Creating Demo Software

[whun450]

I know there's been some discussion lately about creating demos/trial solutions. I've used several different methods embedded in my FM solution but I've been using a method lately that's a lot easier to offer a 30 day trial without altering my solution.

I first create a normal solution and then I use a piece of freeware called Software key TrialCreator:

Link

The software is really simple and takes a few minutes to create a 30 day exe file. So basically I end up with 2 exe files like:

solution_main.exe (unlocked- main file)

and

solution.exe (30 day trial)

Once the demo is created, I remove the solution_main.exe file from my solution folder and then compile the solution into an installer (I use install creator )

Now my customer will install a 30 day trial version. When they purchase the product, I send them another installer that only has the solution_main.exe file that I have now renamed solution.exe. They do the install and it automaticaly overwrites the trial solution.exe and that's all there is to it.

I find this solution quick, easy, and pretty simple for my customers. While some developers may be looking for a more ironclad solution, I find this method works for my needs and it might work for yours.

Just thought I'd share.

William

[Genx]

What happens to the data they had in the trial solution?

[whun450]

That's the beauty of it, the trial exe is exactly the same as the unlocked version except it has the 30 day wrapper on it. So, the data that they put in during the trial version is still there.

William

[Genx]

So they run an exe instead of the .fp7 file?

[whun450]

It runs the exe created in the Filemaker Advanced runtime solution.

[whun450]

The thing to remember is that my runtime solution has not changed except for the exe has the 30 day trial on it.

Since I keep the unlocked exe file till they purchase, the only way the user could get a full version of my software is to crack the 30 day wrapper on the trial exe. I don't know how hard it would be to crack the 30 day wrapper on the trial version but I'm sure that's beyond the typical user.

[Steven H. Blackwell]

ince I keep the unlocked exe file till they purchase, the only way the user could get a full version of my software is to crack the 30 day wrapper on the trial exe. I don't know how hard it would be to crack the 30 day wrapper on the trial version but I'm sure that's beyond the typical user.

It would depend on how the "wrapper"is constructed. And it won't be the "typical user" that does the cracking.

My gut feeling--admitedly without having seen this solution--is that it is highly vulnerable.

Steven

[whun450]

I understand what you're saying but I'm not touting it as a high security solution, just another option that has worked well for me.

As we we've seen on these forums, most security solutions have some type of vunerabilty, it's up to us as developers to decide what level of security we're comfortable with.

The biggest advantage using my system is that I have to do no altering of my program (user accounts, time limits, record limits, etc,) which to me can cause more issues than it's worth sometimes.

Thanks for the feedback so far.

[Ocean West]

here is one i did a while back...

it used account access to time bomb the demo.

DemoBomb.fp7.zip

[librone]

here is one i did a while back...

it used account access to time bomb the demo.

Hi Stephen,

I have modified your gExpire field.

Now your demo expires after 45879142 cliks.

Ann

I am sorry for my English

[Steven H. Blackwell]

Let's refrain from making unprofessional comments about people who post into this forum please. It is highly inconsistent with Mr. Dolenski's objectives for FM Forums and is abusive of the time of people who answer questions here in an effort to help FileMaker Pro developers.

Steven

[librone]

Please excuse me if I have written things that could offend Mr.Dolenski.

I do not want to criticize the job of the others. Mine little acquaintance of the English language does not concur me to answer with articulater phrases. I would want to only say that it is not convenient to store the data of expiration of the demo in fields since these last ones can be modified. Many developers have lost theirs demo in order to have made this. I am sorry for my English.

Ann

[Steven H. Blackwell]

These comments [color:red]were not directed to you, but to someone else whose offensive post was removed.

And BTW, no need to apologize for your English. We understand what you're saying. I should be as fluent in a third language.

Steven

[pjdodd]

Since I keep the unlocked exe file till they purchase, the only way the user could get a full version of my software is to crack the 30 day wrapper on the trial exe..

Perhaps I missed some part of the description, or misunderstood the feature of this wrapper. But surely because the data file is not protected all the user has to do is drag the database file onto a copy of Filemaker and they've bypassed your 30-day limit.

I like the idea of protecting the runtime application, I really do, because it enables things like time-dependent limits to be easily placed using programmer's code. The problem with this approach is that on the surface it is unconnetced with the data files.

The wrapping of the application file is only part of the answer. Equally, protecting the data is only part of the answer. The full answer lies in protecting the data AND the runtime solution together, in tandem, co-dependency of an encrypted nature, so they cannot be separated or cracked as easily.

Filemaker haven't done anything about this. Has anyone?

[Leather Knight]

This is all very interesting. My distributed app is quite extensive and detailed. I needed to protect it and make a demo version for "try before you buy" and came up with a nice solution to do this after extensive research. I use "Exeshield" to protect my runtime. It is very good, easy and has many easy features. My target is the trucking industry, so as for the database itself, I remove all admin privledges and make it so nothing can be changed, with custom menu's and so on. I haven't had any problems yet, but if I could protect the .usr/.fp7 file as well, I sure would love to know how.

[joec56]

Hi William,

It has been interesting to read about Creating Demo Software. However, the links you have provided namely SoftwareKey and Install Creator only run on Windows, know anything similar for Mac?

Cheers

Edited August 13, 2007 by Guest