Hard Drive Serial Number

[News]

Hi!

I have seen programs (mainly hard disks utilities) that show the hard drive
serial number.
And I mean, the real one, not just the DOS or Windows Serial number
(FFFF-FFFF) as generated when drive is formated.
Does anyone know how to get to it???

Thks
Carlos Basilio
cb...@hotmail.removeme.com

[News]

You did it!

Yes, it was software protection I was considering.
The serial Number created when you format a drive can be cheated!

before Win95, dos 6.xx ( and DOS 5, guess) did already marked in formating
the disks
with a FFFF-FFFF kind of serial number, but the is only a group of numbers
writen in
the boot sector os those disks (in reverse order [Strong cripting.. humm])

I as wondering that when you (anyone that puts in place some software) could
use that
number that can not be changed.

Best regards
Carlos

MAppell917 escreveu na mensagem
<19990501165505...@ng-cq1.aol.com>...
>I'm curious as to what you plan to use it for? Software protection?
What's
>wrong with just using the one created when it's formatted.
>
>Speaking of which, I'm wondering if there is a machine serial number one
can
>get. I've heard that every PC has one. I'm wondering how to get it and
also
>I'm wondering if one is on a network, if it's possible to get the PC serial
>number of the network?
>
>Mike

[News]

I didn't really done a good look into your solution...
But I guess it returns the serial number of the drive, but as the DOS (or
win) marked it!
not the real serial number of the maker of the disk.

Anyway, THKS.
Best regards
Carlos

Rick Bean escreveu na mensagem ...
>Carlos,
>Assuming VFP 5/6, you can get the setup for the GetVolumeInformation API
>call at <http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q139/5/47.asp>.
>
>Rick
>
>News <cb...@hotmail.removeme.com> wrote in message
>news:7gc8o7$7vs$1...@duke.telepac.pt...

[Rick Bean]

[News]

Well,

We can assume by now 2 things:

1- There are two kinds of number
- "software" as genereted by operative systems
( by the way GetVolumeInformation gives this one (thks anyway, Benn
Kjaer))
- "Hardware" ones
(the Data Advisor Program of ONTRAK(c) Data Advisor
(www.ontrack.com)
does get you your hard drive serial number (the hard one ;-) )

Becouse of this program I've got the idea of getting control of that number.
Another one came from a campany that makes this control over a network board
(they
too have a serial number, and it's sure to be unique)

Best regards to everyone

Carlos
cb...@hotmail.remove.com

[MAppell917]

[MAppell917]

Well,

if there is a way to get that hard disk serial number, I'd sure like to know.
Also, I don't know that the "software" serial number that's created for hard
drives is consistent with all networks. I'd like to find a really good method
for protection. I've thought of a few but I'm still not sure how good they
would be.
Mike

[Benn Kjær]

Hi, there is a way to get the serial number from a harddrive. Use the
following function from Win32API:

GetVolumeInformation

Best Regards From Denmark
Benn Kjaer

MAppell917 skrev i meddelelsen
<19990503143013...@ng-fs1.aol.com>...

[denny money]

I am assuming that you are supporting the software that you are trying to
protect ?
The fact is people will not steal and use supported software. They may steal
and not use it, in which case you have not lost anything but may have gained
advertising if your product is good.
In short spend your time in making your product the best it can be and less
wasteful time on worrying about theft. It will pay you more dividends.

[MAppell917]

Where did you ever get the idea that people will not steal supported software?
Most software is supported and I know for a fact that people have stolen my
software. In fact, there are many cases where people have sold software that
doesn't even belong to them (the worst kind of theft). I know for a fact that
a big operation was busted in Orange County for producing over 14,000 CD's a
day of Microsoft's software.

Frankly, I think piracy is currently on the rise. To the contrary of what you
have said, I say that the easier a product is to use, the better it is.
Therefore, it's likely to be more popular, require less support and therefore
be more prone to piracy.

You are right that one should spend a lot of time to make a product the best
that it can be. But, I've learned not to neglect protecting it because I
believe that software authors are entitled to ALL their royalties.

Obviously, when you are selling it to the masses you can only go to a certain
length to protect a product otherwise your support staff may not be able to
handle the problems that legitimate customers may encounter. But, with
vertical market software, I say "protect it."

>
>I am assuming that you are supporting the software that you are trying to
>protect ?
>The fact is people will not steal and use supported software. They may steal
>and not use it, in which case you have not lost anything but may have gained
>advertising if your product is good.
>In short spend your time in making your product the best it can be and less
>wasteful time on worrying about theft. It will pay you more dividends.

Mike