Hide serial number from LabVIEW startup screen.

[smercurio_fc]

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altenbach wrote:

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smercurio_fc wrote:

Of course, I never did this, and I have no idea why I even know this. In fact, I deny knowing it.

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 Using my infinite telepathetic (sic) powers: you are currently thinking of the number A12B34567. 😄

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Actually, that's not the number I, errr..., I mean this other guy that I know would have used if he ever did such a thing. The number used follows the same format, though, so you probably could make any number you wanted, as long as you followed the format. 

[altenbach]

So, now let's extend this discussion to determine... 

What should actually be on the startup and about screen instead???

Here is one possible suggestion.

First it should show the generic status: "Evaluation, Activated, Debug, other time limited, etc.

Every activation code is linked to a company name (or equivalent) that was entered when the license was purchased. Maybe that name should show whenever that particular activation code is used, independently of the company name entered during installation.

e.g.:

Activated, Ford Motor Company.

Activated, Boeing Phantom Works

Activated, UCLA 

[GregFreeman]

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altenbach wrote:

Activated, UCLA Purdue

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[Ben]

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Alexander Sobolev wrote:

Unfortunately they discuss mainly LabVIEW Getting started window. My problem is with the splash screen (when LabVIEW loads modules, plugins, etc), that appears earlier.

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Sorat along the same lines but

showNoNavDialog=TRUE
skipNavigatorDialog=TRUE 

If you launch LV once and then close the project or VI, LV will stay in the task bar and will not show the spalsh of GSW.

To get LV to exit you have to select "Exit" from the file drop-down.

Ben

[Ray.R]

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altenbach wrote:

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Ray.R wrote:

If they select About LabVIEW from the help menu, it will also show the serial number.

Why do you want to hide it?

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IMHO, it does not belong there.

Imagine you work for aerospace company X and give a usergroup presentation. A guy from the street could write down your code, then activate his own demo version. Similarly, he could even post it on some "crackz" site or similar.

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LOL!!  😄

I was not disputing it.  As a matter of fact, I agree with your suggestions.

I re-read the original post to see if I had missed something.  The reason for asking is because if someone outsidethe company uses the LabVIEW and they want the serial number, they can still find it. 

So..  if they reason is to prevent anyone from copying the serial number then it should also be hidden from the Help menu> About LabVIEW.

I know I did not make that clear in my reply because I wanted to know the reason behind the OP.

[Ben]

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Ray.R wrote:

...

So..  if they reason is to prevent anyone from copying the serial number then it should also be hidden from the Help menu> About LabVIEW.

I know I did not make that clear in my reply because I wanted to know the reason behind the OP.

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Customers with old LV that needs updated call and that option is my last resort for locating their serial number.

If that door is shut another will have to be opened and we are back where we started.

Ben

[Coq_Rouge]

So each time I have outside visitors, and want to demonstrate Labview code I have to send them out until the Labview splash screen is done. And I can not take trip to the bathroom without taking both the keyboard, and the mouse with me. Or perhaps put handcuffs on the visitors, chain them up in a safe distance from the keyboard. But this is very impractical. I think I just will call the security department. And have some mean looking armed people, covering the PC while I am away.

[Ray.R]

Did the OP ever describe why he/she wanted to hide the SN on the splashscreen?

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Ben wrote:

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then it should also be hidden from the Help menu> About LabVIEW.

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Customers with old LV that needs updated call and that option is my last resort for locating their serial number.

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Relax...  relax..  I was just stating a fact.  😉

If the reason for removing it is to avoid having the SN displayed while doing a presentation, then simply start LabVIEW before displaying the presentation over a screen.  There are always solutions, but we need to know the actual requirement first..  

[RTSLVU]

I have been thinking about this and I think since LV needs to be activated hiding the serial number is really a moot point.

Now I am guessing that any one serial number can only be activated a certain amount of times before it sets off flags and alarms at NI

Then NI would contact the company/person who registered/bought LV and tell them their serial number has bee activated too many times.

The legitimate owner could either fess up to installing LV on multiple machines or say the serial number must have been leaked.

Either way NI (guessing again) would invalidate that serial number.

I bet LV occasionally phones home and checks its license status and any installations using a now revoked serial number would be disabled.

[smercurio_fc]

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RTSLVU wrote: 

Now I am guessing that any one serial number can only be activated a certain amount of times before it sets off flags and alarms at NI

Then NI would contact the company/person who registered/bought LV and tell them their serial number has bee activated too many times.

The legitimate owner could either fess up to installing LV on multiple machines or say the serial number must have been leaked.

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Well, so far, the NI police haven't come barging through our door. I'm frequently reactivating LabVIEW due to reinstalls. If NI is keeing track of me, let me just wave a hello to them. 

Besides, I doubt that there's really an "activated too many times" limit. In the scenario I gave where activation reoccurs because of a reinstall, why would NI care in the first place? If it occurs because it's being installed on multiple machines, remember that the license agreement allows you to do this (I'm referring to having a named license). What matters is whether it's being activated by a different party/owner, and I think this is what the point of the question is. I would agree that it makes little sense to display the serial number in the About dialog. That information can be found via the license manager. In a corporate environment you could go one step further and restrict access to the license manager application (say with OS security access control lists). This would basically prevent Joe Smith grabbing the serial number of a corporate license and activating their license for home use.