and the conditions nobody mentioned when they bought the tool.

Who has to agree to the move?

Three parties are involved, and each has a part.

Who	What they do
Your current master	Agrees to release the tool
The tool maker, or its reseller	Moves the tool to the new master's account
Your new master	Confirms they will take it on, and gives you the details the maker needs

Most of the delay sits with the first one. A master who answers quickly can make this a short job. A master who does not answer leaves you asking the maker or reseller what they can do, so ask before the relationship turns sour.

How do the steps usually go?

Find your tool's serial number and check that its subscription is current.
Agree with the new master that they will take the tool, and get their details.
Ask your current master, in writing, to release the tool.
Order the transfer from the maker or the reseller you bought from, naming the new master.
Update the tool once the move is done, then send one test read before a customer's car depends on it.

What can it cost?

There can be a fee, and it is not the same everywhere. Some makers charge for the move as a product of its own. Others charge nothing themselves, and the cost comes from the conditions of the master you are leaving.

Those conditions are the part to read closely. Some file services ask for a minimum of credits bought before they release a tool. Some tie free credits to staying for a set time, so leaving early can cost you those credits. A lapsed subscription may have to be renewed before the move can go ahead.

Ask for the fee and the conditions in writing before you start. Prices and rules change, and they differ between makers and resellers.

Is moving better than buying a new tool?

Usually, because the tool you already own and know keeps working. It only makes sense to buy again if the transfer is refused, or if the tool is old enough that you wanted a newer one anyway.

If you are thinking of writing your own files, ask about upgrading to a master instead. There is more on that choice in master or slave tool.

Questions

Can my current master refuse to release my slave?

They can make it slow or hard, and approval is normally needed. Ask the maker or the reseller you bought from what they can do if your master does not answer.

Will I lose my tool's protocols?

Ask before you order. Protocols normally stay on the tool, but check it with the maker, because the subscription and the protocols can have separate rules.

Can I keep working during the move?

Plan for a gap. Finish your open jobs first, and do not book cars for the days around the move until a test read has gone through.

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