coa windows key

[cjohnson]

I need to have VB.net 2005 program to check the coa windows key. I use this for software licensing. In the past, I have had my programs show the user their processor ID, send to me, encrypt, and send back to them as a software key to unlock my program. I have found computers now without a processor ID, so I want to do the same thing with the coa key. Can anyone tell me how to write the code to pull this?

Thanks,
Chris

 

[jwh]

Public Shared Function GetProductID() As String
Dim sAns As String
Dim sErr As String = ""

sAns = clsGlobal.RegValue(RegistryHive.LocalMachine, _
"SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion", _
"ProductID", sErr)
Return sAns
End Function

 

[jwh]

Public Shared Function RegValue(ByVal Hive As RegistryHive, _
ByVal Key As String, ByVal ValueName As String, _
Optional ByRef ErrInfo As String = "") As String



Dim objParent As RegistryKey
Dim objSubkey As RegistryKey
Dim sAns As String
Select Case Hive
Case RegistryHive.ClassesRoot
objParent = Registry.ClassesRoot
Case RegistryHive.CurrentConfig
objParent = Registry.CurrentConfig
Case RegistryHive.CurrentUser
objParent = Registry.CurrentUser
Case RegistryHive.DynData
objParent = Registry.DynData
Case RegistryHive.LocalMachine
objParent = Registry.LocalMachine
Case RegistryHive.PerformanceData
objParent = Registry.PerformanceData
Case RegistryHive.Users
objParent = Registry.Users

End Select

Try
objSubkey = objParent.OpenSubKey(Key)
'if can't be found, object is not initialized
If Not objSubkey Is Nothing Then
sAns = (objSubkey.GetValue(ValueName))
End If

Catch ex As Exception

ErrInfo = ex.Message
Finally

'if no error but value is empty, populate errinfo
If ErrInfo = "" And sAns = "" Then
ErrInfo = _
"No value found for requested registry key"
End If
End Try
Return sAns
End Function

 

[jwh]

You will NOtice that Regvalue in my case belongs in a class called clsglobal.

Be aware that this is not a secure method of protecting your software, and I have since abandoned this method.

This method is easy to circumvent by cloning the disk with a program such as Norton Ghost.

 

[cjohnson]

Thank you very much. This was a big help. If you don't mind my asking, what method would you recommend?
Thanks,
Chris

 

[jwh]

I use .NET Reactor from www.eziriz.com

It has a built in activation system, and it also means that you can obscure your compiled code to stop anybody decompiling it.

It also gives yu the ability to set a timer on your app (eg 14 days) after which your software will stop working.