Serial Number and Registration

[scriptx]

Hello Everyone,

I have a little program which I want to put some limitations on. I never thought having a serial number could be so hard or preventing people from installing on more than one system can be such a daunting task. Anyhow, basically my program will have full access to internet and can contact a server to verify the serial number. I am just not sure what the standard procedures are for assigning serial numbers, registering a software and how to tie it with a specific system hardware, or how to securely authenticate the serial number.

Any feedback will be appreciated.

[oler1s]

I hope you realize that this kind of a protection system is trivial to bypass. If somewhere in your code, you have code like (if serial_from_use r == serial_from_ser ver) and simplistic checks like that...

[scriptx]

Thanks for the reply. Well, what is a better system in your view? Also, I was thinking of something simple like generating a number with combination of CPU ID and HDD serial number and then posting it to some webpage. On the next install the system will fetch the data and check it against the hardware. What programming language would better answer my needs if not C? I am deploying the porgrame in CentOS 5. Thanks

[oler1s]

Well, what is a better system in your view?

I’m probably not the best to ask for an opinion on this. I’ll say mine anyway: program protections are rather easily broken. So you might have a simplistic system (that you acknowledge will be broken as needed), but primarily, one that does not annoy your paying customers or clients.

So designing a system that transmits information over the net, or anything elaborate is not a good idea. Bugs in your implementation will render your program unusable. And even if it does work, having your program rely on contacting a third party server for authentication will tick off a lot of people.

Also, I was thinking of something simple like generating a number with combination of CPU ID and HDD serial number and then posting it to some webpage. On the next install the system will fetch the data and check it against the hardware.

But ultimately, that check will be bypassed. You make all these elaborate schemes, but do nothing to prevent bypassing them. Look, to design a non-trivial system to bypass, you should know how programs are cracked and how authentication is faked. It’s like designing an anti-robbery system, without an idea of how you are actually getting robbed.

What programming language would better answer my needs if not C?

Certainly, you don’t think switching languages will solve the issue here?

[scriptx]

Thanks for the great comments. I really don't care if someone goes to the extend to sniff the packets or reverse engineer the program to install the program on more than one computer since the program goes for less than $10 per license. In addition it changes every few months. Older versions render useless. What would be the specific commands to record CPU ID and HDD serial number in C? Also, what commands can I use to post the info to a web page and to retrieve it?

P.S. I will post the serial numbers to somewhere like googlepages where the probability of being down is really low. I know it's silly that I want to go this way but again I know that people who pay for this don't bother to reverse engineer thing for $5.

Thanks,

[AlienMaster]

Hello all,
I don't mean to hijack this thread, but I have searched hi and lo and this is as close as i could get to an answer.

I have the same sort of question, Slightly different. I have been looking for info on how to have vb write code into itself. Example and I realize this is quite simplistic. and it's more or less for me to understand a few things

Dim registered As Boolean
Dim thankyou As Boolean
Dim regkey As Double
Dim regdate As Date
Dim regbirth As Date
Dim regdateconv As Double
Dim regbirthconv As Double

Private Sub registration()
'first run unregistered
regdate = Now
regbirth = InputBox("Enter your birthday (ie 12/11/1953)")
regdateconv = regdate
regbirthconv = regbirth
regkey = regdateconv - regbirthconv ^ 2 / 4
registered = True
thank_you_for_r egistering()
End Sub

Private Sub thank_you_for_r egistering()
MsgBox ("Thank you for Registering")
thankyou = True

' at this point I need the code to go to the form load section and hard code in that registered is true.
so that it never makes the trip thru Private Sub registration() again.
End Sub

and as I stated this is not for a real world app it's just me trying to learn.
I haven't really thought about the way the serial will be generated other than my date minus date code. I am sure if I was planning on making this a real world app I would devise something more intricate.

any help will be greatly appreciated.

[RedSon]

Microsoft makes a shareware starter kit, its old and probably not maintained anymore but it will give you something to start with...

http://blogs.msdn.com/danielfe/archi...10/437293.aspx

and this...

http://sharewarestarterkit.com/

[AlienMaster]

Microsoft makes a shareware starter kit, its old and probably not maintained anymore but it will give you something to start with...

http://blogs.msdn.com/danielfe/archi...10/437293.aspx

and this...

http://sharewarestarterkit.com/

thank you for the pointer. I think the guy that started this thread may need something along those lines, but what I am really after is how to make vb edit it's own code in the exe file. I need it to actually write this piece of code into the form load section "Registered = true", This is after the user registers. I found a thread that used a script to execute a vb statement from code, but it dosen't actually write the code. again I thank you for your response, and i will keep looking. I may not be stating correctly what it is I am looking for.

[scriptx]

Thanks for all the contributions. I checked the link and I think they only support Windows Environment. I am using CentOS for the program. In addition I can dedicate a server for this purpose myself. I am wondering if anyone can post snippets of code on how to harness CPU ID and HDD serial number and also to post it to a web page.

Thanks

[donbock]

I was thinking of something simple like generating a number with combination of CPU ID and HDD serial number and then posting it to some webpage. On the next install the system will fetch the data and check it against the hardware.

... Suppose your customer has several hard disks.
... Suppose your customer replaces their hard disk after a crash.
... Suppose your customer upgrades to a new computer.
Is it your intention to require your customer to buy a new copy of your program for any of these cases?

... Suppose your customer's internet connection is down.
Is it your intention to deny your customer access to your program?

How about you store CPU ID and HDD in the program itself, or in a data file; and respond to id mismatch by popping up a window just that one time asking if the user wants to pay for the program. This is a shareware model.
a) This increases the distribution of your program, although users have the option to use it without paying you.
b) Your paying customers aren't frustrated by your program sometimes refusing to run; although they will have to suffer through spurious pay-me messages every time they change their hardware.