Computer ID

[jliz2803]

My company is trying to make it more feasible for users to register our software online. So we want to keep track of what computers have been registered and which ones have not. Is there anyway to get some type of computer id, or some type of system settings from a computer that will be unique, and likely will not change over a period of time?

[Pyth007]

You could try using the computer's ip address; however this isn't that good considering that broadband (ie cable modem) sometimes supplies users with different ip addresses for each connection made....

[TheShaner]

This is most certainly not a JavaScript question. You would never use JavaScript for any kind of identifying of a computer. You would most definitely not use an IP to track registered software. All modem users' IPs are dynamic. Many broadband users also have dynamic IPs. So using IPs should not even be a thought (and hopefully no one says anything about cookies either).

Use product keys. Just like every other piece of software you buy that comes with a unique product key, do the same with yours. They enter the product key online and that'll be sort of their login (or just for the first time and then have them create their own login account after the product key is verified). If they download it, which means you have one copy that's being grabbed my many people, then you're most likely having these people create an account to buy it. Supply some sort of key to them at this stage.

There are also other ways of identifying a computer, like grabbing a person's OS serial number and such, but no one here will provide you with that kind of code because that is spyware related.

-Shane

[jliz2803]

Is there a way to track a computer to make sure a user does not register the same computer twice. I know in almost every case the user will know if they have the software installed. I am speaking in terms of downloading a demo version then registering online if they like the demo. I could give them a code when they first download the demo, but how will I keep track if the computer has been registered if they try to redownload the demo

[oracleguy]

If you wanted to tie it to a specific computer, you could use the computer's MAC address of one of the network cards in it. But I'd still agree with the above using product keys. Regardless, this is not a javascript question.

[SteelValor]

^^ go with the macid

[mChicago]

You can use a hash of several aspects of computer hardware, including mac id and processer identifier numbers, as well as information such as the number of processors etc etc.

Windows activation works simlary by using several identifiers, and allowing the software to work untill more then three or four items have changed. Once this has happened, the software requires re-activation.

Please also look at steam - steam is an encryption based system which requires logging onto the steam server and un-encrypting essential parts to your files before the application can run.

It may be feasable to use a third party authentication system for your product as opposed to trying to write one yourself. No matter how you authenticate, there will be a way around it (look at the most recent Sony hiding software from the system 'root kit' problems), but using a third party application will mean that they solve this problem leaving you time to develop your application.