EXELock Software Distribution System By Solid Oak Software EXELock is a program to provide the professional software developer a secure and effective method for distribution of Shareware and demonstration programs and sensitive or propriatary data. EXELock was originally designed to encode self extracting archive programs created with PKZIP and ZIP2EXE so that they would require a special password to activate. While PKZIP provides password protection, there is no way to distribute a file created with PKZIP and its password protection and ensure that only authorized parties can have access to the programs or data. EXELock solves that problem. EXELock will encode self extracting archives, in fact ANY DOS EXE file with it’s own password and encryption protection. Here’s how it works: 1. Create a self extracting archive file, or simply use an EXE program that you want to distribute. 2. Run EXELock specifying the input file name ( the one you want to password protect ) and the output file name ( the one you want to distribute ). You can also add your own message with registration information, phone numbers, or whatever you want to be displayed when the end user runs the program. 3. Distribute the file created by EXELock. EXELock will only add about 18k to the size of your original EXE file. 4. When your user downloads or otherwise receives your protected file, he runs the EXE you created with EXELock. If you added your own custom message, it will be displayed. An activation code will also be displayed that the end user will give you by telephone. 5. When the end user calls with their activation code, you run PASSGEN with the users code and a password will be displayed, which you in turn give to the user. 6. The user runs the EXE created with EXELock, and supplies the password as a command line parameter. His application will then operate as it normally would without password protection. NO TWO END USERS OR CUSTOMERS WILL BE ABLE TO USE THE SAME PASSWORD, AND THE PASSWORD WILL CHANGE EACH DAY. There is one other program included with EXELock. This program (BRANDXL.EXE), is how your program becomes unique to you. Run it and it will give you an activation code. When you register EXELock give us the code, and we will give you a password that will brand the EXELock with a code that is unique to you and only you. No other users of EXELock will have the ability to activate your programs. ALTHOUGH THIS COPY OF EXELock IS COMPLETELY FUNCTIONAL, YOU MUST BRAND YOUR COPIES OF EXELock TO ENSURE THAT YOUR APPLICATIONS AND FILES WILL BE ENCODED SO THAT ONLY YOU CAN PROVIDE THE PASSWORDS THAT WILL DECODE THEM. Q: How will EXELock help me get more sales and registrations? A: First of all, if you have an interesting application that end users want, half the job is done. If your Shareware or demo version has limited functionality, now you can distribute a encoded version of the real thing with the Shareware or demo version, or make It available for download. Your customer will be able to activate the software on the spot and that ability alone will encourage more registrations. You might also simply encode a TRIGGER file, and distribute that with your Shareware or demo version. A trigger file might be some small file that your application examines for content, size, or feature that will tell the application whether it is a registered copy or not. This would add very little to the size of the entire application, and still give you complete control. It is a well known fact in marketing that the customers interest is at its peak when first exposed to the product. EXELock will give you the ability to give your customers the same immediate gratification they would get if your software were available in stores. Rather than pondering the purchase, they make a call and get their software. It’s as simple as that. Q: How can I register EXELock? A: We have three levels of licensing for EXELock. 1. Personal use/Shareware Developer. This category allows unlimited use of EXELock when used for personal use or in distributing Shareware applications. The registration fee for this category is $19. You can also register this category VIA Compuserve. The fee will be added to your monthly charges. Just type GO SWREG and register ID 2600. We will send you a file to brand your copy by return E-Mail. 2. Corporate use/Commercial Developer. This category allows unlimited use of EXELock in a business environment or by commercial software developers. The registration fee for this category is $59. You cannot register this category VIA SWREG. 3. Publisher/Distributor. This category allows unlimited use of EXELock for by publishers of Shareware or demo disks, CD-ROMS, disk clubs, etc.. The registration fee for this category is $195. You cannot register this category VIA SWREG. Please see the order form, below, for more information. PROGRAM REFERENCE EXELOCK.EXE Syntax: EXELOCK sourcefile destinationfile EXELock will create the encrypted file that you will distribute. You need only supply the name of the source EXE file, and the name of the file you want to create. They may not have the same name, and you do not need to supply the file extension. The source file MUST be an EXE file. It cannot be a .COM file, .ZIP file, or any other type of file. You can optionally include your own optional message in the resultant file created by EXELock. This message will be displayed to the user whenever he runs the EXE created by EXELock. It must be a standard ASCII file, with the same name as the source file and the extension .MSG. In other words, if your source file is named MYPROG.EXE, the message file would be MYPROG.MSG. The file needs to be 16 lines or less, 80 characters wide. PASSGEN.EXE Syntax: PASSGEN.EXE nnnnnnnn Where nnnnnnnn is the first eight digits of the customers activation code. This program will generate activation passwords when the user calls in to register his software. PASSGEN will give you a 6 character activation password to give your customer. That password will in turn activate your application on the customers machine. IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT ACTIVATION CODES. Activation codes are date and machine sensitive. The password you give your customer will only work for the one application, only on the customers computer that generated the activation code, and only on the date that the password is given on. The password you give your customer WILL NOT work for any other application, on any other computer, or on another day. THE DATE ON THE CUSTOMERS COMPUTER MUST BE THE SAME AS THE DATE ON YOUR COMPUTER WHEN HE CALLS FOR A PASSWORD. BRANDXL.EXE You will use this program when you register EXELock. When you call us to register, you run BRANDXL.EXE and give us the activation code. We will in turn give you a password that will uniquely BRAND your copy of EXELock. Once you have branded your copy of EXELock, no one else will be able to activate your programs without your permission, not even us. ORDERING INFORMATION Solid Oak Software accepts Master Card, VISA, American Express, PO's and prepaid orders. If you prepay your order, please give us a phone number and time of day when we can reach you. We will need to give you an activation password over the phone, so you will need to be at your computer, or have the activation code, generated that day, close at hand. Purchase orders must be pre-approved. If you are ordering EXELock for Shareware usage, you can place your order VIA Compuserve for $19. The fee will be added to your monthly charges. Just type GO SWEG and register ID 2600. For more information or to register this copy of EXELock, please call us between 7am and 4pm Pacific time, Monday - Friday. EXELock Software Distribution System ______ EXELock registration Personal/Shareware.......... $ 19.00 $ ______ ______ EXELock registration Corporate/Commercial........ $ 59.00 $ ______ ______ EXELock registration Publisher/Distributor....... $ 195.00 $ ______ California orders please add Sales Tax .................... 7.75% $ ______ Total $ ______ Master Card, Visa, and American Express Cards Accepted ORDER LINE: 1-800-388-2761 Name / Contact: _____________________________________________________ Company: ____________________________________________________________ Address: ____________________________________________________________ : ____________________________________________________________ : ____________________________________________________________ Phone: ______________________________ FAX: ________________________ Credit Card Number: __________________________ Exp Date: ______________ Please complete and mail, FAX, or call: Solid Oak Software PO Box 6826 Santa Barbara, CA 93160 805-967-9853 FAX 805-967-1614