Expiration question

[fuzzy]

With the "Expire after" feature... does the show stop working:

1) after the first time it was run, including on my computer before I send it through the mail to a client)

2) on the client's computer after the first time it was run on a the client's computer

3) after the time it was created on my computer

TIA

[cjdnzl]

With the "Expire after" feature... does the show stop working:

1) after the first time it was run, including on my computer before I send it through the mail to a client)

2) on the client's computer after the first time it was run on a the client's computer

3) after the time it was created on my computer

TIA

Go to Project Options/Advanced, check 'Time-limited usage' , then click 'Customize trial use details'. There, you can set an expiry date, expire after (number) of runs, or expire after (so many) days.

Very flexible.

Colin

[fh1805]

Bear in mind that the expiration features work only for exe files. In order to check the expiry details the sequence has to be running in a computer as an executable program and not simply running as a video clip off a DVD.

[fuzzy]

I could set a date for it to expire, but I was wondering what the exact meaning of the "expire after" is. For example, I could set a 7 day expiration so that the time spent in transit getting mailed to the client wouldn't be a factor. But that relies on it's activation starting when the client puts it in their machine. That's why I was wondering when the "clock" starts.

[Ronniebootwest]

I could set a date for it to expire, but I was wondering what the exact meaning of the "expire after" is. For example, I could set a 7 day expiration so that the time spent in transit getting mailed to the client wouldn't be a factor. But that relies on it's activation starting when the client puts it in their machine. That's why I was wondering when the "clock" starts.

Don't rely to much on this feature because the expiration date option is only of limited use. If you are expecting this feature to be some sort of 'protection' for your CD then be aware that there are a few ways of defeating it, e.g. copy the CD to another computer. I am not an expert on this subject but I feel sure that other members will be able to point out the shortcomings of the 'expire' feature.

Ron

[Barry Beckham]

Probably the best option is to prevent the show running after so many plays.

Once it runs out then it will not play even when copied to another machine, you can easily do a simple test.

Set a show to play only once, then play it and allow it to expire. Take the exe to another machine and try it. I am pretty sure you will find that it will not play.

You could do a belt and braces and set the number of plays as well as a time limit, whatever is reached first.

[fuzzy]

Thanks everyone.

Unfortunately, it looks like no one here knows the answer to my original questions.

How can I contact the administrator to find out the answers?

(I'm not a frequent member here.)

[Barry Beckham]

If you set the slide show to run once, it will run once on any computer it is played on. I just carried out a test and the slide show ran once on the computer it was made on, then stopped and gave the expired message.

However, it then played once on two other PC's before expiring. So, you could run the slide show many times if you had access to different PC's

Download this little test below that has been set up to expire different after 02/02/08

http://www.beckhamdigital.co.uk/expiretest.zip

Run it today and it should be fine, but tomorrow it will stop.

It will be interesting to see what happens if you reset the date on your computer to before the set expire date date to see if that fools it into playing again. I suspect it will not

[fh1805]

Hi Fuzzy,

I don't know whether this helps advance your understanding but...

I have just created a simple 3-slide test sequence and have set it to expire after 2 executions.

I ran it once and then copied the file to two different Flash memory sticks (let's call them Flash-A and Flash-.

I then ran the file a second time off Flash-A. It worked. I then ran it again off Flash-A and was told that it had expired.

I now tried to run it off Flash-B and was told it had expired.

All the above took place on the one computer system - no reboots.

From the above test I deduce the following:

- PTE does not modify the exe file and resave it to record the usage count data.

- Where-ever PTE does save the usage count data, it doesn't include the drive and path data. If it did then the attempt to run off Flash-B should have been seen as a legitimate attempt off a copy that had been run once.

I'll now create a fresh copy with expiry after 1 day and put that on Flash-A and another copy with expiry after 2 days which I'll put on Flash-B. Tomorrow (Sunday) I'll try both flash drive copies on my laptop and re-post the outcome. I'll do the same on Monday and on Tuesday. By the end of these tests we should have a pretty clear idea of what actually happens.

[Ronniebootwest]

This question was dealt with as far back as 2005!

Here is what Igor said at that time:

"When any trial period expires (date, days or numbers of runs), this EXE file will not work anymore.

Setting the clock back will not get it working again.

However experienced programmer or hacker can breaks any limitation as you know. But it requires additional time and skills and not each can do it."

Ron West

[fuzzy]

Wow! Excellent replies everyone. Thanks. That helps.

I'll keep watching your tests.

