Random Password Generator V5.0 By: Timothy L. Hirtle 2/2/96 All Rights Reserved Description: ============ Simply the most secure method for creating passwords. Voted by Windows Magazine as "Superior Shareware" (Aug 1995). Random Password Generator as the name implies will randomly select from a group of numbers, lowercase letters, uppercase letters and special characters or any combination and select passwords. The user has the ability to identify up to 1,000,000 (yes, that's 1,000,000) different passwords, using as many as 25 characters per password. This application will randomly select passwords which have not been previously selected (if desired) and sort them in order. The user can copy selected passwords or save them all as text files. The generator uses numbers, upper and lowercase letters, and special keyboard characters. You can select any combination of these choices to generate passwords. A total of 94 characters are available for the randomizer to select from. Requirements: ============= - Windows 3.x or Windows 95 - VBRUN300.DLL installed in your Windows System directory. This file is required for thousands of software products. You should be able to find it at almost any site which offers Windows software for downloading. The file is usually called: VBRUN300.ZIP. However, the latest version is called VBRUN301.EXE. If you can find it, use this file. When decompressed it will be listed as VBRUN300.DLL. Installation: ============= - Run Install.exe using the RUN option from the file menu of Windows Program Manager or double click on the Install.exe icon from the File Manager. - Follow the directions of the install program. Installation should have placed the following files in the identified directories: - In your install directory which you specified PassGen.exe PassGen.txt commdlg.dll (This file may not be necessay if one with the same name already resides in your system directory) cmdialog.vbx (This file may not be necessay if one with the same name already resides in your system directory) Distribution: ============= - Random Password Generator is distributed as Shareware. The Author maintains all rights to the program in its entirety. - Random Password Generator may be distributed freely as long as the integrity of Shareware is maintained. - The author grants a 30 day trial period or a 300 minute time limit, whichever comes first for users to decide whether they want to keep the program. If so, a $15 donation is required (plus shipping and handlind, see order form in Help menu). If not, then before the 30 days is up or the 300 minutes have expired, you must delete this program from your system(s). - This version is half price ($7.50 + Shipping & Handling) to all previously registered customers. One per registration. Contact the author at the e-mail address or u.s. mail address provided if you do not have an active registration number. Again this applies to previous registered customers ONLY. Compuserve Customers: Save a stamp! You can register this program on-line if desired. The cost of this program will be added to your Compuserve account. Here's how: 1. Use the GO 'swreg' command 2. Select 'Register Shareware' option 3. Select the geographic region you reside in 4. This is a search area. select the appropriate fields which will help identify this application. once done choose 'Begin Search' then 'Display Selection'. This application is REG # 7664. 5. The number of matching titles found will be displayed. Select the appropriate title and the the 'Select' button 6. Select the 'Description' button 7. Select the 'Register' button 8. Fill out the appropriate information and your done That's it! You have now registered this software. Your next Compuserve bill will show that you have registered this software. The author will send you a registered copy of this application or send you a registration number immediately to enter into the program which will activate the registered features. Disclaimer: =========== Random Password Generator has no expressed or implied warranty. The user accepts full responsibility for this program by loading it on their computer. At no time is the author responsible for any hardware or software malfunctions caused by this program. Though the author knows of no such problems from this software, he is not liable if any should occur. NOTE: ===== A shareware limitation is placed on this software. Users will only be allowed to request a maximum of 25 passwords in a single pass. Registered customers will be granted full access, up to 1,000,000 passwords in a single pass. See order form for registration details. Version Information: V1.0 ==== Initial release. V1.1 ==== - Added the ability to sort or unsort results. - Made the Help menu uneditable. Previously the help menu could be edited, though it the changes would not be saved. Now help is read-only. V2.0 ==== - Added uppercase letters to the program. Now when letters are requested, both upper and lowercase letters are used in the equation. For instance the letter "r" and the letter "R" are both treated as different choices in the calculator. Most password programs should treat upper and lowercase letters individually. this will increase the security of passwords with more choices on which an individual must consider when attempting to crack them. - Added the ability to use special symbols into the calculator. Now you may have the calculator randomly select special characters such as !