[AccessD] Copy Protection Needed

Bill Patten bill_patten at embarqmail.com
Sat Apr 25 14:17:47 CDT 2009


Rocky,

You stated why you could not use the clients HD serial number so I thought 
you knew how. I really don't but perhaps the following will help

http://bytes.com/groups/ms-access/465109-programmatically-obtain-hard-disks-serial-number-vba

http://discussions.virtualdr.com/showthread.php?t=123896

If I were to do it I would probably use an API call like this one from 
API-Guide 3.7


Private Declare Function GetVolumeInformation Lib "Kernel32" Alias 
"GetVolumeInformationA" (ByVal lpRootPathName As String, ByVal 
lpVolumeNameBuffer As String, ByVal nVolumeNameSize As Long, 
lpVolumeSerialNumber As Long, lpMaximumComponentLength As Long, 
lpFileSystemFlags As Long, ByVal lpFileSystemNameBuffer As String, ByVal 
nFileSystemNameSize As Long) As Long
Private Sub Form_Load()
    'KPD-Team 1998
    'URL: http://www.allapi.net/
    'E-Mail: KPDTeam at Allapi.net
    Dim Serial As Long, VName As String, FSName As String
    'Create buffers
    VName = String$(255, Chr$(0))
    FSName = String$(255, Chr$(0))
    'Get the volume information
    GetVolumeInformation "C:\", VName, 255, Serial, 0, 0, FSName, 255
    'Strip the extra chr$(0)'s
    VName = Left$(VName, InStr(1, VName, Chr$(0)) - 1)
    FSName = Left$(FSName, InStr(1, FSName, Chr$(0)) - 1)
    MsgBox "The Volume name of C:\ is '" + VName + "', the File system name 
of C:\ is '" + FSName + "' and the serial number of C:\ is '" + 
Trim(Str$(Serial)) + "'", vbInformation + vbOKOnly, App.Title
End Sub

Lots of discussion in the two URL's about changing SN's etc but it would 
probably be more involved then
most PC users are capable of.  Some MAC addresses can be changed fairly 
easily though.

HTH

Bill



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rocky Smolin" <rockysmolin at bchacc.com>
To: "'Access Developers discussion and problem solving'" 
<accessd at databaseadvisors.com>
Sent: Saturday, April 25, 2009 11:01 AM
Subject: Re: [AccessD] Copy Protection Needed


OK, Bill.  I'll check into that.  How do you retrieve the HD SN?  Is there
an API for that?

Regards,

Rocky


-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Bill Patten
Sent: Saturday, April 25, 2009 9:45 AM
To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving
Subject: Re: [AccessD] Copy Protection Needed

Rocky,

Just to add fuel to your thought process. If you have the ability to
determining the HD SN, put a routine in the BE that can be called to get the
backend HD SN.  I believe I have seen you state that you usually send MDE's
for the front end so create an encryption routine that will encrypt the BE
HD SN and use that plus what ever method you were going to use to authorize
use. For example add a number or some such to the unencrypted SN and use
that for the authorization. If they move the backend to a new server, a
message pops having them contact you for a new authorization code. This
shouldn't be a big deal as not too many volunteer orgs get a new server (or
PC with the BE in it) every year.

Obviously I haven't thought this all the way through, but figured it might
give you and idea or two to work with.

HTH


Bill
----- Original Message -----
From: "Rocky Smolin" <rockysmolin at bchacc.com>
To: "'Access Developers discussion and problem solving'"
<accessd at databaseadvisors.com>
Sent: Saturday, April 25, 2009 8:59 AM
Subject: [AccessD] Copy Protection Needed


Dear List:

Susan Harkins and I are working on a project together  It is a relatively
small application and database for the Toys for Tots organization - tracking
parents, children, donors, and volunteers.  We were contacted by the head of
a Michigan chapter after he had gotten bids from $2500 to $10,000 for a
custom database - well out of his budget range.  So we decided to put
together an application for him, speculating that perhaps other Toys for
Tots chapters around the country would find the application valuable. He's
up and running and very happy, has provided us with a nice endorsement, and
will post a notice to the TFT bulletin board for us when we get a web page
up.  Which should be in a couple weeks.  We have priced the product at $400.

We think, given the tight budgets and the fact that they're a charitable,
volunteer organization, that there is a risk that copies of the application,
which we have named Toy Track, will get passed around to other chapters even
at a relatively low cost of $400.

So we would like to find a way to implement some copy protection but don't
want it to be a burden on either us or the user. Some approaches would be

1. have the app 'phone home' to be activated, sending the hard drive serial
or somehow tying it to a machine.  Problem here is that the license will be
for the chapter - front end would go on each client - so they could
legitimately run multiple copies of the app. And we'd have the expense of
creating and maintaining the web site.

2. Date bomb - this would require re-registration from time to time. Like
#1, it would involve an interactive web site - more effort and expense that
we think we want to put into copy protection - or a phone or email response
with a 'key' that would extend the license.  Or we send each user a fresh
copy before their copy expires.  Still doesn't stop them from forwarding the
new mde to someone else.

3. Run with the CD in the drive.  Nah. Too easy to rip a CD.  Don't think
we'd get any protection there. Plus we'd have the whole product and shipping
hassle, and  software delivered electronically versus on a hard copy medium
is free of sales tax in California.

4????

Any ideas will be welcome.  Hopefully the discussion will benefit others on
the list who are facing similar problems.

MTIA,

Rocky Smolin

Beach Access Software

858-259-4334

www.e-z-mrp.com <http://www.e-z-mrp.com/>

www.bchacc.com <http://www.bchacc.com/>








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