Groups > comp.lang.basic.visual.misc > #79

Re: How are sequential serial numbers/CD keys generated in distributed software?

Path	csiph.com!x330-a1.tempe.blueboxinc.net!feeder1.hal-mli.net!goblin3!goblin.stu.neva.ru!exi-transit.telstra.net!exi-in1.telstra.net!news.telstra.net!61.9.128.156.MISMATCH!viwinnwcl01.internal.bigpond.com!viwinnwfe02.internal.bigpond.com.POSTED!7564ea0f!not-for-mail
From	"Jason Keats" <jkeats@melbpcDeleteThis.org.au>
Newsgroups	comp.lang.basic.visual.misc
References	<f5c3cdce-eebf-4ebc-b94d-32a7692e4e2f@w6g2000vbo.googlegroups.com>
Subject	Re: How are sequential serial numbers/CD keys generated in distributed software?
Lines	29
X-Priority	3
X-MSMail-Priority	Normal
X-Newsreader	Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2900.5931
X-MimeOLE	Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.6090
X-RFC2646	Format=Flowed; Original
Message-ID	<NWNpp.1334$aH5.987@viwinnwfe02.internal.bigpond.com> (permalink)
Date	Fri, 15 Apr 2011 12:18:50 +1000
NNTP-Posting-Host	124.178.233.8
X-Complaints-To	abuse@bigpond.net.au
X-Trace	viwinnwfe02.internal.bigpond.com 1302833965 124.178.233.8 (Fri, 15 Apr 2011 12:19:25 EST)
NNTP-Posting-Date	Fri, 15 Apr 2011 12:19:25 EST
Organization	BigPond
Xref	x330-a1.tempe.blueboxinc.net comp.lang.basic.visual.misc:79

Show key headers only | View raw

"Jason Bodine" <jbodine1974@gmail.com> wrote in message 
news:f5c3cdce-eebf-4ebc-b94d-32a7692e4e2f@w6g2000vbo.googlegroups.com...
> Hi all,
>
> This is just a curiosity question, lol, but we've all bought software
> and had to enter  a unique CD Key and/or serial number to install and/
> or activate it.  My question is: How are these added to the program,
> because the only way I can think to do it would create only one CD Key/
> Serial Number for *all* copies of the app!  I'm using VB6 Enterprise
> Edition, and would like to make my apps distributable on CD in this
> fashion.

The way I do it is create a hash (eg SHA-1) of some client information plus 
a salt value.

Eg: CompanyName & Salt -> SHA-1 CD Key

If you want to be mean, then include hardware details in the string to be 
hashed - so your software will be locked to a particular computer. If the 
program has an expiry date, then include that in the string to be hashed.

The information is stored in a file/database, along with the hash value, and 
verified at startup. I display some of the hashed information on the 
(splash) screen or printouts. If the information is changed, the hash value 
won't match and the program won't start.

HTH

Back to comp.lang.basic.visual.misc | Previous | Next — Previous in thread | Next in thread | Find similar

Thread

How are sequential serial numbers/CD keys generated in distributed software? Jason Bodine <jbodine1974@gmail.com> - 2011-04-14 16:59 -0700
  Re: How are sequential serial numbers/CD keys generated in distributed software? "Jason Keats" <jkeats@melbpcDeleteThis.org.au> - 2011-04-15 12:18 +1000
  Re: How are sequential serial numbers/CD keys generated in distributed software? BeeJ <nospam@nowhere.com> - 2011-04-15 06:44 -0700
    Re: How are sequential serial numbers/CD keys generated in distributed software? BeeJ <nospam@nowhere.com> - 2011-04-15 07:38 -0700
  Re: How are sequential serial numbers/CD keys generated in distributed software? "Mayayana" <mayayana@invalid.nospam> - 2011-04-15 09:52 -0400

csiph-web