Digital Workshop

Hi,

A client of mine uses some Windows roll back system which resets all the Windows systems back to their original build on shutdown.

The problem I am having is that if he downloads the Evaluation copy of our Opus publication and activates the publication on shut-down it will automatically reset back to the trial version.

Does anyone know of this type of system or a way to get around it with the evaluation.

Hi joe,

With MS release of SteadyState this is going to problem previously only caused by tools such as ART.

The most sure fire way to prevent reinstallation would be an online activation routine. Other techniques would include writing to other partitions or non-accessable drive areas such as Abode products and including kill dates when that publication will no longer work regardless.

Number one is best of course - inconjuction with some hardware ID code that could be checked against an online DB. In theory it's not that difficult as Opus alreadys contains SQL / PHP functions.

Alternatively, you could create some some of activation code for the evaluation unique to each install such as date - which would require you emailing the activation to the customer, therefore each time they try to install they have to ask for a new code.

Mack

Mack,

SteadyState that is the name of the software:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/sharedaccess/default.mspx

I will do some testing with this and see how it goes, I won't know for sure how it all works until I get a system here with it installed and see what restrictions occur.

Have been considering solution for this, although I like the evaluation option built into Opus, recent developments in Windows has caused problems SteadyState and Vista seems to cause issues.

Currently I am working on an evaluation system through code and taking date software was first run and storing it somewhere (Vista I hate you) and then applying a check on run to see if 15/30 days have passed.

Any suggestions for would be great.

Does this mean if you write some tracking data to an INI file, SteadyState wil just reinstate the original INI? (if it's in Prog Files or Prog Data folders?).

Yes indeed, where to put the write files?
Also, is there a way to 'detect' if a system is using SS?

From the SteadyState FAQ so far:

"Windows Disk Protection only discards changes made to files that reside on the same hard disk (partition) as the Windows system. You can have users save their work to a different drive and it will not be endangered by Windows Disk Protection."

I presume that the trend is for people to work on thumb drives in the kind of environments that would need something like SteadyState -- Internet cafes, schools, some corporate setups, etc.

Paul

Oh! Cloud computing just gets stormy. (or don't store me).

Sounds like SS is similar to Citrix (in Libraries etc.). Or a step toward the Corp environment Paul cited, and users carry their virtual systems with them.

That may not be so bad... just more complex to figure out. So to Joseph's original question... one solution is to require the user to use a flash drive and check first for continuing work/files there. (?). Then Opus as eval install would not matter. Control 'expiration' thru user files.

Without reading up on SS, I would assume that like most 'big brother' systems - if you install the software as an admin, then initial values written to the registry (such as installation date) would remain.

If this is the case, then either use an installer that allows you to specify that admin is required for install or build a check into Opus that requires admin to set the install date before first use.

The latter is preferable as Opus publications can be easily distributed without their installer.

Mack