@#$%^&*()-_=+;:'<>? this will also increase the security of passwords with more choices on which an individual must consider when attempting to crack them. When Symbols are desired they have approximately a 30% probability of being selected. - Removed much of the error checking code between the total passwords and the total characters operator inputs. Because of the uppercase and symbol additions, the error checking is too intensive to include into the application. These two inputs should be intuitive without intense error checking. - As many as 2000 passwords can now be selected when including symbols along with the combination of letters and numbers. v2.1 ==== - Seperated the letter choice into 2 seperate categories; lowercase and uppercase letters. This adds more flexibility to users who have specific preferences. - Fixed a minor problem that would cause an error when users pressed the backspace key in either the number of passwords or number of characters box. - Modified the randomizer to provide equal weight to each character. Previous versions did not provide this. For example if the user requested numbers and letters, previous versions would use a 50/50 probability between numbers and letters. This was not the best method since there are 26 letters and only 10 numbers. Each number theoretically had a higher probability of being selected. This version provides equal weight to all characters. - Added a pop-up message to identify when the application is computing. Sometimes when large passwords are requested, especially on slower computer systems, the application may take a few moments to finish it's computations. V2.2 ==== - Administrative release to update registration information. V3.0 ==== - Added 'Characters to Use' window to show the total number of characters the user has specified to be used in the random calculator. - Added the ability to eliminate certain characters which appear similar to one another. Small case L, J, I, along with upper case letter O, and numbers 0, 1 will not be selected by Random Password Generator if desired by the user. These characters can be confused with others. To eliminate this confusion the operator can choose not to have them selected. - Modified registration information and windows. - Placed shareware limitations into application. - Prevented more than one instance of application to run. - Added quick help to many options within the application. Now you can select any option choice to see a quick help window stating the purpose and limitations of the selected option. - Added a notification when attempting to write to a file which already exists. The application will now ask if the file should be rewritten. Also removed the read-only option in the save window. - Modified the 'Copy' option to be enabled only if a password is selected. Now only either the sorted or the unsorted windows can show a selected password. Previous versions would allow both windows to display selected passwords, even when only one was active. Also eliminated the ability to make multiple selections in either window since only the most recent selection could be copied to the clipboard. This elimates some confusion. V4.0 ==== - Added the ability to request up to 32,000 passwords in a single pass. Previous versions could only do a maximum of 2000. Removed the 'Computing...Please Wait' notification. - Added 12 additional special characters to bring the maximum number of characters to 94 vice 82 in previous versions. RPG now uses the exact character set that Microsoft Windows utilizes. Now with 94 total characters to select from, it would be even more difficult to crack these passwords. - Added the ability for users to choose whether to check for duplications or allow duplications. - Added a 'Passwords Generated' read-out display so users can see the exact number of passwords which is currently being selected. This feature is very handy for high numbers of password requests. It gives users an idea of how long it will take to complete. - Added 'Save Sorted' and 'Save Unsorted' options in the 'File' menu. Now, besides the buttons, users can use the pull down menu for these features. - Added 'Display Character Set' option in the 'Help' menu. This option will display the entire 94 characters available to RPG. - Added a routine which will check for unreasonable requests. For instance Total Characters is 3 while using only Numbers, and Total Passwords = 2000. If You request that no duplications is required, then it would be unreasonable. The max passwords that could be generated in this scenerio is 1000. Therefore, you will now be alerted prior to any passwords being selected. - Changed the maximum total characters which can be generated for each password to 25 vice 30 in previous versions. 25 is more friendly to work with than is 30, plus 30 is very high and probably is not necessary for most (if not all) users. - Streamlined the randomizer algorithm which now essentially doubles the speed of which passwords are generated. - Modified the 'Characters to Use' read-out display to show exactly how many characters will will used in password generation. V3.0 did not account for characters which were eliminated do to similar appearance with others. - Added CTRL_C shortcut key option to copy passwords. - Changed some code that will allow you to operate other applications while passwords are being generated. Previous versions would tie-up the entire computer when creating passwords. Now, you can operate other apps. Allowing 32,000 passwords can take some time, previous versions could only perform 2,000, so locking the computer is a greater issue. - Added a 'Stop' button so that password generations can be stopped at anytime. Password generation can take a long time if a high quantity is requested. This stop feature is handy in situations where you don't want to wait for it to complete. - Added a probability readout display which indicates the 'liklihood' that someone could crack a single password simply by guessing. The readout display dynamically updates depending upon many factors such as the amount of characters per password and amount of total character to choose from. V5.0 ==== - Added the ability to create up to 1,000,000 passwords at a time. The previous version could only create a max of 32,000. All password requests over 32,000 will be saved directly to a text file (unsorted). - Added the ability to save and open settings. This is handy when you have consistent password settings which you use often. Instead up setting it up each time, you can now save your usual settings and load them back in. - Added password details to every saved file. Now at the beginning of each file the settings used to create the passwords will be printed. - Added counter to icon. When an application is minimized while executing, it will display the generated password count on the icon. - Added a status window to inform users of significant events. Send payment, questions and comments to: Timothy L. Hirtle P.O. Box 710911 San Diego, CA 92171-0911 Internet: 102705.2261@compuserve.com or hirtle@mail.sdsu.edu