Peter's Software
Helping you create better Microsoft® Access® applications

Table of Contents

General

Can I see an example of KeyedAccess implemented in an application?





Can KeyedAccess shut down an application after a certain period of time and prompt for an Unlock Code?





Does a help file come with KeyedAccess?





With KeyedAccess implemented in my application, what additional file(s) do I need to distribute to the end-user?





What additional registry keys need to be created by my installation procedure when I am using KeyedAccess?





Does KeyedAccess have a setting to allow a program to be installed on multiple computers with the same key?





Installation

Can I install KeyedAccess on multiple computers?





How can I delete the KeyedAccess-created registry keys when my application is un-installed?





Usage

Can I diasable only some features of the product during the trial period?





Errors

I'm getting an error 2950 when I open the KeyedAccess Generator application.





I'm getting an 'Error in ka_GetComputerSerialNumber (2), ...: 9 - Subscript out of range'.

Answers

1. Can I see an example of KeyedAccess implemented in an application?
   
   Yes, the demo version of KeyedAccess comes with a sample application for Access 2000, 2002, and 2003 (and one for Access 97). To start it, click Start > Programs > KeyedAccess v3 demo > Sample Access 2000, 2002, 2003 Application
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2. Can KeyedAccess shut down an application after a certain period of time and prompt for an Unlock Code?
   
   Yes. This functionality has been implemented in version 3.0 of KeyedAccess.
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3. Does a help file come with KeyedAccess?
   
   Yes. You can open it by pressing F1 from any form in the KeyedAccess Generator, or by clicking Start > Programs > KeyedAccess . . . > KeyedAccess Help.
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4. With KeyedAccess implemented in my application, what additional file(s) do I need to distribute to the end-user?
   
   None. Once you've implemented the basKeyedAccess module and KeyedAccess calling code in your application database .mde file, you distribute it just like you would any other Access application. No additional files need to be included in your application installation setup.
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5. What additional registry keys need to be created by my installation procedure when I am using KeyedAccess?
   
   None. KeyedAccess creates its own set of registry keys when the application is first opened on the end-user's computer.
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6. Does KeyedAccess have a setting to allow a program to be installed on multiple computers with the same key?
   
   Yes, KeyedAccess includes a "16-digit Reg ID/Product Key" mode where registration keys can be used on any number of computers. This is similar to the key that you get on a Microsoft Windows CD.
   
   KeyedAccess also functions in "Installation Serial Number and Unlock Code" mode where a key is specific to a computer. In this mode, the same key CANNOT be used on multiple computers.
   
   More information is included in the help file.
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7. Can I install KeyedAccess on multiple computers?
   
   Yes, by the license you can do so within your own company. If you install KeyedAccess on different computers and wish to generate Unlock Codes for your application from each, you will need to make sure that the same KACP.txt file and KAGenDataU.mdb backend db are used at both locations. This will probably mean accessing the KAGenDataU.mdb file from a shared network folder, or copying the two files from the original computer to the other computers after installing, and after first generating a basKeyedAccess module on the original computer. The files should be copied to the KeyedAccess install folder, which is likely c:\Program Files\Peters Software\KeyedAccess.
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8. How can I delete the KeyedAccess-created registry keys when my application is un-installed?
   
   Well, the registry keys that KeyedAccess creates are a record of your application's activity on that computer. Removing them would mean that the application could be installed again and perhaps a trial period or registration period could be re-started. That's one of the things that KeyedAccess guards against, and the registry keys are part of this protection.

   If you don't want that level of protection, you can un-check the "use bulletproofing" check box, and delete the key specified on the KeyedAccess generator Applications form next to "User Computer Registry Key for Unlock Code/Reg ID" on uninstall.

   For more information, please see the KeyedAccess help file under Getting Started > Uninstalling.
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9. Can I diasable only some features of the product during the trial period?
   
   Yes. To disable some features of your product during the trial period, some special code needs to be added to the KeyedAccess calling code.
   
   Near the bottom of your KeyedAccess calling code block (when setup for a trial period) you should see some code that looks like this:

    ....
       Else
           ka_ValidateKeyWithPrompt True, 3  
           ka_ValidateKeyWithPrompt True, 4  
           If ka_ValidateKeyWithPrompt(True, 2) Then     
               'gblnRegistered = True
           Else
               If ka_IsGateActive(4) Then
                   MsgBox "This program is not registered. Click OK to exit."
                   Application.Quit
               Else
                   'gblnRegistered = True    <=====
               End If
           End If
       End If
   Else
       MsgBox "This program is not registered. Click OK to exit."
       Application.Quit
   End If

   The logic will flow to the place I ve marked above with an arrow when the trial period is active.
   
   So if you create a global variable, say
   
   

    Public gblnTrialPeriodActive as Boolean

   
   
   Then you can set the value in the code like so:

    gblnTrialPeriodActive = False     <=====
   
   ....
   
       Else
           ka_ValidateKeyWithPrompt True, 3  
           ka_ValidateKeyWithPrompt True, 4  
           If ka_ValidateKeyWithPrompt(True, 2) Then   
               'gblnRegistered = True
           Else
               If ka_IsGateActive(4) Then
                   MsgBox "This program is not registered. Click OK to exit."
                   Application.Quit
               Else
                   'gblnRegistered = True
                   gblnTrialPeriodActive = True     <=====
               End If
           End If
       End If
   Else
       MsgBox "This program is not registered. Click OK to exit."
       Application.Quit
   End If

   You can then test the value of gblnTrialPeriodActive elsewhere in your application and use it to inhibit functionality during the trial period.
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10. I'm getting an error 2950 when I open the KeyedAccess Generator application.
    
    Please see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/931407
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11. I'm getting an 'Error in ka_GetComputerSerialNumber (2), ...: 9 - Subscript out of range'.
    
    It's possible that the error you received may occur when the basKeyedAccess module and your KeyedAccess calling code are out of sync.

    Did you re-generate the basKeyedAccess module and import it into your database? Did you re-import the code that calls KeyedAccess? If you left out one of these steps, then the error you describe may occur.

    The error may also occur if you did not specify a trial period expiration warning in the KeyedAccess setup wizard. This causes a line of calling code to be generated with a 0 as the final parm (Gate No). This is a bug that will be fixed in the next release. To resolve this issue, you can either specify a trial period expiration warning using the setup wizard, or comment out the following line of code in the generated KeyedAccess calling code:

    ka_ValidateKeyWithPrompt True, 0

    
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