Limiting the number of installs for MSI
Hi
I am using AdminStudio 9 for packaging a custom application developed by my company. The finished MSI will be a CD based install for Windows XP workstations.
My question is how do I limit the number of installs of the MSI and preventing my application from being widely distributed. We explored the option of online authentication but unfortunatly most of our clients are in remote villages of india and africa with little or no access to the internet.
Another thought that comes to mind is a time based certificate of some kind.. but still it can be bypassed by changing the system time of the workstation.
Any other suggestions that may help would be greatly help
Thanks
I am using AdminStudio 9 for packaging a custom application developed by my company. The finished MSI will be a CD based install for Windows XP workstations.
My question is how do I limit the number of installs of the MSI and preventing my application from being widely distributed. We explored the option of online authentication but unfortunatly most of our clients are in remote villages of india and africa with little or no access to the internet.
Another thought that comes to mind is a time based certificate of some kind.. but still it can be bypassed by changing the system time of the workstation.
Any other suggestions that may help would be greatly help
Thanks
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Posted by:
jmcfadyen
15 years ago
although I understand your concerns you should be aware that doing this in a corporate environment is only going to annoy the enterprise clients.
most of us here are pretty adept at getting around these sorts of systems as we need to ensure silent installation. From a corporate perspective all you are going to do is annoy the deployment specialists with this approach. I would suggest whatever you choose make sure you offer a way to turn it off for the corporate client.
most of us here are pretty adept at getting around these sorts of systems as we need to ensure silent installation. From a corporate perspective all you are going to do is annoy the deployment specialists with this approach. I would suggest whatever you choose make sure you offer a way to turn it off for the corporate client.
Posted by:
jmcfadyen
15 years ago
well then you could try using machine data to hash a passkey to get the application to function. You could have a small app which collects data from the machine then hashes the result. Then get hte client to call your office to get unlock passcode. Would be a pain for the user (something I am not keen on as you may of guessed from my first post)
should do what you need.
for your lockdown scenario.
Open Server Management and then Drill down to Advanced Management and then Group Policy Management and then Domains and then Your Domain Name and then Group Policy
Objects and then right click on Client Computer and
then Edit.
The Policy there is a place to not allow certain Applications to run. Just add the exe for Yahoo here and this will block that from running also. This works on 2000 Pro Workstations and above.
should do what you need.
for your lockdown scenario.
Open Server Management and then Drill down to Advanced Management and then Group Policy Management and then Domains and then Your Domain Name and then Group Policy
Objects and then right click on Client Computer and
then Edit.
The Policy there is a place to not allow certain Applications to run. Just add the exe for Yahoo here and this will block that from running also. This works on 2000 Pro Workstations and above.
Posted by:
anonymous_9363
15 years ago
The telephoning-in would likely be as much hassle for your users as online activation. Could you have your customers specify the target machine's computername/hard drive serial number or something like that with their order? You could then hash that data and record it, having your program check the hash?
Posted by:
quitaxe
15 years ago
Hi
Being in deployments in the past I completly share your concern. But this is an exception requirement where we do not want to "propogate" the program to more than a select set of audience. Unfortunatly they dont have an AD setup else I would have stuck to a GPO..
I am also looking for the registry entry which disables a particular exe in XP.. I remember reading about it but have spent last 2 hours googling for it.. anybody remember the key??
Being in deployments in the past I completly share your concern. But this is an exception requirement where we do not want to "propogate" the program to more than a select set of audience. Unfortunatly they dont have an AD setup else I would have stuck to a GPO..
I am also looking for the registry entry which disables a particular exe in XP.. I remember reading about it but have spent last 2 hours googling for it.. anybody remember the key??
although I understand your concerns you should be aware that doing this in a corporate environment is only going to annoy the enterprise clients.
most of us here are pretty adept at getting around these sorts of systems as we need to ensure silent installation. From a corporate perspective all you are going to do is annoy the deployment specialists with this approach. I would suggest whatever you choose make sure you offer a way to turn it off for the corporate client.
Posted by:
quitaxe
15 years ago
Hi
Thanks to all for your suggestions.. I will go the Local system policy way to restrict access to the number of machines that can launch the application
Apriciate your help
Thanks to all for your suggestions.. I will go the Local system policy way to restrict access to the number of machines that can launch the application
Apriciate your help
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