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Hey guys, i'm tring to create a simple license/security feature to limit use of my app to only one pc, so far i've got the code to create a unique id for the pc, now i just want to write that id to a config file, then have start-up look for that file to compare with the rechecked pc-id on every startup. while thats all fine and good i need to find a way to keep this from being repeated every time it is installed, so I could create a method that checks the date and if the program is installed after a certain day it won't run the pc-id process, which means that it won't run the pc-id verify, which means it won't run the program ........??? Right???....... if you know of a better way (as i'm sure there is) PLEASE SHARE as i'm kinda lacking the creativity to take this any further at this point.
thanks....
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I would usually hide something in another directory ( windows/system32 is a good spot to call something .dll and store some bytes in it ) or the registry.
Christian Graus - Microsoft MVP - C++
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what about isolated storage? is that just as good?
I'm not trying to keep the pro's out, just keep curious folks from moving it from one pc to another...
is it possible to put the config file in another dir?
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Making a file that stores the code is not a good way since people can then copy that file a send it on the web for people to use freely.
I would suggest getting the clients unique processor id and then make a server program that stores the processor id with their code that they can use. That code would be able to be saved to a file because the unique processor id cannot be the same for any two computers.
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Unfortunately, you can also prevent the processor ID from being detected, so this isn't a good idea either.
RageInTheMachine9532
"...a pungent, ghastly, stinky piece of cheese!" -- The Roaming Gnome
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k, so not that it really matters,
but what i'm doing is creating a unique pc id, from proc id/serial, bios, macadd, and hdd id.
then i am writing this to **currently** the isolatedstorage (IS),
i'm then creating a line in the IS that has the date of license which is hard coded to the app
and then i verify that date against today before the app runs, so if the date is the same(i install today, license today) i write the mac id to the isolatedstorage,
if it is not the same date then it verifies the mac id, if it fails to verify app stops, if success, app runs.
my problem is not so much the app being leaked, as it will only run inside the firewall of the customer,
also it is designed to only work on the machines I install it on and only if i install it on the same date as it is licensed on, so if someone does try to copy it to thier pc and they know about the isolated storage and they happen to copy that as well it won't run because the macid doesn't verify...
but if they don't know about the IS and they don't copy it then the program just re-writes the licensed date and then doesn't verify against the current date.
my concern also is not with hackers of the software as much as with the data that is available, meaning yes there are those who will attempt to copy the program,BUT those whom I expect to do such don't know how to hack, (trust me, they can't) but they do have access to my database, so if they were poking around one day and happened to find that info then they could override the system.
The reason for the date verification is so that the macId isn't accidently written to the IS when it is copied to another pc.
And yes, i completely understand that hard codeing the date into the compiled version is not a "Good" procedure, but I will be the only one installing it, and if I don't happen to install it on all the necessary pcs then i can mod it later.
again, the customer this is for is more damaging with the access they have, rather than the knowledge they *could* obtain.
any ideas, suggestions, better methods???
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And if the customer replaces any of this hardware because of a failure?
What if the customer doesn't get a chance to install the app on the day you assign?
I think you scheme is becomming a little too stringent and not flexible enough to survive something as simple as a network card being replaced. I've had to replace 3 NICs at work in the last year...
RageInTheMachine9532
"...a pungent, ghastly, stinky piece of cheese!" -- The Roaming Gnome
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sorry about the strange title.
if i include refrences to external files i can check if they're there and inform the user.
if they arn't there and i disable all the code that uses them with a bool or something, would the app be able to run without some crazy error.
if not what can i do?
(the reference is to directX audio video)
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I am under the impression that you can still run the project, I have a project that binds to COM objects that are not always there, and I catch the error when I try to create them and report that the program I'm trying to export to is not there.
Christian Graus - Microsoft MVP - C++
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Greetings. I'm hoping for some advice. I have zero development experience except for a C class I took several years ago, which I don't remember much now. However, I should say I am fairly technical and have years of IT and QA experience in the software industry, and I'm wanting to make a transition into development.
Which book(s) would you recommend for a true beginner wanting to learn C#?
The books I have my eye on are
1) Beginning Visual C# by Karli Watson (Wrox)
2) Microsoft Visual C# .NET Step by Step by Jon Jagger & John Sharp (Microsoft Press)
Any other recommendations for someone wanting to learn C#?
Much Thanks!!
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That's so weird. Those are the exact same 2 books my uncle purchased me to learn C#.
Number 1 was a good start for learning C#, although, it did get a bit confusing at times. I think the author forgets we are beginners and makes certain assumptions throughout the book. However, those are small assumptions and the book still taught me most of what I know. It also has an ASP.NET section in the back that teaches you how to make an awesome weblog from scratch; that was probably the funnest chapter in the book. You should definitely get this book just for that chapter.
Number 2 doesn't really teach you C#, but more a step by step guide to make small C# applications with Visual Studio. But, it's still fun and teaching you to be efficient in VS with C#.
I would say that you shouldn't just get one book, you should get both. It will pay off in the future. The two books compliment each other well. However, if you are only interested in one book I say go for number 1, you will get more out of it.
Oh, and remember! Don't just read the books and do all the examples/tests in them and say you can program C#; you have to actually experiment with it and do some projects on your own. That is where you learn the most, it's the interactions you encounter that count.
/\ |_ E X E GG
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Inside C# by Tom Archer is a great C# book, but I'd go the second book on that list as well., Wrox books are crap, they have long useless code listings that make them big, heavy and hard to navigate.
Christian Graus - Microsoft MVP - C++
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Thanks.
Christian, is Inside C# by Tom Archer a beginners C# book or is it more geared towards someone with programming experience?
Thanks.
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It's less of a beginners book, hence my recommendation for the other one. Tom's book is one you will find more useful in the mid to long term, although it will answer your questions right away.
Christian Graus - Microsoft MVP - C++
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How to change the background or foreground color of ToolBar control on the form. I hate to see them all GREY color.
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So why don't you create your custom toolbar?,with just a Panel and some Buttons on it,with the shape that you can imagin?
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I would like to know is there any way to do it using ToolBar class. This is a good suggestion using Panel and Buttons.
Thank you
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Anonymous wrote:
I would like to know is there any way to do it using ToolBar class
In VS2005 ,there is a bretty useful properties including the fore color and backcolor.
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Guys, this questions seems stupid, but I don't remember how can I create a DLL file in C#?
Thanks
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Change the project type to .Net assembly from Win/console app.
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are you using visual studio or the command line interface?
/\ |_ E X E GG
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If you are using a command-line interface, compile as below:-
csc /nologo /t:library myfile.cs
> whoami
The system is unable to identify you when you don't even know your name!
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I have to display the results of my MS Access DB application in graph. Figured it will be good to it with GDI+, but dont have a clue where to start from 
please throw me a line...
sea#
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