pixie060797
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Tracking days in time-limited shareware
I want to know how to make a counter that increases each day.
It should be a little more complicated than adding/changing a file in the program's path or \windows and \windows\system path or checking/changing a file's date...
I CRC-checked all the files in the HD before and after, and didn't see a change. Take, for example, SpiderPad, Netscape Cache Explorer or InstallShield. And there are dozens.
TAKE CARE OF THESE FACTS ABOUT SOFTWARES I EXAMINED:
1. No change in checksum/CRC was detected (before-after tests)
2. No comparing of some hidden registry value or something to the system's date. Else - you'd just set the date to few days before.
It should be a little more complicated than adding/changing a file in the program's path or \windows and \windows\system path or checking/changing a file's date...
I CRC-checked all the files in the HD before and after, and didn't see a change. Take, for example, SpiderPad, Netscape Cache Explorer or InstallShield. And there are dozens.
TAKE CARE OF THESE FACTS ABOUT SOFTWARES I EXAMINED:
1. No change in checksum/CRC was detected (before-after tests)
2. No comparing of some hidden registry value or something to the system's date. Else - you'd just set the date to few days before.
Put a value in the system registry (using savesetting command in vb5, and then getsetting to restore it) telling it the date the first time the program is run. Then, each time the program is run, compare the value in the registry, to that of the date of the system (by using the commands day(now), month(now), and year(now)). If you need help on any of these commands, look up savesetting, getsetting, day, month, and year.
can you give me a reason why thats wrong?! Thats exactly what I use to protect my programs, and it works.
Storing it in the registry is a good idea. The only place to save something permanently is on the hard disk. If you don't want to put it in a normal file (or ini-file or whatever), you have to use the registry.
Don't use savesetting, though, use some other key name, something that nobody would think belongs to your program.
And don't save the count directly, do some mathematical translation on it before, or it will be easy to "search and replace".
Finally, don't count on it being the perfect method, whichever one you choose. For example, if running under Windows NT, all registry and file accesses might be logged. No big problem to find out what you're doing. And strange actions not expected by an installation program might even be perceived as a trojan horse or virus.
Don't use savesetting, though, use some other key name, something that nobody would think belongs to your program.
And don't save the count directly, do some mathematical translation on it before, or it will be easy to "search and replace".
Finally, don't count on it being the perfect method, whichever one you choose. For example, if running under Windows NT, all registry and file accesses might be logged. No big problem to find out what you're doing. And strange actions not expected by an installation program might even be perceived as a trojan horse or virus.
If you use system date all someone has to do is set the date back on the computer one year and tada! This program is good for one more year. I have created an OCX file that will stop this all from happening. It's called Shareware Lock and I will be releasing it soon.. There is no way to hack it or cheat it. On the first of July it expires and sooner if I want with a touch of a key.. http://www.sourcesite.simplenet.com/URLVerifier/ you can download my shareware program and tell me what you think of the Shareware Lock. The login is "sw1" (case sensitive). If you like it and want more info about it email me at chizl@cyberdude.com
l8r,
Chizl
l8r,
Chizl
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Edited text of question
Please post a link to an example program, a small one, that I can download and try to check how it works.
ASKER
SpiderPad does that, it's about 2.5MB, but you'll enjoy this powerful HTML editor. It's located at:
http://www.sixlegs.com/sp32.zip
http://www.sixlegs.com/sp32.zip