I use a couple VI's I found on the 'net called "GetComputerName.vi" and
GetVolumeInformation.vi" to discover the users hard drive id # and computer
name.
From these two inputs I create a hex value using a one-time pad encryption
algorithm. The user sends me this value and I create an unlock, based on another
one-time pad. I now have the users computer name and hard drive ID in my database
for future reference.
I create an unlock code and return this value to the user and he/she installs it into the Registry
via a LabVIEW vi I wrote specifically to do this.
When my application fires up, it searches the Registry for the unlock value, if it matches the
value generated by the users computer name and hard drive ID, I start my app.
The system could be hacked, I imagine,
by using a hex editor and discovering the one-time
pad and then guessing what I'm using to create the code, but I figure if they want to go
to that much work, they can have it. If you really wanted to be secure I guess you could
add current time as an input, and then there would never be anything the same from the output
of the one-time pad.
Regards,
Alan
"jimstew" wrote in message news:5065000000080000000E1B0000-986697009000@quiq.com...
> i want to protect my application against illegal copies by allowing
> installation on only one machine. i want to do this by reading some
> machine specific information, for example disk drive serial number or
> network card serial number or operating system serial number. can
> anyone please tell me how to read any of these or something similar
> (maybe from the registry?). otherwise do you have any suggestions
> regarding copy protection.
> i am running NT/win 2000 and i do not have any NI hardware installed.
> many thanks.