Hardware Protected Files Easily Transferred by Shared Drive

Hi! I have installed the Online Activation Kit, and have configured online activation and hardware lock. However, once a user downloads the file from my website, and activates it, they are still easily able to transfer it to friends using Shared Drives (DropBox, GDrive, OneDrive). Thereafter, the recipient is able to download, activate again and use the software easily.

Also, after every download, the Windows Security and Anti-Virus constantly warn users not to open the file, even though they are digitally signed.

The online validation does not work, for which I already have a ticket opened.

Can you please explain:
a) What I am doing wrong, such that users are freely able to distribute a copy of the compiled file?
b) How else can we prevent Windows and other anti-viruses from scaring the user away with so many prompts blocking the file?

vrsingh2001 said:

However, once a user downloads the file from my website, and activates it, they are still easily able to transfer it to friends using Shared Drives (DropBox, GDrive, OneDrive). Thereafter, the recipient is able to download, activate again and use the software easily.

Click to expand...

The online activation kit is just a basic app that does not store activations in a database. You have to adapt it so that it remembers who activates.
If you have no PHP programming experience, then you should better use our WooCommerce Integration Kit (or soon the FastSpring Subscription Kit) that will definitively manage anything for you.

vrsingh2001 said:

b) How else can we prevent Windows and other anti-viruses from scaring the user away with so many prompts blocking the file?

Click to expand...

It’s due to SmartScreen, a feature of Windows. Unfortunately, you’ll have to wait some time until your EXE files have been downloaded enough, so that your certificate gets some “reputation”. It is a matter of days or weeks, depending on the number of downloads per day. Once this is done, the SmartScreen will continue to warn about the application until the certificate develops a reputation. But it would display a valid publisher name instead of unknown publisher.
It’s not a problem due to XLS Padlock itself, because any software is impacted.

Hi - do you have a tutorial or guide on how to adapt the PHP to enable this? I have tried WooCommerce and unfortunately, it doesn’t go well with my site theme and structure. I will have to change my entire site only to adapt to WooCommerce, which is not desirable.

If what you say is possible (adapt it to remember the activations), I would much rather have that done.

vrsingh2001 said:

i - do you have a tutorial or guide on how to adapt the PHP to enable this?

Click to expand...

You’ll have to hire a PHP developer because it’s not an easy task. That’s why we also offer the WooCommerce Kit. And soon a new FastSpring Subscription kit.
You are not forced to use WooCommerce as your main website. You can for instance set up a WooCommerce website just to manage your licenses for your Excel workbook. The WooCommerce website would be even not accessible to the public for instance.