To view these instructions as a YouTube tutorial, click here.

Step One: Purchase ActivClient® from Tx Systems.com

Go to the CAC/PIV and middleware/software section on txsystems.com, or click here. You will see “CAC software for Windows”. This is the main middleware used for Windows devices. After completing payments on this page, you will be navigated to the order complete page. 

Step Two: Download ActivClient®

A) Once on the order complete page, you are able to download the software by clicking the “DOWNLOAD” button.

After clicking the button, the download will begin in your browser.

B) An alternative way to download the software is through your email inbox. Find the email from Tx Systems with the subject "Download Your Purchased Files". In this email, contains the ActivClient® software and you will be able to download from the button.

Again the download will begin in your browser.  

Step Three: ActivClient® Instaliation

Once the middleware is finished downloading, click “open file”. Here there will be a few different folders. Navigate to “product”, then run the windows installer package. Keep in mind that you may need to run this file as an administrator. It is now going to go through the ActivClient® setup wizard: click “next”, click “I accept”, click “typical installation", then click “install”. Once the install is complete, click “finish”. 

Step Four: Set Up Your Smart Card Reader

To set up your smartcard reader, first plug the reader into the PC. Next, navigate to device manager, this can be done via the search bar in the bottom left. In the device manager, we are going to locate “smart card readers” and open that. Here we will see the basic Microsoft driver for smartcards, which is fine but best practice is to install the actual driver from the Identiv support website. 

Step Five: Install Official Driver

On the the Identiv support website, which you can find here, you can access the driver download. Once on this page, we are going to scroll down, go to the windows driver installer, and hit “download”. Next, click “open file”, and run the windows installer. Again you may need to run this as an administrator. Hit “accept”, and “install”. Once the driver is finished installing, click “finish”. Now we can see in the device manager that the device name has changed from the basic Microsoft driver to the actual correct driver. After finishing driver installation, unplug and re-plug the card reader. 

Step Six: Navigate to the ActivClient® Console:

Once the reader is plugged back into the machine, we are going to navigate to the bottom right to show hidden icons.

Here you should see the ActivClient® agent icon. Hover over it and see "no smart card inserted". Next, insert your CAC card into the reader. You will see a little interaction with the icon, and when you re-hover over, it will say “smart card inserted”. Click on it, then click “open”. You have now successfully navigated to the ActivClient® console. Here you will see a bunch of information: the name of your smart card, and options for smart card info, certificates, and personal info. You are now ready to authenticate to DoD sites and more. 

To view these instructions as a YouTube tutorial, click here.

Learn More About ActivClient® Below

ActivClient® consolidates identity credentials — such as private keys for Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) certificates and symmetric keys for one-time password (OTP) generation — onto a single, secure, and portable device. This ensures your employees' identities are protected, authentication is strong, and your systems are shielded from cyber threats.

Why choose ActivClient?

• Comprehensive Interoperability: Whether you're using remote access solutions, thin clients, Microsoft® Outlook®, Adobe Acrobat®, popular web browsers, or a wide range of smart cards and security keys, ActivClient seamlessly integrates, ensuring your operations remain smooth and uninterrupted.
  
  
• Broad Compatibility: ActivClient works with major certificate authorities and encryption utilities, meaning you don't have to overhaul your existing security infrastructure. It fits right in — saving you time, money, and headaches.
  
  
• Government-Grade Security: ActivClient supports U.S. Government-issued Common Access Cards (CACs) and FIPS 201-certified Personal Identity Verification (PIV) credentials, delivering the highest level of trusted identity assurance available.
  
  

The Bottom Line:
Businesses of every size face growing cybersecurity threats, increasing day after day. ActivClient® provides a proven, standards-based foundation for secure authentication, encryption, and digital signature operations. With ActivClient, you can trust that your sensitive data stays protected, your employees stay productive, and your company stays compliant to any cybersecurity mandates.

Don't leave your business vulnerable. Invest in ActivClient — and protect what matters most.