Operation of T-Safe Software Protection Tool

T-Safe Software Protection System

ACP_PDF 2_file_document

T-Safe Software Protection is designed to help software developer in managing user licenses, protection against piracy and reverse engineering.
Here is a brief guide on how to use T-safe Software Protection Tool.

How it works:

The protection works on virtual drive technology and runs your software from virtual drive through a launcher. This ensures that files of your software are not accessible to users ensuring that they can try to crack them.

Your software and all related files will be placed inside a cabinet file which will be AES 256 encrypted.

Steps :

There are three steps in T-Safe software protection tool.

  1.  Create dongle.
  2.  Create cabinet.
  3. Create installer.

To create a dongle first you need to select the type of protection you want to give to your software.
You can give your software four types of protection.

  1. Dongle
  2. Dongle and Expiry Date
  3. Dongle and Machine ID
  4. Dongle and Machine ID plus Expiry Date

You need to select any one of these options according to your requirement.

  1. If you select your option as ˜Dongle™ then your software can be used anywhere but only with the dongle.
  2. If you select your option as Dongle + Expiry™ then the user can use your software anywhere with the dongle till the date of expiry.
  3. If you select your option as Dongle + Machine ID™ then the user can use your software only in the computer or machine in which the user puts the dongle for the first time, hence it becomes unusable for other computers.
  4.  If you select your option as Dongle + Machine ID + Expiry date™ then your software can be used only in the computer in which the user puts the dongle for the first and only till the date of Expiry.

Note: Software will not work on the expiry date selected but will work till the date before.

After selecting the type of protection click on âVerify T-Safe Key; it will show the serial number of your dongle.
Now generate the keys by clicking on New Key 1™ and New key 2™ you need to save these keys on your computer for future use.

1

Now we can create two types of dongles master dongle and user dongle. Dongles store encryption keys only.

MasterDongle:

It allows you to create protection and installer for your software. It can be used to modify cabinet file containing your software or can be used to extract the files from the cabinet.
Whenever you want to make changes like extending expiry date, you can do only by using this dongle.
This must be placed in safe place, when not in use.
UserDongle:

It is the dongle created using the keys of master dongle and delivered to the end users or customers. The users will be able to run your software with this dongle.

STEP 1:  Create Dongle

Creating a master dongle:

Connect your dongle and verify the T-Safe key.

After generating the keys press on Save Keys and after saving keys click on Create Master Dongle and your master dongle is ready.

Select Protection type and verify T-Safe Key

 

Generate Encryption keys

 

save keys

 

create maste dongle

STEP 2: Create Cabinet

  • After creation of the Master Dongle click on Create Cabinet.
  • Now you can see an icon named as create/modify cabinet click on the icon.
  • If you want to create a new cabinet select or create an empty folder and click ok or if want to modify the cabinet use the folder in which you saved it earlier.
  • A window will pop out. Enter the display name as the software name and enter the storage size at least double the size of the files in the software and click ok.
  • Now open your my computer and you can see a z-drive.
  • Copy your software program and all other required files in z-drive.
  • Rename your program.exe as index.exe.
  • click on close cabinet.

6

 create cabinet
Select an Empty folder

 enter display name and storage size

STEP 3: Create Installer

  • The last step is creating installer, which you will give to your customers.
  • First enter the name of your company, and then enter the name of your software, your website, version no of your software.
  • Then enter the path of the folder in which you created the cabinet, as cabinet folder.
  • Next you can give logo of your software, you should resize image of your software to (585px w by 120 px h).
  • You can give license agreement of your company, to which the users have to agree.
  • You can give icon for your software which will be displayed during installation.
  • Note that you can also create the installer without selecting logo, license file, icon file as they are not mandatory.
  • Now click on Create Installer and wait till the installation is completed as it may take some time, after its completion you will get success message.

fill details and create installer

 

  • Installer uses InnoSetup for creating installer.
  • Installation related errors will be displayed in the Innosetup.
  • InnoSetup will also display progress.
  • For more customizations refer InnoSetup documentation online.

 

Wait for Completion Message:

success message

Note:

  • Now DISTRIBUTE just Installer created in OUTPUT folder shown above.
  • If you are using third party tools in your software, you may need to install those also separately on end user machine user.

Creating User Dongle:

  • Create one USER dongle for each customer.
  • To create a user dongle connect a new dongle.
  • You can see an option called Load Keys at the right bottom of the T-Safe Software Protection Tool, click on it and load the keys by selecting “.tsafekeys” file you saved before creating MASTER Dongle.
  • Now click on Create User Dongle™. Your user dongle is created!
  • Remove the dongle and follow the same process for all the user dongles you want to create.
  • If you want to create large number of user dongles, check the checkbox Keep Keys Loaded™. To avoid loading keys again and again.

load keys

Create user dongle

keep keys loaded

convert master dongle to user dongle

Updating Expiry Date:

  • You need to update the expiry date of the dongle when requested by the users.
  • To update the expiry date ask the customer to give the serial number of the dongle or take from your own record if you have maintained customer wise dongle record.
  • Now click on the option Update Expiry and enter the serial number of the dongle of customer, load the same keys from .tsafekeys file you used to create the user dongle, and enter the new expiry date then click on create timer dll.
  • Select and empty folder and click ok.
  • Now open the folder and you can find two files one will be a .exe file and the another will be a .dll file. Give the files to the customer and ask him to run the .exe file, the expiry date will get updated in the dongle!

update expiry date

enter dongle serial number

load keys

select an empty folder

success message

files to be given to the customer

 

Problems in Installation ?

  • If you face any problem in Installation, make sure that your internet connection is on because InnoSetup needs internet connection to download some files.
  • Download InnoSetup Directly from http://www.jrsoftware.org/isdl.php choose {isetup-5.5.6.exe} or later as may be available and install.