A big BRAVO for a solution (software-updates)

The application I want to distribute is like a 1-year subscription. After a year, the application is still fully functionnal but software-updates (via the net) are no longer available. I'm wondering if any of you got something similar to work, because I'm a bit confused in how I can avoid the user to download the update after his 1 year subscription.

I was thinking about keeping the date, in the registry, of when the user installed the application on his computer, but then all the user would have to do is install it again after 10 months to get another year. I could do it that way: if a date is already in the registry, it doesn't overwrite it so the user can't cheat, but what if, for example, the user format his hard disk or simply starts using it on another computer?

My update is available through FTP, so I thought maybe I could set a username and password for every users that I have, making the ftp innacessible to them when the 12 months are finished. But I think that's a lot of management.

Sending the update via email could have been an idea to make sure it's going to the right user, but I wanted the update to be automated from the application itself.

Maybe I could make my customers choose a personnal ID, which I would hardcode in the applicaton and would be checked against user database on the ftp... but that doesn't sound like the perfect solution.

I guess there's many ways of doing this... Which one is the best?

Thanks a lot for reading all this.

I have never done something similar to your problem but I have some ideas. The basic is that the update should be able to ask the original EXE about it's "start date". That could be a hardcoded function that you change by yourself and recompile every week. This could be done if your application is an ActiveX EXE.
Then you have to add some intelegense to your update EXE so it checks the date and reject if to small.

I suggest also that you reposts your question with a better subject line. For example "Distributing updates with FTP" I think that if better subject you will get better answers.

Maybe you also should post it in a C/C++ forum to get more feedback.

Hey, I think that it's better to assign them a Serial NR, and everytime they go online send the used serial to your server (could be CGI script too) and record the serial, ip, and time.
So when the app is activated after a year and send the info to the server, it sends back: "Expired".
and you have to code in your prog that if it recieves the Expired message it exits and uninstalls. (optional, you could just warn the user too :))

You could also use this to check if 2 ppl with the same serial nr. are online at the same time. (like 5 min. after each other with different IP, they share the same nr. and you could cancel the user/serial)

It's kinda FOOLproof I think.

To AKA:

I didn't understand about checking EXE's start date... This is hardcoded? I could hardcode the current date each time I compile and burn a CD that I'm going to ship.. but in some cases I thought that it would be more interesting to start counting days the day the user installs it.

To Jop:

The serial number is another idea but my problem is how can I know the application of one user is been in use for exactly 12 months?

Maybe I could type all ACTIVE serial numbers in a text file, and when the user does an update, it checks if his SN is in that text file (which is on the FTP).

His SN will be removed from the .txt if it has been more than 12 months.

Hmmm.. does that sounds right?

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The serial number is another idea but my problem is how can I know the application of one user is been in use for exactly 12 months?

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Stick a small app to the installer (or just at first-run) wich sends you the serial and stores the date on the server.
And start counting from that date.

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Maybe I could type all ACTIVE serial numbers in a text file, and when the user does an update, it checks if his SN is in that text file (which is on the FTP).

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Exactely what I meant mate ;)

[Edited by Jop on 08-30-2000 at 01:24 PM]

ok I think we're getting somewhere...

I wanted the subscription to start the day the user installs the application but I guess I could forget about this idea.

Let's say for example, that the user subcribes and start using the application in only one month, according to other companies and software, is the user losing that first unused month? As you can see this question relies more on marketting than programming :)

Or maybe I should start counting, as you say, on the first time the user access my FTP.. I then keep the SN and the first update date and start the 12 month subcription from that date.

What I must keep in mind is that some of my subcribers will be working with laptops with no internet connection, and will never access the update - they will receive it by mail. Wouldn't it be strange to start counting the 12 months subcription for these users on the payment of the subcription?.. and only on the first update for internet users.

Or you can make a day counter, so if the daycounter is above 365 days (or less in the leap-years, but you have to calculate that) they aren't able to update.
And hey, it's not strange that they'll start paying at the first day of supscription.

When you download a 30-day-trial, it's your responsibility to use it every day or not.
And when you buy a car-insurance, you have to pay for every day, even when you don't drive your car for 364 days you'll have to pay.
Ever got money back because you was subscribed to the news paper but wasn't able to read it for 2 months on holiday? NO? hmmm strange :)

IOW (In Other Words) they can accept the 1 year supscription with their own responsibility or not. :)

Ok. Thanks for all your help.

I will now search the forums for a good serial number builder or something.

What's the prog doing? Can I have a free copy? :)

Hehe. The application is not officially launched right now and it would be of no use for you unless you work in a financial institution.

The BRAVO goes to ya.

hmm, I thought about it and, I don't need to sophisticated serial number. Let's say I have 100 subcribers, 1 to 100 is perfect for SN.

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The BRAVO goes to ya.

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Thanks :)
hey, do you have ICQ?
18818940 (mine)
Just add me if you want, maybe I can help you at some point.

But what does your prog then?

another idea, would be to have an activex control on the internet, then when the user installs their copy on their computer, the expiration date is worked out, then sent to the activex control which records it. When the user logs in, the activex control checks if they are still allowed to download, i.e if their "hardcoded" serial number hasn't expired.

That would be a good idea, too. But it shows a little problem. As I said earlier, many of my customer won't EVER go on the net and will receive their updates via the mail.

What I am planning to do is hardcode their serial number with each copy I send. For those who access the net, their serial number will be checked against a list of "not-expired" serial numbers when they update.

Of course, this list will have to be manually managed by myself (or by a little database proggy but for now this is not important).

I think that sounds okay, what do you think?

it sounds pretty good