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Tech. behind "limited programs"

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questiondatabasesysadminwindows-admin
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  • M Offline
    M Offline
    Michael Pauli
    wrote on last edited by
    #1

    Hi, What I mean is: What is the (algoritmic-)principle behind programs that can only run a certain number of times and not over X days? Here the other day I installed Movkit DVD 2.0 (that's a thing for copying DVD's) and it says something like "You are only allowed to run this program 2 times more in the next 4 days" (starting with 7 days and 7 times) - and counting down. Naturally I'm not into bypassing anything here :-D but I just wonder? UnInstalling/Installing does not do the trick - registry cleanup neither from what I can see. Can it be that a certain network-card-id (I can't remember its name but if I remember correctly such ID are sort of unique GUID's across the planet) are send FROM the enduser TO some database while installing? If so it is done quertly and furthermore enduser can remove the networkcable while installing. If the installation can be done without the networkcable in the wall the program MUST hide something somewhere locally? But what and where? Does anyone know anything about this?

    Regards, Michael Mogensen, mm it-consult dk. ><((((º> ·.¸¸.· ><((((º> ·.¸¸.· ><((((º>

    E C 2 Replies Last reply
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    • M Michael Pauli

      Hi, What I mean is: What is the (algoritmic-)principle behind programs that can only run a certain number of times and not over X days? Here the other day I installed Movkit DVD 2.0 (that's a thing for copying DVD's) and it says something like "You are only allowed to run this program 2 times more in the next 4 days" (starting with 7 days and 7 times) - and counting down. Naturally I'm not into bypassing anything here :-D but I just wonder? UnInstalling/Installing does not do the trick - registry cleanup neither from what I can see. Can it be that a certain network-card-id (I can't remember its name but if I remember correctly such ID are sort of unique GUID's across the planet) are send FROM the enduser TO some database while installing? If so it is done quertly and furthermore enduser can remove the networkcable while installing. If the installation can be done without the networkcable in the wall the program MUST hide something somewhere locally? But what and where? Does anyone know anything about this?

      Regards, Michael Mogensen, mm it-consult dk. ><((((º> ·.¸¸.· ><((((º> ·.¸¸.· ><((((º>

      E Offline
      E Offline
      Ed Poore
      wrote on last edited by
      #2

      Michael Mogensen wrote:

      (I can't remember its name but if I remember correctly such ID are sort of unique GUID's across the planet)

      They're supposed to be but they're not.  There's even a CP article on how to change the MAC address of a network card under the XP or greater (I think).  It doesn't work apparently on anything older than XP, but it's still possible because my father can reprogram them using some of his data logger development boards.

      As of how to accomplish that have you ever tried Google? Failing that try :badger::badger::badger:.

      1 Reply Last reply
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      • M Michael Pauli

        Hi, What I mean is: What is the (algoritmic-)principle behind programs that can only run a certain number of times and not over X days? Here the other day I installed Movkit DVD 2.0 (that's a thing for copying DVD's) and it says something like "You are only allowed to run this program 2 times more in the next 4 days" (starting with 7 days and 7 times) - and counting down. Naturally I'm not into bypassing anything here :-D but I just wonder? UnInstalling/Installing does not do the trick - registry cleanup neither from what I can see. Can it be that a certain network-card-id (I can't remember its name but if I remember correctly such ID are sort of unique GUID's across the planet) are send FROM the enduser TO some database while installing? If so it is done quertly and furthermore enduser can remove the networkcable while installing. If the installation can be done without the networkcable in the wall the program MUST hide something somewhere locally? But what and where? Does anyone know anything about this?

        Regards, Michael Mogensen, mm it-consult dk. ><((((º> ·.¸¸.· ><((((º> ·.¸¸.· ><((((º>

        C Offline
        C Offline
        Christian Graus
        wrote on last edited by
        #3

        Most likely, they put something in the registry, or in System32, or somewhere else that deleting the programs folder won't remove it, and there they keep track of the date it expires, and how many times it has run.

        Christian Graus - Microsoft MVP - C++ Metal Musings - Rex and my new metal blog

        M 1 Reply Last reply
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        • C Christian Graus

          Most likely, they put something in the registry, or in System32, or somewhere else that deleting the programs folder won't remove it, and there they keep track of the date it expires, and how many times it has run.

          Christian Graus - Microsoft MVP - C++ Metal Musings - Rex and my new metal blog

          M Offline
          M Offline
          Michael Pauli
          wrote on last edited by
          #4

          Christian Graus wrote:

          Most likely, they put something in the registry, or in System32, or somewhere else that deleting the programs folder won't remove it

          Yaa sure - then it must be the 'old-timer-principle' in play? A way to check it out must be to monitor the registry before/after install I guess?

          Regards, Michael Mogensen, mm it-consult dk. ><((((º> ·.¸¸.· ><((((º> ·.¸¸.· ><((((º>

          J 1 Reply Last reply
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          • M Michael Pauli

            Christian Graus wrote:

            Most likely, they put something in the registry, or in System32, or somewhere else that deleting the programs folder won't remove it

            Yaa sure - then it must be the 'old-timer-principle' in play? A way to check it out must be to monitor the registry before/after install I guess?

            Regards, Michael Mogensen, mm it-consult dk. ><((((º> ·.¸¸.· ><((((º> ·.¸¸.· ><((((º>

            J Offline
            J Offline
            jlwarlow
            wrote on last edited by
            #5

            Michael Mogensen wrote:

            Christian Graus wrote: Most likely, they put something in the registry, or in System32, or somewhere else that deleting the programs folder won't remove it Yaa sure - then it must be the 'old-timer-principle' in play? A way to check it out must be to monitor the registry before/after install I guess?

            Run Regmon and FileMon when installing/running the app, they should show you what files/registry keys the app is looking at. Both availably at Sys Internals.

            Never argue with an imbecile; they bring you down to their level, and beat you with experience.

            M 1 Reply Last reply
            0
            • J jlwarlow

              Michael Mogensen wrote:

              Christian Graus wrote: Most likely, they put something in the registry, or in System32, or somewhere else that deleting the programs folder won't remove it Yaa sure - then it must be the 'old-timer-principle' in play? A way to check it out must be to monitor the registry before/after install I guess?

              Run Regmon and FileMon when installing/running the app, they should show you what files/registry keys the app is looking at. Both availably at Sys Internals.

              Never argue with an imbecile; they bring you down to their level, and beat you with experience.

              M Offline
              M Offline
              Mike Poz
              wrote on last edited by
              #6

              They could be updating certain bits inside one of the installed files. Yeah, a hack, I know but hey, I figured out a neat way of doing that to a DLL using C# so it's not impossible to do. And before you ask, I was trying to figure out a way of turning off WFP in XPSP2. The instructions say that you have to use a previous version of a specific DLL, twiddle a registry setting and then restart the computer. Naturally it didn't work so I have to wonder what I did wrong.

              Mike Poz

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