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**AndrewClark** · 06-11-2002, 02:56 AM

Re: Thanks So much for the expiration help!!!!!

I have been experimenting and there appears to be a simple way to stop the menu working after a certain date.

Under Project>Settings select the "Actions" tab. Under the "Startup" tab click the "Add a new item" button and select Window>Close/Exit. Click the "Click to Edit" button which will open the "Boolean Conditions" dialog box. Click the "Add" button, which will open the "Condition" dialog box. Enter the following:

In Value A insert: %date%
In Operator select: Greater than or Equal
In Value B insert the date that you want the menu to expire on such as: 08/20/02

The Boolean Conditions dialog box should show:
%date% >= 08/20/02

This will cause the menu to close almost immediately after it starts - literally a split second. There might be a way to refine the system so that a bit more that absolutely nothing happens. For example, you could have an opening page introducing your demo, with a text warning stating that it will not work after a certain date. The user would then have to click a button to proceed. In this case the above action should be incorporated in this button, and not in the Project Settings.

Please let me know how you get on with this.

Regards

Andrew

**FBlanch** · 06-11-2002, 06:28 AM

Re: Thanks So much for the expiration help!!!!!

Andrew thank you so much for taking the time to respond with helpful information. Very much appreciated. I was just frustrated and the two previous post just added salt to open wounds. I will try your idea. It sounds solid. Thanks again!

FBlanch

**FBlanch** · 06-11-2002, 08:19 AM

Re: Thanks So much for the expiration help!!!!!

Andrew your advice is the best so far. But you can simply turn the time back on your computer to get around this. Do you know of a way to prevent that. Thanks for all of your help.

FBlanch

**AndrewClark** · 06-11-2002, 10:39 AM

Re: Thanks So much for the expiration help!!!!!

The computer date is the bane of all simple software security. As you say, you don't want the user to go through a de-encryption process for an autorun evaluation CD.

You could try the following:
1. On first running the CD, the project should detect the user's system date (The AMS system variable %date% will return the current date on the user's machine)

2. It should then write this date to an obscurely named key in the registry. NOTE: In the time I have available I have tried without success to wite the value in %date% to the registry

3. On opening the project the first action will be to read from the registry. If this is the first time the CD has been inserted in the machine there will be no key and so it will return "False". When this happens it should carry out steps 1 and 2.

4. The project (or a button if you want the user to see some kind of opening screen) should then read from your registry key and store the value (the date the CD was first inserted in the machine) in the default AMS variable, %RegVar%.

5. The project, or button should then carry out the Close/Exit action as previously described. However, you should change the Boolean Condition Value A from %date% (the current system date which you think the user might have changed) to %RegVar% (the date captured by AMS before the user had a chance to change it). Value B should still show your expiry date.

I will try to discover how to write the date in the correct format to the registry. If I succeed I will let you know. If you find out please let me know.

Regards

Andrew

**Lorne** · 06-11-2002, 10:43 AM

Re: Thanks So much for the expiration help!!!!!

I'm glad that you're finding us all so helpful. [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

To catch a system date change, you'd need to determine what the current date on the user's system is, and keep track of the dates that your menu was run on. (Perhaps storing the dates in the Registry.) Then analyze the dates to determine if the user's system travelled backwards in time.

Of course, a savvy user could be running a program to watch for Registry changes, and just change your stored dates so the menu would work.

But if you really wanted to do it, you could.

'Course, I'm not sure if you could do it all internally in 3.0...since it wasn't designed to do that. Although you could certainly do it with a simple external program.

It would be fairly easy to do in 4.0, though.

**Lorne** · 06-11-2002, 10:52 AM

Re: Thanks So much for the expiration help!!!!!

Alternatively, you could use a program that connects to an atomic clock server, and compare the user's system date with the actual date (checking for really large deltas).

**Bruce** · 06-11-2002, 10:56 AM

Re: Thanks So much for the expiration help!!!!!

FBlanch-
Your question was answered in your first thread I cannot for the life of me make a cd expire! On 6/10/02 at 9:50 PM. It was answered by Andrew Clark on 6/10/02 at 2:33 AM by writing “Project Settings>Security>Menu Expiration will allow you to set a term for the project after you have built it.”
You replied in all your splendor and glory on 6/10/02 at 3:29 PM blaming IndigoRose for a product that was “a sick joke” and “This is not fair. Why not just remove the expiration option since it does not work so no one else wastes valuable time.” Then you opened yourself up to criticism by asking “Am I wrong for being upset?” Well… you were answered! I did not feel nor do I believe AKHacker felt you needed any feather explanation on how the process was achieved.
AutoPlay does have a small learning curve and there can be times when you run up against a wall, just be glad AutoPlay doesn’t have the curve that Macromedia’s Director has!

**FBlanch** · 06-11-2002, 11:27 AM

Re: Thanks So much for the expiration help!!!!!

Andrew thanks for your info again! Lorne thank you too. Bruce! C'mon! I apologize that you are now upset or feel I am spoiled. I only want to work and provide a stunning product for my end users. I was smiling reading all the post glad that someone cares. Then......... Here comes Bruces post. I don't want to argue with anyone. I have no hostility for anyone. My work ethic is hardcore and I only desire great results. I am sorry for knocking Auto Play Menu Studio 3.0 I had no possible way of knowing the expiratation was not intended for what it appeared to be intended for (Did everyone get that?). I will try Andrews method that includes the registry.
More than likely I will just have to include Encryption Cd Plus along with it. Most things can be hacked which is true. But my products are not actually software but video tutorials and would bore most hackers. However Encryption Cd Plus is even repsected by most hackers for its amazing ability to keep out all the very best of the best. And that's great. My cd's are too big for most people to care about passsing through the internet and ending up on Kazaa or something like that. Not only that, but I also plan on using a self-extracting method for compressing more data onto the cd so that it will even be more info. Well thanks guys! I'm sure that we will figure this out. Andrew I will let you know what I come up with.

**Yuri** · 06-15-2002, 09:23 AM

Re: Thanks So much for the expiration help! Round 2!

Hey dont stop it now!!! We want blood, Fight!! fight!! when will the next round be??? Did I miss something??

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Thanks So much for the expiration help!!!!!

Thanks So much for the expiration help!!!!!

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