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Reading Specific ID # from PC

Using Labview 6.1, I would like to distribute an application that has limited functions until a user puts in a password but I don't think the password protection in the App builder will work for me.

Since passwords get passed around like candy on the internet, I would like to have the password be specific for each PC. That is I would like Labview to be able to read a unique ID number from the persons PC; i.e., like a serial # or something like that. With that unique number, I would go through a formula I create that would generate another number--the password.

The person would then call us up with their ID # that Labview has found, we would give them an unlocking code for that #, and then inside my application, I would check if that
# was appropriate for their PC.

Does anybody know how to read a unique number from a PC using Labview? I can do all the rest if I can just read in that number.
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Hi,
I have some experience with your problem.
Actually I've found that solution like yours is not ideal. The ID you want to use as password must be unique for every PC. It could be the processor ID (I know Intel has this), BIOS version, volume of hard drive, and many other system IDs. But what will happen if user will change the PC or upgrade it? In this case they must make a call to you to get a new unlocking code. But in this situation you don't know if they realy changed something in PC, or they try to use illegal copy on another machine.
Take a look, such great companies like Microsoft or even NI protect their software only by passwords. Because the cost of protection may be greater then the cost of programs.
As for me I use "electronic keys" to protect my softw
are. These are devices which are pluged in LPT(USB) port and keep some unique info inside. Their price is about 10$. The idea is that your program must check the presence of this key in the port and make some data exchange and checks its ID during execution . You sell your software with this key in the box. So you may be sure that they can copy the code but it's impossible to create a new key.

Good luck.

oleg Chutko.
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