>>In an effort to implement some sort of copy protection, I am currently registering the Computer Name
>>(using SYS(0) or GETENV() functions).. But that's kind of rudimentary. It can easily be changed.
>>
>>Is there a better way in VFP to retrieve some sort of Hardware or Windows Serial number?
>>I will even settle for Network WorkGroup, or anything else that's unique for a given computer.
>
>Have you actually encountered cases where someone's changed their machine's NetBIOS name to get around your copy protection? Yes, it can be done but it breaks a ton of other stuff someone may have already set up on their computer - basically a PITA. That's why I ask if you've ever seen it happen, or whether you've just heard that it's possible.
>
>I see you've gotten pointers to various hardware identifiers. That's all well and good but if your software gets installed on a VM, someone can distribute the entire VM to get around any such copy protection. Running "legacy" apps in VMs is more and more common, especially as UI evolves on newer versions of Windows and if/when those versions no longer support Win32 well enough for VFP.
>
>If your app is high-value you should consider that any hardware based protection you try to use is already defeated by the use of a VM, and use something else.

I am glad you asked that Al. Well up to now, I have been using Hardware key. And NO, I have not heard anybody using a VM to bypass it.
Besides, I can't see how VM would bypass the key?

As far as maybe substituting the hardware key, with Machine Parameters Registration (combined with web based validation scheme), I still can't see how a VM would be able to bypass Processor_ID + HardDisk_SerNo either. Unless VMs can fake an exact Processor_ID + HardDisk_Id. The VM that gets transferred to another computer, would be reading a different Processor_ID wouldn't it? maybe I don't understand VMs that much.

As far as newer versions of Windows not supporting 32bit, I think that would be a bummer, but I really don't see that happening for at least for the next 2 versions of windows. Do you?

I guess if they go to 128bit hardware someday, they would probably be dropping 32bit apps. But I think, for at least another 5 years, windows 9 would be around. And I am pretty sure Win9 (that is supposed to come out after Sept 2015) will continue to support 32bit.

Your thoughts?
Cyrus