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Protect Software

I develop shareware but I dont know how to protect it from cracks and piracy.
Could anyone advise some good tool ? I heard about several products like EXECryptor from www.strongbit.com (http://www.strongbit.com), ACProtect, IceLicensse and others, but I dont know what is better. May be somebody knows some realy good solution?
[332 byte] By [igor05] at [2007-11-11 6:30:34]
# 1 Re: Protect Software
Hello ,

I dont think the crackers will be stucked on any tool , they crack Microsoft product , how about your software.

but anyway EXECryptor is too much good againts Beginner crackers !
P.H.P at 2007-11-12 0:14:31 >
# 2 Re: Protect Software
I guess in theory all protection will be broken sooner or later.

As for execryptor I use it to protect my sw and have no problems with cracks.
I think Strongbit has right protection strategy. They frequently improve and update their protection while it costs money: execryptor has paid product maintenance. This means to have access to updates dwnl, techsupport etc. you must to bye membership subsription. These are additional costs but the protection is always up to date. However it is my own opinion. I think all depends on what you wait for from protection.

Regards,
Bill
BillyColl at 2007-11-12 0:15:31 >
# 3 Re: Protect Software
About execryptor I found this one:

>> Here some links:

>> http://www.xheo.com/
>> http://www.aspack.com/asprotect.html
>> http://www.siliconrealms.com/armadillo_engine.shtml
>> http://www.smartassembly.com
>> http://www.eziriz.com
>> http://www.strongbit.com/

> I tried more than listed below protections. The strongest most
> proof most flexible from this list is really EXECryptor form
> http://www.strongbit.com/. It is not only the mine opinion. Most
> software vendors agree > with me. The only thing I cannot
> understand is the absence of reviews of EXECryptor in developer
> press, nor > blogs/white papers. However it has very good opinions
> in different programmer's disscussion. I can assume > it is one
> one things that "its quality sells itself". The other "cons" is
> EXECryptor does not support .NET platform working only for win32
> exe's; dll's and othe PE's and only Windows compatible. However for
> cross-> platform apps licensing there is HardKey License Manager
> (as well from strogbit.com ). It has less 'bullet-
> proof' antireverse/anticrack but more advanced and flexible
> licensing features (however remains unbroken as well as
> EXECryptor). So if smb. really needs to solve cracks/piracy
> problem StrongBit really will DO. By the way as for .NET
> protection (the original thread subject) Strongbit partners with
> dotnet protector author 9Rays and they follozing their press
> release they are planning to create universal app security. I'm
> sure it is the only one protection that warrant attention of people
> looking for commercial program anticrack security tools.

> Regards
> Mad
> EXECryptor user

As for me I'm trying execryptor now... What I can say... Another vote for it

Also there is hot discussion generally about piracy and protection on http://discuss.joelonsoftware.com/default.asp?design.4.354142.23
HanzProf at 2007-11-12 0:16:30 >
# 4 Re: Protect Software
Anybody knows some good app protector Vista compatible?
Jean5 at 2007-11-12 0:17:30 >
# 5 Re: Protect Software
Hey ; glade to see u talking about this :)

Just I wanna explain something ; protecting your app by any way you guess it's hard, will not make any protection at all !!

Okey many programmes makes a protector to protect your app , but it generally protect your resource or your app from commonly knowen attck methods ; but finally they can't protect it from processing !!!

What I mean is your application must finally after all -what u call it protection- be transformed into assembly to be passed to the proccessor , and if the proccessor can proceess it so by many finitly steps u can also !
I agree it differs from a cracker to another to have fastest result but finally results exists !

can u understand what I mean ??

***Up to now I haven't found any software that can't be cracked === If u nderstand what I said u can prove that no software can't be cracked :o .
Amahdy at 2007-11-12 0:18:29 >
# 6 Re: Protect Software
I develop shareware but I dont know how to protect it from cracks and piracy.
Could anyone advise some good tool ? I heard about several products like EXECryptor from www.strongbit.com (http://www.strongbit.com), ACProtect, IceLicensse and others, but I dont know what is better. May be somebody knows some realy good solution?

Only one method can prevent crackers; demo uncompleted versions ;
And here I mean demo that missed codes not demo that have feautures disabled .

If u r looking for "copyright" make a one way installation function [without inverse] and don't share your installation package .
Amahdy at 2007-11-12 0:19:27 >
# 7 Re: Protect Software
This is a question that gets repeated over and over our forums.

The answer is: if it can run, it can be cracked. A protector is as hard as you are capable of integrating and implementing its additional features.

Few good protectors:

ExeCryptor
ASProtect
Armadillo (but now nico's is out the arma gang, stay away as ****...)
TheMida
SVKP

mmh... what other?

Oh, make always crippled demo. Out of curiosity, I have rest the trial of one of the above in less than 5 minutes.

Ah, don't code it by yourself. Please. It would be really an idiot thing to do.
xamas at 2007-11-12 0:20:31 >
# 8 Re: Protect Software
h3ll is a word to be censored? :/

(By the way, I'm a Reverser)
xamas at 2007-11-12 0:21:28 >
# 9 Re: Protect Software
it is really a good idea but it is hard to realize it.
DanielSmith at 2007-11-12 0:22:36 >
# 10 Re: Protect Software
xamas, u can reset any trial in fewer timer usually , but if the demo as I mentioned is "code missed" , I mean before compiling it remove some events from the code .. nobody can fix this [other than building a similar software with those events !] ...
Daniel what is hard for u ?
Amahdy at 2007-11-12 0:23:37 >