About Activation etc

[UberFoX]

I used to use Sandboxie a lot back in Windows XP it was great I loved it...

When I upgraded to Windows 7 x64 Sandboxie no longer worked and was unusable and the website said the developer was not going to make a 64bit version.

At that point I pretty much ended using Sandboxie.

However I found it again today (since I have some stuff I want to use it for) and it appears it does now work with 64bit Windows properly.

I need more than ONE Sandbox this time since I want to install games into different Sandboxies to avoid having to reinstall the games every time I reinstall Window such as the complete Sims 3.....

Sandboxie can handle that job nicely and other Sandbox tools I have tried seem to not be able to do this (otherwise I would use them duh I use what works and drop what doesn't).

Anyway my questions are about License and Activation.

1.
" Enter your Product Key and then click the Activate License button.
The Sandboxie License Manager will connect to the Sandboxie web site, validate your Product Key and activate your license. "
--- So if internet is down and/or Sandboxie website is down you cannot get the program you paid for working?

2.
"Note that an activated license is tied to a specific computer and version of Sandboxie, and is set to expire after some period of time. However, Sandboxie will automatically renew your license as necessary, without any action on your part. "
--- What happens if it cannot renew? Say you're on holiday or maybe its 50 years in future and Sandboxie website no longer exists?

3.
Is it possible to get the program working by yourself without needing no internet activation stuff? I want to know the program is going to work in 15 years from now when I'm running it in a vintage VMWare Win7 retro gaming virtual machine.

Basically I want to feel secure that it can be used now and forever and doesn't or won't have to rely on some servers forever.

[Peter2150]

I don't know whether to laugh or cry. Think back 15 years and who would have guessed where computing would be now.

You are wanting Tzuk to essentially guarantee you will be able to use Sandboxie in 15-50 years from now. Can you even guarantee you will be alive.

Buy it and enjoy it in the NOW!!

[Guest10]

Product Key Activation gives you the ability to use multiple sandboxes at the same time, and allows you to force .exe programs to run sandboxed.

If the activation process is not available, the program should still work but without those two features - assuming you haven't updated to an incompatible operating system.

Considering how PC's have gone from DOS through Win 8, who is to say what OS systems will be available in the future. With the recent drop off in PC sales, and the rise of tablets and smart phones, there may not even be any OS available that can run Sandboxie in that time frame.

[UberFoX]

Product Key Activation gives you the ability to use multiple sandboxes at the same time, and allows you to force .exe programs to run sandboxed.

If the activation process is not available, the program should still work but without those two features - assuming you haven't updated to an incompatible operating system.

Considering how PC's have gone from DOS through Win 8, who is to say what OS systems will be available in the future. With the recent drop off in PC sales, and the rise of tablets and smart phones, there may not even be any OS available that can run Sandboxie in that time frame.

Yea but a lot of us like to emulate and virtualize older systems I have a Windows 3.1 virtual machine with loads of old games and applications and if any of them required an internet activation to a company that longer existed I would be out of luck...

[GravityWell]

OP has a good point, and I wasn't aware of the phone home DRM. It definitely makes me pause and consider alternatives. I guess the "Trust No Program" motto on the Sandboxie logo also refers to itself.

I think the point is valid regardless of the time frame. GOG.com has been gaining a lot of momentum in the last few years, and they sell games with no DRM, something unheard of before they led the way. Their customers are those who disdain oppressive DRM. And to the OPs point about time frame, I still play Quake 2 mods, and that game is 15 yrs old. In fact, I also play Quake 1 mods, and even Doom 2, which are even older.

[UberFoX]

OP has a good point, and I wasn't aware of the phone home DRM. It definitely makes me pause and consider alternatives. I guess the "Trust No Program" motto on the Sandboxie logo also refers to itself.

I think the point is valid regardless of the time frame. GOG.com has been gaining a lot of momentum in the last few years, and they sell games with no DRM, something unheard of before they led the way. Their customers are those who disdain oppressive DRM. And to the OPs point about time frame, I still play Quake 2 mods, and that game is 15 yrs old. In fact, I also play Quake 1 mods, and even Doom 2, which are even older.

Yup that's the only issue here as you put it "Phone Home DRM" I only games/applications that don't include this kind of DRM such as DRM free stuff from GamersGate.com.

People think it's crazy to ask for a guarantee but I don't think it is.

I once asked at another software forum and the lead programmer and company founder messaged me saying they "WILL" release a final version that does not include any DRM beyond the serial number.

Of course is Sandboxie was to do same thing it would be with their (newest at the time) version of Sandboxie which might be for Windows 9 which would mean the Windows XP/Vista/7 versions of Sandboxie would no longer work and so work because the DRM would be removed from the newest version of Sandboxie.

Unless Sandboxie was willing to provide people with a server simulator that can pretend to be the real server (using a proxy etc) so people can activate any older version of Sandboxie even after the Sandboxie website no longer exists.

I don't know what would be a good way for Sandboxie to accomplish the DRM removal in the event they decided to stop making it only the lead programmer can say.

But I would like to know that there is a plan for such a thing otherwise Sandboxie is only good in the *new* as the post above says and not so good years down the line.

I remember Sandboxie didn't used to Phone home etc and maybe the DEVs did this to stop piracy but I know no method any company uses ever stops piracy it just simply burdens legitimate customers.

There is a few reasons even pirates would buy something like Sandboxie and bad form DRM is not needed:
1. Security applications (cracked) invalidate their purpose maybe the cracker added an exception to their own program?
2. On x64 versions of Windows in order to something like Sandboxie a person would have to sign the drivers themselves although it doesn't really make Windows any less secure (applications would still need admin rights to install drivers and the HIPS would block it anyway) it's not people want to do.
3. People want legit version of security software that protect as intended without anything blocking their ability (directly or indirectly) to protect.

I'm not asking the DEVs to remove the DRM and simply use a serial number that's their choice I'm asking about the ability to use Sandboxie (Including older versions such as the last working Windows XP version) in the future should the product go bust or no longer be developed.

I would have bought it instantly if it wasn't for all the Activation stuff I was reading in the FAQ on this website.

Ultimately I need multiple Sandboxies so I will most likely end up buying anyway to solve the issues I have now unless scouting the market for alternatives (which don't include the same phone-home DRM) yields something better (After few days of looking I would say that's a big negative Sandboxie looks to be the best) and Virtual Machines are off the table since I need something that can handle large and modern stuff that Virtual Machines cannot handle (I tried).

The bottom line is I personally think phone-home DRM hurts only legitimate customers and not the pirates and tends to put people off buying unless they can't find any alternative.

We aren't all casual users who always need the newest gadet and OS and never look back a lot of spend a lot of time with older stuff too like the guy above who still plays DooM 2!.

[tzuk]

Activation has been in Sandboxie for a few years now. Do you think you are the first one to make a topic like this? Please, there is no point in rehashing everything once again. You seem interested in the subject so you have plenty of reading material in this site. Search for "activation" and there are topics with many points of view. In any case, activation stays the way it is, for now.