Visual Basic

14-Sep-09 9:59

Hi all,

I am trying to protect software that I have written from being pirated (Vb for Compact Framework). Code is designed for Mobile Devices.
One thing that I thought about doing was when a user purchases software they must reigster it first, before it will run.
To register they will receive a number which they punch into the program the program will then write an entry to the windows registry to advise the program this software is licenced.
Every time the program starts up it will check the windows registry to see if it is registered or not before allowing full functionality.
Is windows registry safe from hacking?
Is there a better way to achieve a similar result?
How to generate the key-number?
Are there other ways to implement a protection?

Thanks for help and/or suggestions

modified on Monday, September 14, 2009 5:28 PM

Re: About code protection. [modified]

εїзεїзεїз14-Sep-09 10:56

εїзεїзεїз

14-Sep-09 10:56

Well man depends upon the software Licensing that your software licensing policy is PC wise or on Per users
their are several ways to achieve this but depends upon the policy , anyways you can encrypt your registry values as well as if its pc wise then can get the serial number of board or hard drive and can use digital signing as well as

Best Of Regards,
SOFTDEV
If you have knowledge, let others light their candles at it

Hurricane300014-Sep-09 11:28

14-Sep-09 11:28

Hi,

Thanks for reply

The program is designed to be installed on mobile devices (windows Mobile).
Licensing will be per user, but I have not clear ideas about.
Mobile devices have an unique ID identificator, but I don't undestood how to exploit it, and first of all, how to relate it to a key-number.
I read the Unique Device-ID of my device, but I noted that using different sample-routine, the result is a different (or differentely formatted)ID.
I not found on the web exaustive documentation or articles about.

Ignazio

modified on Tuesday, September 15, 2009 4:13 AM

Christian Graus14-Sep-09 13:40

14-Sep-09 13:40

If you can get an id, and your device is always online, you can tie a license key to a device id, and check it when the app starts.

Christian Graus

Driven to the arms of OSX by Vista.

Read my blog to find out how I've worked around bugs in Microsoft tools and frameworks.

Hurricane300014-Sep-09 21:12

14-Sep-09 21:12

Hi,

Application is a normal stand-alone static appl, not an online appl.
I think that the device-ID is the equivalent of the board-serial number of a PC, and then can be applied same way to protect code on a PC.

Ignazio

modified on Tuesday, September 15, 2009 4:28 AM

CyberSamuraiii16-Sep-09 2:31

CyberSamuraiii

16-Sep-09 2:31

There other ways to implement such security but this depends alot on what your software does, hows its installed, does it access the web (permanently/once), architecture, are there corporate licenses you will sell etc.
i would suggest you base your security on serials unique to a particular mobile device (hardware) for instance on cell phones IMEI or a devices blue tooth MAC address. relying on windows registry means an environment can be replicated where someone can try their level best to crash your software protection because windows is readily available plus your software must conform to certain rules to run on the system.

Free Idea:
user installs app, software gets hardware device ID, software sends ID to your server, your server runs algorithm on ID and processes payment, server emails software license code plus thank you for support... sweet nothings, user enters code and presto! access granted.
Remember that in effect what you are protecting are the license codes because technically thats what your selling right? So if a code is entered in any other mobile device it won't work because the algorithm run to decrypt the code and the device ID do not match. For single user licenses this is tried and tested on many android apps I've deployed but Obviously this technique must be thought out if you intend to have corporate licenses for thousands of devices on one bulk purchase Smile | :)

My 2 cents

Hurricane300016-Sep-09 8:46

16-Sep-09 8:46

Hi,

Thanks for reply and your several suggestion.
I want give some more details about my specific case and what I want obtain:

1)- My application not need installation, because it consists in a simple EXE file (running in Compact framework provided devices) to be simply copied on device.

2)- My application is not provided of internet access.

3)- I am interested only to sell single user licences, not corporate licences.

Actually I installed on my PDA, a software (not mine)that to make it fully working, I buyed a registration-key and I received it via E-mail.
To be fully working the software, I must entered in it only my full Name + a registration-key.
And then apparentely it is not read and/or to used the hardware Device-ID.
How works this kind of protection?

Ignazio

CyberSamuraiii16-Sep-09 10:19

CyberSamuraiii

16-Sep-09 10:19

Er okay Ignazio,

First thing, the example you gave is a poor attempt at security. Why? nothing stops someone from simply using the same full Name + a registration no A.K.A key on another device! because your application is designed to accept any valid key, so if my friend bought a key i could just borrow it and use his name and I could just take the same app and replicate it on several devices, or worse if i crack the algo on it i could make my own keys to sell because the keys and en/decryption technique are stored locally on the device, not a good idea. However if this is sufficient "protection" for your app then hey who am i to talk... as for how it works? there way too many books that could best educate you on that Smile | :)

If all else fails u can also try

1. a query for a unique ID of the mobile device through lineGetGeneralInfo or such similar API i.e.TAPI functions. check out msdn for more info here
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa458219.aspx[^] or make another small app just to extract that serial.

2. once your application extracts the serial/IMEI number of the device and displays it to the user, they can then enter it on say your website where they have a registered account. in other words they pay for the license and can then login onto your website where your server side encryption algorithm is running.

3. They can now enter the serial as displayed on the mobile device and receive an instant key unique to there device.

4. When the user fires up the application on their device, it will check the serial against the stored key before starting. This way you keep your key encryption technique away from prying curiosity of would be crackers. you will need to make changes to your application to incorporate security i.e. decrypting the key against the serial of the device. there are several readily available techniques to do this. in fact i think there's an entire .net class that can help you do this check out on msdn.

