Printable View
Hi all!, i've some code to protect .net applications but now i'm in need to protect a component library.
I've seen some components in demo version that allows the user to work normal in design mode, but when deployed in release version, it show annoying messages telling that the app was compiled using some demo version of that control.
There's any way to implement this on vb.net 2005 || 2008?
Any better ideas? i'm open to you.
Thanks in advance, and merry christmas :D
It is a simple matter of detecting the environment, and poping up a message box. This has been covered a number of times here on CodeGuru - so you can search for existing solutions.
Realize that this is not really "protection". ANY code that is deployed to a machine where you do not have 100% control over can be broken (and will be broken if there is sufficient motivation).
Many of the ".EXE protectors" are easily succeptable to "in-memory attacks".
Simple obsfucation makes it no more difficult than if the program had been writen by womeone who spoke a different language (and I have had do reverse engineer progrrams written in Polish, German, Hungarian, French - and I only speak English)
There are other "advanced" techniques that commercial programs like DotFuscator Professional (NOT the community edition that ships with Visual Strudio) provide.
But in the end, you need to strike a balance between protecting your intellectual property and usability of the code. Realize that almost every vendor does NOT bother to take steps with their applications. The *only* group at Microsoft to have done it for .NET code was the SharePoint group; and they reversed the practice very quickly.
The best way to protect your software is to make sure that the customer get a significant "value add" by having a legal copy. This typically means things like world-class support policies.
I'm the first i know that this code is not a hardcore protection, but i only need a minimal protection, so my code is not everywhere so easy, i think about it like a "filter" for begginers.
Regarding the "search" you mentioned, before i open this thread i was searching on the net and on this site, but with wrong words, i know that maybe you are tired of answering same questions again and again, but your message will be more useful if you put the words to be used to locate the information (i've tried some like 'component protection', 'controls protection' , 'control library security' and a lot of similar without any luck).
About the question itself, i've found the property DesignMode of the component class, but it's not working in my scenario, i think is because the dll is running (and its DesignMode maybe False), and the form is in design mode( so True for form).
Any suggestions at this point?
I can't access the parent DesignMode property, because the readonly property is protected and i'm only a separate control.
"The best way to protect your software is to make sure that the customer get a significant "value add" by having a legal copy"
I take note about this, if the program have been copied or is present en p2p, then i'll think about this! thanks!
Have you tried this?
Code:if debugger.IsAttached then
' An IDE is attached (may be on remote machine)
end if
Thanks HairyMonkeyMan, as i've readed about, it seems to work like this other piece of code.
Code:Private Function GetMode() As Boolean
Return (System.Diagnostics.Process.GetCurrentProcess().ProcessName = "devenv")
End Function
So, what happens if the client has a fake 'devenv' running?