2.2 General | Software protection, licensing and copy protection with PC Guard Software Copy Protection System

Show warning messages

Protected application will show warning/error messages to end user. (Default value: ON)

Advanced overlay management (AOM)

Use this option to enable/disable advanced overlay management. (Default status: ON)

Most non-programming application development tools are using additional data located at the end of standard Windows application which is known as internal overlay. This internal overlay data is ignored by operating system and is solely managed by stub application. It usually contains required code or data which is loaded by stub application as required.

Internal overlay is re-positioned after protection due to the fact that additional protection code is added to application during encryption process. This results in different problems after protection but most of them are related to the fact that stub application is no longer able to load and use internal overlay data. Internal overlay data is also often encrypted and hashed by stub application so any changes in overlay data would result in non-working application.

In order to provide support for such non-standard applications PC Guard is using many different techniques and most of them are specific to appropriate tools which are used for generating these applications.

Advanced overlay management (AOM) is new, universal approach for managing protection of non-standard applications with internal overlay. AOM code will try to automatically handle problems noted above and even more, allow additional encryption of internal overlay. In this way internal overlay data stays encrypted in resulting protected application and can not be loaded by third party tools which are usually made for accessing and managing this data. If AOM is enabled, internal overlay encryption option will be available in encryption settings.

Enable smart DLL handling

If enabled, protected application will let OS handle loading of some of required DLL modules. (Default value: OFF)

This option is valid for both EXE and DLL modules but is highly recommended for protection of standalone DLL modules since encryption of such modules could introduce different problems due to the nature and limitations imposed by OS for DLL modules.

In case of standalone DLL modules using custom dialogs feature at least single exported function should be added to module with custom dialogs and a call to this function should be added to standalone DLL module. In this way, PC Guard will automatically add module with custom dialogs to the list of modules handled by smart dll handling feature.

Program compatibility flags (Compatibility flag 1 - 3)

These options will disable some memory management, anti-debugging, encryption/decryption code which can be incompatible with some applications or with some other third party applications affecting program loading (like anti-virus or similar security software which could be interfering with program loading). Some of these flags will be automatically enabled by PC Guard when required.

Manage load configuration

If selected, program load config directory will be managed by protection code. This option is required for some DLL applications. (Default status: OFF)

Fix OS version information

Information about target operating system for application is generated by compiler and is stored in file header. If this option is selected, target OS information will be changed to selected operating system. (Default status: ON, default target OS: Windows 95/NT (4.0))

The following operating systems can be targeted by this option:

Windows 95/NT (4.0)
Windows 98 (4.1)
Windows 2000 (5.0)
Windows XP (5.1)
Windows Vista/Windows Server 2008 (6.0)
Windows 7/Windows Server 2008 R2 (6.1)
Windows 8/Windows Server 2012 (6.2)

Enable support for roaming profiles

Use this option if protected application is going to be used on networks with roaming profiles enabled. (Default status: OFF)

Users on such networks are often changing machines and their user data (from user profiles) is moved with them from one computer to another which may result in license loss.

If this option is enabled, license data will be stored in such way that it's not moved together with other user data.

We suggest using this option only for large corporate networks with roaming profiles enabled.

Preserve original file date and time

If selected, PC Guard will preserve application's original file date and time information. Output (protected) application will have the same file date/time information as original copy. (Default status: OFF)

Allow system time adjustments of up to xxx minutes

If this option is enabled, protection code will allow system clock changes within defined period of time (in minutes). (Default status: OFF)

If appropriate date/time related features are enabled (like limited license) protected application will track system date and time (system clock).

In case system clock on computer is set back, protected application will consider system time as invalid.

Default system time adjustment period is set to 60 minutes (1 hour) but it can be changed to any value between 1 an 9999 minutes. Use this option to prevent license reset or error message about invalid system time in case of minor system clock adjustments.

Limit number of application instances

Easily control number of application instances per computer with this feature. (Default status: OFF)

Maximum number of application instances could be any number between 1 and 999.

In order to properly control number of concurrent application instances protection code must free application instance from the list of currently active instances once application quits. In most cases this is done automatically by protection code. In order to be able to automatically control number of active instances protection code must take control over ExitProcess() function used by protected application.

NOTE: In case your application does not end execution with ExitProcess() or does not even import this function (MFC and VB applications are examples of such applications) you need to manually free application instance before quitting by using FreeAppInstance() protection interface function.

TIP: For applications running under Windows terminal services number of instances is valid per server and not per workstation. You can thus use this feature to implement network floating licensing in such environment.

Reset license button

Use this button to reset license status for currently used project on computer where PC Guard is running. This feature is useful for testing purposes.