Worksheet Security

**Wanabe** · 08-30-2010, 02:25 PM

How can I restrict the use of a worksheet to one computer?

I believe that macros can be used to ID the serial number of a PC's hard drive and that an algorithm can be used to generate an activation code which would prevent migration.

If it is possible (by any method), I would appreciate advice on how to achieve this.

**split_atom18** · 08-30-2010, 02:52 PM

How secure does this really need to be?

Some questions I would ask, what happens if the Hard Drive Fails on that computer?

If you wanted it to just "Fake" your average user out, you could use a windows api call, to get the computer name and if it does not match the one you put in the code, then you could make a msg box that says this file is corrupted and needs to close. The majority of people would buy it.

Other then that, if you need it SECURE then you should look maybe at other applications.

Hope this helps,

Dan

**shg** · 08-30-2010, 03:40 PM

This will return the serial number of a drive:

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**Wanabe** · 08-30-2010, 06:53 PM

Thanks for the responses.

I've produced what I believe to be a worksheet which should be useful to the scaffolding profession in the UK. I want to distribute it for a modest fee and am trying to limit the possibility of it's unauthorised migration.

Whether this be actual or perceived security is not too important provided that it is effective.

It could be argued that a person who acquires the sheet for his own use would be unlikely to pass it on to a competitor. I suppose that I am more concerned about a party who may wish to acquire it for the sole purpose of illicit distribution.

This is all uncharted territory for me, so I am open to any suggestion.

It may be that the best that I can hope for is to secure the sheet to safeguard the macros and, more importantly, the cell formulae. I really do not know and that is why I am relying on folk like yourselves to advise me.