NMR Data Processing Software

Almost all CIF instrumentation automatically uploads acquired data to the Research Files data cloud, either when you log out of the instrument computer, or as a batch once per day. The remote data access page provides additional information on how to access your data from your personal computer.

The CIF and ISU Chemistry undergraduate lab courses supply all NMR users and students in organic chemistry lab courses with a software license for MNova NMR data processing. This license is maintained by CIF staff. Please email Sarah Cady if you have questions or problems with MNova Software. 

NOTE: CIF does not manage and maintain the ChemDraw licenses. That license is maintained by Chemistry IT staff. To download ChemDraw, go to the PerkinElmer site subscription website and type in Iowa State University. If you have previously downloaded ChemDraw, you may need to re-register for an account as they have recently updated their login system. Create the account through PerkinElmer, and login to download your software. ChemDraw includes a free version of MNova lite, but the full version available through the link below has substantially more features. For questions regarding the ChemDraw license, please contact Chemistry IT staff. 


For new installations, go to the MNova website to download the latest version of the software. The licenses for the MNova processing software are available on this Iowa State CyBox folder. You must log into CyBox with your ISU credentials in order to access the folder. Download the license to your Desktop or another easily accessible spot. After installation, follow the prompts in the software to activate the license. You can delete the license from your desktop after installation is complete.

There are four license files in the CyBox folder. The license necessary for NMR processing is "Iowa State University Campus NMR v1.8.lic" The other two licenses are optional. They are for quantitative NMR analysis and reaction monitoring. The MNova website has more information and tutorials on each of the additional features, and you can decide if the features will be useful for your research.

Your computer must be on the ISU network in order to activate the licenses. For Ames Lab users located in Spedding Hall or other Ames Lab facilities, you are technically "off campus" and must log in to the ISU VPN in order to activate the licenses.  

If you already have MNova installed, but need the most recent licenses, follow the instructions above to download the licenses. Then follow the instructions to replace the old licenses:

  • Open MNova. Click "Help" at the top menu bar, and then click "Get/Install Licenses"
  • Click "Install" and it will allow you to open the folder where you saved the license file. Select the license file and click "Open."
  • A box will pop up that asks: "A license file for NMR already exists. Do you wish to replace it?" and select "Yes"
  • Restart MNova to complete installation. The license file has been copied to its permanent location and you can delete the other copy from your Desktop.

For Mac users, there is an occasional issue with the automatic replacing of licenses. To resolve this issue, try the following procedure or email Sarah Cady for further assistance. 

  • In MNova, Go to Help -> License Manager to find the folder where the licenses are located.
  • On my computer the license files are located at /Users/$MYUSERNAME/Application Support/Mestrelab Research S.L./MestReNova/ 
  • If you cannot see the folder, you may have to type ⌘(command)+shift+. (period) in order to make hidden folders visible.
  • Go to the folder and drag the old license files to the trash. When you try to drag them to the trash it may ask you for the administrator password.
  • Drag the new licenses into the same folder and then restart MestReNova.


Topspin (Bruker) processing software is also free for academic users (Mac/PC). You are required to register for an account with the Bruker before downloading the software. Software download link  ---  License download link. The CIF does not support Topspin licenses. If you have problems downloading the licenses, please email Bruker Web Support.

A subscription for MNova tablet is also available. This doesn’t have a license file, you have to activate it online. To activate the tablet version, complete the following steps:

  • Go to the MNova Tablet License website and sign up with your ISU email address.
  • Download the MNova tablet software from the app store onto your device.
  • Open the software on your tablet.
  • Tap on any of the icons that have a little “lock” over them. This will lead you to a registration pop-up screen.
  • Type in your ISU email once again.
  • Wait for a confirmation email to activate your tablet license and click the link in that email to activate.
  • I did have issues with these activation emails going to my junk mail, so be advised of that.