How to limit windows application to install only one computer using c#? [closed]

Question

I am about to setup my first windows application which is built in C# Visual studio 2010 to my customer. I want to limit usage to only one computer per installation, but I don't know how to do that.

Can anyone guide me on how I might accomplish this?

Answer 1

Typically this is managed by what's called a "product activation" system. When the customer installs your application, they must enter a serial number or key to "activate" it. If they don't do this, the application remains locked. When they activate your product, the system calls back into your server and says "Hey, this key has been used, and this is the machine it was used on. don't let anyone else use this key again."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Product_activation

You probably don't want to write this yourself, so there are many third party packages you can purchase to make it difficult for your client to install on multiple machines. There's a fine line though between alienating your client by treating them like a criminal, and trying to protect your hard work.

Pirates gonna pirate.

Answer 2

Encrypt the serial number of the hard-drive into your program. It must be saved to a DB of some kind. Name the field something obscure (not related to a HDD serial #). Then check that it matches every time the app is launched. Not super-high tech, not super-secure, but will work in most situatons. If someone copies the app to another PC, display a message not related to copying the app, but you will know what happened. I've been doing it for years in VB and .NET. Works fine.