Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Can I license my application without changing the source code?

You may be able to use the Instant Protection PLUS 3 wrapper if you are licensing standard format Win32 Portable Executable (PE) format binary file. If you try to wrap a .NET or 64-bit file, you will receive an incompatible file format error.

Can I create my own licensing dialogs?

No, you must use the licensing dialogs created by Instant Protection PLUS 3. You are able to customize aspects of the dialogs, such as much of the text and which options are available to users, but if you want fully customizable dialogs, you would need to use the Protection PLUS 5 SDK API.

What are license files?

License files are binary encrypted files containing the license status of your application created in the application folder or in the alias upon first execution of the license file. A license file will be created whether you are using the Instant Protection PLUS 3 wrapper or the Instant Protection PLUS 3 DLL.

What are alias files?

Alias files are redundant copies of the license file used to thwart gaining additional trial days by re-installing or tampering with the license file.

What is a Trigger Code?

A Trigger Code is a number that determines the type of activation being performed, such as activating the application with a non-expiring license or extending a trial.

What prevents one of my users from purchasing Instant Protection PLUS 3 and using it to unlock my software on their machine?

The seed values (Trigger Code Seed and RegKey2 Seed) you use for your products are different and not known by other developers using Instant Protection PLUS 3; therefore, they cannot create the same activation codes or product option in SOLO Server as you without knowing your seed values.

Can I read information from the license file or write to it?

Yes, using the Instant Protection PLUS 3 API.

What is Error 5008 when I try to activate online?

Error 5008 generally means the License ID and/or Password you are using is invalid.

What is error 69 when I try to activate?

Error 69 means the Trigger Code used is invalid or the Trigger Code seed values are mismatched.

How do I bring up the activation dialog if it's not appearing automatically?

Hold the "Shift" key down when the application starts up.
Run the application with the /ACTCONTINUE command-line switch, such as from a Start Menu shortcut.
Call WR_Activate from within your application (requires using the Instant Protection PLUS 3 API).

What hardware binding algorithms do you recommend?

You should be using the Enhanced Computer ID Algorithms. Using the Legacy Algorithms is likely to result in your users experiencing issues in modern versions of Windows.

I am wrapping an ActiveX Control, COM object, or DLL. Anything I should know?

You must select the "I am wrapping a DLL" option to prevent the application from hanging when loading your wrapped DLL. For these types of objects you will probably need to turn off "Rebuild Resources" on the Wrapper Settings dialog in the wizard.
The license code will be executed from your DLLMain() function and there are occasions where this could cause a deadlock by the OS LoaderLock causing the activation dialogs to hang. We have seen this with some accessibility settings such as narration and virtual keyboards. The workaround would be to also wrap and distribute the included helper.exe allowing the customer to execute it and activate, or if possible, have the user turn off narration or end the task of the "Touch Keyboard and Handwriting Panel". More information can be found on the Microsoft website.

My application has a version in a language other than English. How can I have the activation dialogs show a different language?

See the section on adding multilingual support to your application.

Does Instant Protection PLUS 3 support UNICODE-based character sets?

At this time, Instant Protection PLUS 3 does not support UNICODE-based character sets. This can make it very difficult or impractical to support many non-latin languages (such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and any languages containing a very large number of symbols). If you need to support UNICODE character sets, you should consider using Protection PLUS 5 SDK.

Does Instant Protection PLUS 3 work with Windows Vista and later?

Yes; however, Instant Protection PLUS 3 requires the license file and aliases to be opened from a program that has Administrator privileges the first time they are opened. In Windows Vista and higher, they must be opened with elevated Administrator privileges as described in our Using Instant Protection PLUS 3 on Windows Vista and later whitepaper. If this is not done, you will receive an "Error 42".

After being opened with Administrator privileges, Instant Protection PLUS 3 will set the necessary permissions so that even a standard user will have read/write access to your license files.

The /OPENLF command line parameter is available to assist in creating and setting permissions for the license file and alias files. Refer to the Instant Protection PLUS 3 Wrapper or Instant Protection PLUS 3 DLL deployment topics for more information on how to address this.

My customer is behind a proxy or firewall. Where can I find the information to give their IT staff to allow Instant Protection PLUS 3 to communicate to the license server?

The server settings are accessed in the Tools/Options menu under the Server Settings tab.

My application has strange UI size issues/anomalies when I protect it with Instant Protection PLUS 3 using the wrapper or the DLL. How do I fix this?

The licensing dialogs in Instant Protection PLUS 3 attempt to properly scale on systems where the DPI is set higher than 100%. In order to get the correct DPI setting from Windows, the licensing dialogs must set the DPI Awareness using the Windows API. As the licensing is running in the same process as the protected application, this can sometimes alter the DPI Awareness of the protected application and cause odd UI sizes or anomalies. If this is the case, change the DPI Setting in the wizard to Off and see if it fixes the issue.