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how can protect my cd from copy


muslim

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Someone posted about some app that did require you to have a password to run it. Without it you couldn't see what was on the disc type of deal... Never tried it, don't know how secure, stable, fast or anything about it. Also, I'm guessing that would work only in windows itself - not like it would ask for the password to let you boot from the windows install, so it was mostly useless imho.

Most protections rely on something not being being easy to copy (as impossible as they can make it) then once someone tries to use the contents, the programs checks for the flaws on the disc. Some programs will let you add such errors to the disc, but one can just copy the files from it and burn it to a new data cd. It's no protection at all. The most part is - having your programs check for those errors. And there's not much you can do to add that type of checking to 3rd party installers (ie: how to add that to a .msi, installshield or whatever - for every app).

Major corporations (macrovision and such) invest millions in this - to sometimes have it bypassed by a 50 cent felt tip marker. So I doubt there is anything the average hobbyist can come up with that'll really stop anything.

The only thing I could see right now is - asking for a password at some point, that will be used to extract a password protected SFX with some key files in it, rendering the installers useless without them, but that feels cumbersome, too much hassle to make and what if you enter a bad password?

The only reliable way you have to protect it starts with the basics - not giving them physical access to the disc.

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StarForce is the toughest protection I've seen to date. It's primarily designed to protect game CD's though. And it has some downsides. Number 1, like the password method mentioned it can only be run from within Windows because it has it's own drivers for accessing the IDE drives. Number 2, those drivers have been known to cause conflicts with the system leading to BSoD's. Especially when installing SCSI devices, or faux SCSI devices like Alcohol's virtual drivers. Sadly, I think Crahak hit the nail on the head. The most reliable protection is to make sure they don't get their hands on it in the first place.

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NO copy protection is SAFE.

If it's an audio CD, you can try with CCD-lock.

(freeware, make a google search for "CCD-Lock v1.75 build 1231" to find it together with other similar tools)

If it's data you can try with tzcopy:

http://www.pandreonline.com/tzcopy/

(spanish freeware, do a Google search for "tzcopy" to find english howto's)

jaclaz

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the link for tzcopy doesn't work, does anyone have a more recent link?

I am also trying to get some basic protection. I am a freelance photograher and I created a photo cd (jpgs) of an event this summer. I sold my images to some of the participants, but the hosts of the event first gave me permission to sell, then retracted their permission after I had already taken orders and payments (legally, I have the right to sell my images because I am a professional freelance photographer and my images are copywritten). Now I suspect them of convincing these kids to "lend" them a CD that these kids purchased just to copy it and distribute to the other kids who didn't purchase it legally (which is not fair to the kids who did pay money), or to steal my photos for their newsletters and calendars. They are not hi-tech people, so any protection that prevents cd copying through normal methods like Nero or EZ CD Creator, or simply dragging images off the CD to their harddrives will be sufficient to stop them from stealing my images.

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Finding something that will prevent copying the whole CD directly is easy, but as for protecting copying the files on it, good luck. Your files HAVE to be openable by apps for viewing, and if they are openable to be viewed by any kind of app - then that app can save again. Most likely, you won't even find anything that can prevent copying the files directly, since the files have to be somehow readable.

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As far as I am aware most copy protection systems means the CD does not conform to the 'red book' standard that defines what a CD is. Once you go outside of the standard you risk your CD becoming unreadable as readers only conform to the standard.

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