how to set password on setup.exe

umerrasheed · 26th October 2008, 09:30

I'm creating a setup using zip to exe tool. i want to set a password on setup. Can anybody help me. i want to set a password on setup so that no body run the setup successfully without having a password. please guide me

AaronLS · 27th October 2008, 00:15

You could create a page in the install that excepts the password, kind of like a serial number, and then call a plugin DLL that you make to verify the password before proceeding.

The problem with this method is users could still extract the files in your installer with 7zip, but depending on what you're installing, it may be difficult for them to setup the software with just a bunch of the files.

Another method would be to make a second installer, which extracts an encrypted version of your installer, and then runs it:

1. Compile your installer.
2. Encrypt your installer using the password(lots of different ways to do this).
3. Create another installer which essentially uses the File command to extract your encrypted installer to a temp directory, then uses the user supplied password to decrypt it via a plugin DLL, then runs that installer.

I'm hoping to make the File command extensable with a plugin, which would allow you to create a plugin that encrypts the files as they are compressed, and then decrypt them as they are extracted. This will take at least a couple months if I manage to accomplish this though.

umerrasheed · 27th October 2008, 06:09

AaronLS, Thanks for your informative reply.
I'm still learning NSIS. I will try these two methods.
I will post my conclusions very soon.

26th October 2008, 09:30	#1
umerrasheed Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 2	how to set password on setup.exe I'm creating a setup using zip to exe tool. i want to set a password on setup. Can anybody help me. i want to set a password on setup so that no body run the setup successfully without having a password. please guide me

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27th October 2008, 00:15	#2
AaronLS Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 129	You could create a page in the install that excepts the password, kind of like a serial number, and then call a plugin DLL that you make to verify the password before proceeding. The problem with this method is users could still extract the files in your installer with 7zip, but depending on what you're installing, it may be difficult for them to setup the software with just a bunch of the files. Another method would be to make a second installer, which extracts an encrypted version of your installer, and then runs it: 1. Compile your installer. 2. Encrypt your installer using the password(lots of different ways to do this). 3. Create another installer which essentially uses the File command to extract your encrypted installer to a temp directory, then uses the user supplied password to decrypt it via a plugin DLL, then runs that installer. I'm hoping to make the File command extensable with a plugin, which would allow you to create a plugin that encrypts the files as they are compressed, and then decrypt them as they are extracted. This will take at least a couple months if I manage to accomplish this though.

27th October 2008, 06:09	#3
umerrasheed Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 2	AaronLS, Thanks for your informative reply. I'm still learning NSIS. I will try these two methods. I will post my conclusions very soon.