Anyway hope i helped a little,
All the best

Hurricane300016-Sep-09 10:52

16-Sep-09 10:52

Hi Samuraiii,

You helped me very much.

Then you suggest me to apply something like this :

A simple software key useful to protect software components[^]

Is it correct?

Thanks

Ignazio

CyberSamuraiii16-Sep-09 20:34

CyberSamuraiii

16-Sep-09 20:34

Yes something along those lines would be a much better license protection system. Not perfect but much better.

EXCEL VBA

veon cheng14-Sep-09 1:09

veon cheng

14-Sep-09 1:09

hi,

i had a problem in VBA, and i really hope you guys is able to help mi.

i'm creating a simple system using VBA in excel, therefore i'm using the sheets as my DB. how am i suppose to call the things i wan.

2nd question

how am i suppose to link the data list or list box with the sheets.

Thanks really hope to hear from you guys thanks

Best Regards
Veon cheng

Re: EXCEL VBA

Christian Graus14-Sep-09 1:15

14-Sep-09 1:15

veon cheng wrote:
how am i suppose to call the things i wan.

I see you meant to type 'want', and that's cool. We all make typos. But, I still can't work out what on earth you may be asking for. I don't do VBA, but I doubt anyone who did, could answer you either, for this reason. Perhaps you need to explain more.

Christian Graus

Driven to the arms of OSX by Vista.

Read my blog to find out how I've worked around bugs in Microsoft tools and frameworks.

Re: EXCEL VBA

veon cheng14-Sep-09 1:29

veon cheng

14-Sep-09 1:29

hi

sorry about the "wan" thingy. hmm ok i'm creating a form in excel where the form is able to let the user to select the start date and end date of the report to be generated. therefore i need to know the code that is able to call the data from an excel sheet to get the figure as well as items in the excel sheet. where i want to use the excel sheet as a DB. how?

thanks
Veon

Re: EXCEL VBA

DaveAuld14-Sep-09 2:07

DaveAuld

14-Sep-09 2:07

there are objects that allow you to look at the various sheets and reference them by name etc.

One of the best things to do, is record a macro and perform a number of operations e.g. move around sheets, changing values in cells etc.

Then look at the code that is recorded.

The object browser will also help you identify the various objects and methods that can be called.

Dave
Who am I?:
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ATL, COM in vc++

hrishiS13-Sep-09 23:06

hrishiS

13-Sep-09 23:06

Hi to all,

I am a VC++ learner. I am having a tough time to understand the concepts/basics/ needs of ATL, COM ...
is it releted to only VC++?..or its like a concept, something to do with all the languages.

Please give an idea on it....ATL and COM

regards and thanks
hrishi

-----------------------------
I am a beginner

Re: ATL, COM in vc++

Christian Graus14-Sep-09 0:52

Re: HourGlass cursor Problem

14-Sep-09 0:52

Two possibilities here.

The first is that you can't tell the differences between Visual Basic and C++, in which case, ironically, VB is probably more the language for you The second is that you rudely spammed the whole site.

In either case, it's plain you ask without trying to do any research yourself. A .NET app can use COM. ATL is a template library for generating COM objects, and is C++ only, but it's just a tool, COM is the end result. .NET programmers only create COM objects if they need to talk to VC++.

Christian Graus

Driven to the arms of OSX by Vista.

Read my blog to find out how I've worked around bugs in Microsoft tools and frameworks.

HourGlass cursor Problem

mdrizwan_113-Sep-09 20:52

mdrizwan_1

13-Sep-09 20:52

Hello Everybody,
Had Set vb-hourglass Cursor in my application.For user to wait until the process is completed.The problem is that when run the app the Cursor Some times changes to vb-hourglass and some times doesn't.I used Me.Mouse-pointer and even Screen.Mouse-pointer set to vb-hourglass. But yet the problem exist.Can anyone Provide solution to the prob and Why does it Happen?

Thanks in Advance.

Johan Hakkesteegt13-Sep-09 22:43

Johan Hakkesteegt

13-Sep-09 22:43

Better use Me.Cursor = Cursors.WaitCursor and then later Me.Cursor = Cursors.Default to set it back.

My advice is free, and you may get what you paid for.

Re: HourGlass cursor Problem

mdrizwan_113-Sep-09 23:18

mdrizwan_1

13-Sep-09 23:18

Hello Johan Hakkesteegt,
Thanks for your reply. But Me.Cursor=Cursors.WaitCursor this code is not supportted by Vb6.Can u Provide any other way to achieve it.

Re: HourGlass cursor Problem

Johan Hakkesteegt13-Sep-09 23:20

Johan Hakkesteegt

13-Sep-09 23:20

I am sorry, but VB6 is not supported anymore in general. I have not used it for years. If at all possible try to use VB.NET instead.

My advice is free, and you may get what you paid for.

Help Using BitBlt

Kobi_Z13-Sep-09 20:38

Kobi_Z

13-Sep-09 20:38

hi,
Is there a way to use BitBlt in order to find if
a specific BMP file is inside another ?

for example:
If I have Bitmap1.Bmp which is a small file
and Bitmap2.Bmp which is bigger,
can i find out if the picture inside Bitmap1 is
also inside Bitmap2 ?

Thanks in advance.

Re: Help Using BitBlt

Christian Graus13-Sep-09 20:59