Help wanted, distributing Access 2000

message from Bob on 26 May 2004

Help wanted

Does anyone know of any books out there that addresses the problems of
marketing an Access Database program with front/back end arrangement.

What I am looking for is a book that addresses the different angles
and ways of doing the following:

1. What is the best way to deliver Ftp, CD,
2. making a free distribution runtime that will cease to be usable
after 30/60 days.
3. How to make it hacker proof.
4. Is it better to rent software or sell/license it.
5. Renting. What's the best way to collect the money.
6. I would like to read of other peoples experiences in these areas.
7. Help systems.
8 File and Backup systems.
9. Documenting versions.

Any help or a prod in the right direction would be appreciated.

Thanks smiley Bob

Tony Toews replied to Bob on 26 May 2004

I'm only going to answer some specific questions.

Tools available from sites such as sysinternals.com can crack any method you use to
store a future date anywhere on a system such as in the registry or a file. Unless
it's encrypted. But even then if you delete the date from wherever it's stored your
app may think it's just installed.

Thus I prefer to limit the number of records in one key table such as 5 units or 50
volunteers but allow unlimited access for everything else. Once I get paid then I
email them an encrypted file containing the number of records they are licensed for
as well as their company name which goes on the bottom of every page of every report.

For more of my thoughts on this topic see the "Copy protection or how to safely
distribute a demo Microsoft Access Application" page at
http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/demo.htm

Can't be done. You can make things inconvenient but never hacker proof.

See my Microsoft Access Help System Tips page at
http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/accshelp.htm for an overview of the process.

Also see David Liske's Access HTML help page at
http://www.mvps.org/htmlhelpcenter/htmlhelp/hhaccess.html

Tony

Archived message: Help wanted, distributing Access 2000 (Microsoft Access)