Some configuration issues

1.  Programs for personal use:  (one license for each user)

All your users will use your program at personal way and will install it into his local computers. For Win 95/98/Me or Win NT/2000/XP with administrator privileges. Each machine is assumed as a Master Computer.

There are no special considerations to configure for this purpose, however you can consider these properties and options:

DataStoredIn =

Reg_File : registration data will be stored in the RegFile.

Local_Registry : registration data will be stored in the local registry

GetLocalName =

True : The user will be prompted to enter your name and company the first time.

False : The user name and company will be automatically retrieved from Windows.

RegistryRootKey =

LOCAL_MACHINE : only allowed for users with administrative privileges.

CURRENT_USER: all users allowed.

2. For shared use into a network:  (one single license for all users)

For this way you will need to have a user with administrator privileges as the program-administrator. This kind of configuration is intended to re-license or resell the program to users into the network. For Win 95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP

There are two kind of registrations, namely: Master registration and Regular registrations.

When the program-administrator run the program at first time, when the RegFile was not created yet, then that computer will become in the MasterComputer and in the future will be the unique computer from which will be able to made the master registration.

Master registration is the first step in the registration process. This start with a trial period, then, the program-administrator after he purchased the program receive the RegKeys from the vendor (you) and re-licence/resell it to all other users in the network, the "regular users".

Setup the group of properties/options as follows:

DataStoredIn = RegFile

GetLocalName = True / False

GetLocalTrial =

True  : Regular users will start with a trial period. Later linked to the master registration when registered.

False : Regular users will be linked to the master registration automatically.

MaxUsers = n  (replace n with the number of simultaneous users you will license).

RegistryRootKey = CURRENT_USER

When regular users run the program at first time in his workstations the program will behave at two possible different ways depending on the value for the GetLocalTrial option.  If GetLocalTrial is True then that workstation will start with a trial period and will require a further regular registration otherwise that workstation will link automatically with the master registration.

Regular registrations will be made with the same RegKey used to register the MasterComputer.

3. About the TrialMode property

This property define the kind of trial that will be generated, its values can be:

tmAbsolute: the trial will start with  the date of the TrialBeginDate property.

tmRelative: the trial will start with  the current system date. 

tmNone: the trial will not start automatically.

TmRelative is more flexible and suitable but tmAbsolute and tmNone are more safely and can not be easily cracked.

The preferred way is with the tmNone value. The program don't start automatically the trial period, instead, the user is prompted  to register it with a free RegKey provided for this purpose.

4. The TrialIncludeModules property

When this property is true then all extra modules will be activated together with the main trial period

otherwise all extra modules will be disabled (Not registered).

5. The Lock strategy

You can chose between two lock strategies, namely:

InstallCode based: The lock protection is based in a special code called InstallCode calculated from some specific values from the machine.

The InstallCodeSources property establish from where will be calculated the InstallCode value, can take these values:    BIOS_SN, CPU_ID, HD_SN and Random_Number.

The InstallCode value is embedded into the RegKey, then, when the program runs, this value is compared with the similar one calculated from the machine at run time. This method together with the tmNone value for the TrialMode property provide you a height security level.

UserName based: The lock protection is based in a special code calculated from the UserName and stored into the local registry. Each time the program runs, This special code is compared with a similar value stored into the RegKey.

This method is less secure than the InstallCode based, however, this give you a reasonable level of security against common users intrusions. The better way is with GetLocalTrial=True and  TrialMode=tmNone. You may optionally to use tmRelative or tmAbsolute but insofar as possible don't  use GetLocalTrial=False with UserName based Keys.

6. The RestartModulesAsTrial property

Occasionally you would like to disable in a new version some improved modules from registered users forcing them to register again these modules. You can accomplish it changing the ModuleID value for these modules.

If RestartModulesAsTrial is True then these modules becomes trial otherwise disabled.

If you have any questions not answered by this help file, please don't hesitate to contact me at http://valega.com/contacto.php.