[fh1805]

Hi interested readers!,

First, let me explain the scenarios I have set up. On my desktop PC I have created three short sequences as follows:

- Expiry1D - expires after 1 day (created at c.1630 on 2 Feb 2008)

- Expiry2D - expires after 2 days (created at c.1630 on 2 Feb 2008)

- Expiry1R - expires after 1 run (created at c.0700 on 3 Feb 2008)

In reality the file name of all three is Expiry.exe, I'm using the name forms above as short-hand notation to describe their function. Each file was written to a separate flash drive memory stick as follows:

- Expiry1D to Flash-A

- Expiry2D to Flash-B

- Expiry1R to Flash-C (This file was written after it had been run to its expiry point on the desktop PC)

I then took all three sticks to my laptop PC and ran them as follows:

- Expiry1D (ran OK as many times as I wanted it to - just as expected)

- Expiry2D (ran OK as many times as I wanted it to - just as expected)

- Expiry1R (ran OK but just the once, thereafter it said it was expired)

All this was what I expected.

I then removed Flash-C and re-inserted Flash-A. The file names are the same on all three files and the files are stored in the root directory of each flash drive. I was curious now to know whether the "expired" status of the file from Flash-C was going to be carried over to the file on Flash-A. It wasn't! I was able to run Expiry1D as many times as I wanted to. None of the three flash drives has been given a name (i.e. there is no name showing when calling up their properties) but they use three different device drivers.

I shall now wait until tomorrow (Monday) and repeat the tests. I would expect both Expiry1R and Expiry1D to come up as immediately expired and Expiry2D to still be functional.

I will post more results some time tomorrow.

[fh1805]

Here's the final instalment!

I completed the tests this morning with the results being entirely as expected:

- Expiry1R was still expired

- Expiry1D had now expired

- Expiry2D was still active

Therefore I conclude that the expiration clock starts running as soon as the exe file is created (which is as I expected it to be). However I did learn from these tests that if you use the Number of runs as the limiting factor, any "used" runs are not carried with the exe file if you then copy the "part-used" exe file to another computer. I can only conclude that the information is stored in some other file (an ini perhaps or in the Registry).

However, as Igor commented (as quoted by Ron above): any experienced programmer or hacker can break any limitation.

[fuzzy]

EXCELLENT info! Thanks.

From your test, I can see that the best solution is just to set an expiration date for anything we send out. It's easy and simple.

I was hoping the clock would start when it's first run on a computer. But that's OK. I'll just do the expiration date.

Thanks again.

fuz

[lisajulia]

Hello! I FINALLY got verified to be in the forum!!! I have been using this software since somewhere around version 4. I have recently upgraded to 7...or whatever the latest is and i am wondering if anything has changed regarding this topic. I want clients to be able to see the show on their smartphones (mp4 files) and other formats than the usual EXE i used to make...BUT i SELL the slideshow so i need them to expire. So my question is...if i make an EXE file only but the kind that will also play on a Mac, and i put an expire date, will it work? All these years i have only made them as EXE files with an expire date and if a client had a Mac i just wouldn't make them one...now with more people having smartphones i wanted that other option...but not if the trial period won't work.

THANKS!...also i am NOT very techy so in your reply, plain speak is easiest for me to understand =)

[8321]

Hello all,

I would like to take this topic further (it came up in a search I did for an answer to my question).

Is there a way to make a show including embedded exe's so that the exe's will not be visible after expiration - whatever expiration option is used? Usually I put the show.exe with the exe's embedded in the show in the same folder. I now need to have an expiration date for the "package" so that the embedded exe's are also protected.

Is it possible?

Many thanks,

Jeff

[davegee]

Jeff,

It might take you a few days to get the answer so why not test it for yourself? Make a couple of short test shows with short expiry dates (tomorrow, the day after etc) and embed them into a master show which would expire the day after the last one to expire. That might give you the info you want.

Search for "Create a Menu Slide" in the Online Help File for more details.

http://docs.picturestoexe.com/en/main

DG

[nobeefstu]

Jeff,

I believe the IExpress.exe tool ( avail on most Windows OS) can simply and freely package your EXE files to suit your basic needs. I have used this program for some fast and simple tasks and it works well. For hard-core installation media packages I use Paquet Builder that has many features and controls over the output and playback ... with an increased learning curve required. For fully custom type packages you will have to expand your knowledge and your wallet.

*Your Menu Slideshow.exe need only an expiration date ... the other linked slideshows are not seen and inaccessible for individual playback. Each playback requires temporary extraction ... then removed on exit.

Read this old topic:

http://www.picturestoexe.com/forums/index.php?/topic/9596-adding-save-booktxt-and-book-pdf-and-book-doc-in-naviga/#entry62973

Additional info:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IExpress

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/ff553615(v=vs.85).aspx

[Guest Yachtsman1]

I seem to remember some time ago that Igor said the expiration function would be omitted from future versions. :unsure:

Yachtsman1.