Locking up an install
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This question is a toughy, for all you experts out there. I have a couple of projects that are about ready to be deployed. But you see, I'm selling this to other franchisees in a company where stealing and corporate swindling is commonplace. So I need a way to give my project a Product Code, and a way to only allow ONE install per copy of the program. I know there is a way to do this, but I hear it's incredibly hard to do. Also, if it is possible, I would like to do this with some Excel workbooks as well. thanks ahead of time for any help, stephen oh, and I'm using Visual Basic .NET Standard, if that helps.
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This question is a toughy, for all you experts out there. I have a couple of projects that are about ready to be deployed. But you see, I'm selling this to other franchisees in a company where stealing and corporate swindling is commonplace. So I need a way to give my project a Product Code, and a way to only allow ONE install per copy of the program. I know there is a way to do this, but I hear it's incredibly hard to do. Also, if it is possible, I would like to do this with some Excel workbooks as well. thanks ahead of time for any help, stephen oh, and I'm using Visual Basic .NET Standard, if that helps.
The only way to make each installer work only once is to have each installer use a unique key, which it first registers online, to see if it's already been installed. At least, that's all I can think of. Christian Graus - Microsoft MVP - C++
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The only way to make each installer work only once is to have each installer use a unique key, which it first registers online, to see if it's already been installed. At least, that's all I can think of. Christian Graus - Microsoft MVP - C++
this is true, but what about cracks? all you would need to do is copy the unlocked exe to another computer. i guess maybe have the app check for the code every time it opens... store the key in a .txt and encrypt it...?
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this is true, but what about cracks? all you would need to do is copy the unlocked exe to another computer. i guess maybe have the app check for the code every time it opens... store the key in a .txt and encrypt it...?
medicenpringles wrote: but what about cracks? Welcome to the world of 'your software is only safe until someone REALLY wants to steal it' medicenpringles wrote: all you would need to do is copy the unlocked exe to another computer. I'd be inclined to back that up with some sort of registry key or other mechanism so that moving the app folder to another PC will not work. medicenpringles wrote: i guess maybe have the app check for the code every time it opens.. No, that makes it easier to sniff and crack, I'd have thought. As well as requiring the user to be online ALL the time. medicenpringles wrote: store the key in a .txt and encrypt it...? Perhaps if you generate a key based on the machine specs, and then check against that when you run, so moving to another machine, even with registry keys, will not work as the key will change. That's what Windows does, it installs as many times as you like, but the installed copy won't run until you get that key. The trouble is, this means a hacker only has to skip the key code, and of course your VB.NET app can be decompiled. Christian Graus - Microsoft MVP - C++
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medicenpringles wrote: but what about cracks? Welcome to the world of 'your software is only safe until someone REALLY wants to steal it' medicenpringles wrote: all you would need to do is copy the unlocked exe to another computer. I'd be inclined to back that up with some sort of registry key or other mechanism so that moving the app folder to another PC will not work. medicenpringles wrote: i guess maybe have the app check for the code every time it opens.. No, that makes it easier to sniff and crack, I'd have thought. As well as requiring the user to be online ALL the time. medicenpringles wrote: store the key in a .txt and encrypt it...? Perhaps if you generate a key based on the machine specs, and then check against that when you run, so moving to another machine, even with registry keys, will not work as the key will change. That's what Windows does, it installs as many times as you like, but the installed copy won't run until you get that key. The trouble is, this means a hacker only has to skip the key code, and of course your VB.NET app can be decompiled. Christian Graus - Microsoft MVP - C++
wow. well i'm not dealing with any real geniuses here, just money-hungry hogs. the machine specs thing sounds good. thanks a ton.
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wow. well i'm not dealing with any real geniuses here, just money-hungry hogs. the machine specs thing sounds good. thanks a ton.
i just gotta figure out how the hell to generate it... and how to progammatically get the specs..... hmmm...
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i just gotta figure out how the hell to generate it... and how to progammatically get the specs..... hmmm...
Hi Cant remember where I downloaded an example from (sorry to the original author..), but here is some code that may be useful Private Sub GetComputerName Dim ComputerName As String = SystemInformation.ComputerName End Sub Private Sub GetCPU() Dim query As New SelectQuery("Win32_processor") Dim search As New ManagementObjectSearcher(query) Dim strCPU as String Dim strCPUManuf as String Dim strBOIS as String Dim info As ManagementObject For Each info In search.Get() strCPU = info("caption").ToString() strCPUManuf = info("name").ToString().TrimStart strBOIS = info("version").ToString() Next End Sub Private Sub GetMotherboard() Dim query As New SelectQuery("Win32_BaseBoard") Dim search As New ManagementObjectSearcher(query) Dim strMotherBoard as String Dim info As ManagementObject For Each info In search.Get() strMotherBoard = info("Manufacturer").ToString() Next End Sub
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this is true, but what about cracks? all you would need to do is copy the unlocked exe to another computer. i guess maybe have the app check for the code every time it opens... store the key in a .txt and encrypt it...?