Disable disassembling .EXE files

[vbzero]

When I develop an application and write an .EXE file
it is still possible to read the structure and code
of that .EXE file.

All you've to do is to disassemble the program.
Is it possible to encrypt the .EXE's code, so that
it would be impossible to read the code of it?

The file still must be executeable.

Any ideas/suggestions?

thx, vbzero

You'll never be able to "lock" disassembling. This has several reasons:
[/list][*]In order for a PC to run an executable it'll have to be lots of 1's and 0's in the right order. If not, it won't run. These 1's and 0's can always be translated back to the original opcodes which is in essence "assembly" (or machine language).[*]You could Encrypt the exe, but will need a De-Crypter in order for the exe to run. This could be done in the first (or actually any) block of the exe itself, but when disassembling this, it's be possible to trace how the decryptor works, and in effect it'll be possible to decrypt the entire exe.[/list]

Ofcourse, reading assembly is not that ease, and many people or programmers won't be able to. If they are, they must then have enough brains to figure out how the decrypt works (this is easy in languages like VB or C because they're high-level languages. But an en/decryption routine in assembly is (much) harder to read.

Wich leaves me with this: Why would (not to "diss" you) anyone want to dissasemble your software? I think most people only put effort in it if there's a real use for it. I can imagine it is useful for Hacking Word 2000 or any other MS product. Als hacking Symantec, Adobe, Winzip and Macromedia stuff will be worth the try. But software you've created won't be (at least I guess) used that wide-spread, and therefore won't create enough "need" to crack it.

If there will be any attempts to crack it then consider this: Why would they want to spend (lots of) time to crack it?

1) Is your software too expensive?
2) Is it soooo useful everyone wants it?

If this last option (2) is true, then consider taking it to a software-house to sell it world-wide or nationally. They'll probably even help you "lock" any routines that are "sensitive" for hacking.

Just my $0.02...

[vbzero]

Thank you for your quite detailed description.

I think I'll use your suggestion with encrypting the
.EXE-file and decrypt it when executing - like a
virtual machine.

thx, vbzero