Licensing Tool

TCP Data bases its licensing technology on the Windows Product ID. This is a relatively low level mechanism that guarantees our customers replacement. Due to secutity problems, the scheme has been modified to include certain other data from the operating system. TCP Data now uses what we call an 'augmented product ID'. In addition to the product ID, a few bits of additional information are now included in the key. As it would be difficult, if not impossible, for most users to accurately get and relay the correct information, we have created a tool that does this automatically.This Windows executable is less than 400K in size. It reads the augmented product ID and enters it into the Windows desktop paste buffer. This makes pasting the correct product ID into email very simple. The tool can be conviently downloaded and executed with your browser.

When the utility first executes, the product ID is read and copied into the field shown above. A copy is also placed into the desktop paste buffer. Pasting from within your mail client (Outlook Express or others) will print the same string, the Windows augmentede product ID. Should another copy/cut/paste operation overwrite this string, you can recopy it to the paste buffer by hitting the copy button on the main screen.

The user will generally copy the getpid.exe to a folder and execute it from there. Newer versions of IE have an option for 'Running the program from its current location'. This is probably the most convenient method.

This information is used to generate a 'key', ie, a short, encrypted text file. The key, when put into the installation directory, and permits the program to operate without restriction. The following is an example of a demo license key file:

Note that is almost impossible to make any 'clandestine use' of a product ID. Please read this article: Can someone steal my product ID