		Readme File for WinTimelock

	Content
1. What does WinTimelock do
2. Operating Requirement
3. Example
4. Future Enhancement
5. Fees, Copy Rights, Contacts
Appendix 
1. Files Generated after Adding Time-Lock 

1. What does WinTimelock do
WinTimelock is a program to add time-lock into any Win32 Application
programs. No source code of the target Win32 program is required, and the 
time-locked program's full functionality will not be limited before the 
timer expires. The purpose of WinTimelock is to allow software resellers 
as well as developers to easily create a time-limited version of their 
software for demonstration purposes, without compromising the full functions, 
or touching the source code, of the time-locked program. Other usages
of WinTimelock include system administrator limiting applications for
temporary users on particular applications, service providers limiting
end users for pre-paid services, etc. 

2. Operating Requirements
Syntax to generate a time-lock for a target program:

genlimit target_program [-Ltime_limit -Ccompany_info_file -Sserial_no -Q]

where:
target_program: any Win32 program in PE(Portable Executable) format.
time_limit: a number indicating time limit in minutes, default to 60(1 Hour)
company_info_file: text file containing the company info to be displayed 
		   at the start of the time-locked target program, and at
		   the timer-expiry of the target program. Default to this
		   author's private company info.
serial_no: numerical number used to identify the program, default to 1.
-Q: Quiet mode, disabling the OK dialog at the end of running genlimit.

Given a target application program, the genlimit must be run in the same 
directory of the target program, because it assumes all input/output files 
are under the current directory. After a successful genlimit, running 
the target application again will see the timer start ticking: a dialog 
will warn the user the time left to run the target program. At the expiry of 
the timer, the running target program will be terminated, and a warning 
dialog appears. Any future running of the target application after timer 
expiry will see the warning dialog only.
Running multiple copies of the time-locked target application program will
speed up the timer ticking by n times(roughly) where n is the number of
target applications running concurrently.

The procedure to add time-lock into an application is irreversible, i.e.,
you cannot get rid of the time-lock once it is in the target program. A
future release will probably add un-locking feature(see below).

3. Example
Goto the Windows 95's directory where the calculator application calc.exe 
is kept(usually under the C:\Windows or c:\Win95 directory), back-up the 
calc.exe program, then run genlimit as follows:

genlimit calc.exe -L3

A dialog will appear saying genlimit completed OK. Dismiss this dialog.
Now run calc.exe again, the WinTimelock's warning dialog appears, saying
you can run calc.exe for 3 more minutes. Leave the calc.exe running for 3
minutes, the WinTimelock's warning dialog appears, and the calculator is 
killed automatically. Try to run calc.exe again, only WinTimelock's 
warning dialog appears saying this application has timed-out.

If the calc.exe time-limited here were a program you wish to distribute
to others, you need to distribute all the output files generated by
genlimit as a result of running the "genlimit calc.exe -L3" command.
Therefore it is recommended you move the target application to its own 
directory before adding the time-lock using genlimit. The files generated
by genlimit are explained in the Appendix of this readme file.

4. Future Enhancement
4.1 A GUI front end for adding time-lock into multiple target applicatios
    at the same time by allowing users to pick different file names etc.
    Currently you can use a DOS batch file to do this.
4.2 An un-lock feature to allow the end-user un-lock the target program
    after getting remote permission from the time-lock generator.
4.3 Allow time-lock to non-PE applications such as the NE file under Win31.
4.4 Calender-time-lock, in addition to the current running time lock. 
    Calender-time-lock means the timer will expire at a certain date
    and time, say 12:00 AM January 1, 1998, no matter how short it has been 
    run before that time.
4.5 Timer pre-expiry warning facility so that the user can clean up the 
    application before the timer expiring and application being killed.

5. Fees, Copy Rights, Contacts
For individual users at home & office, WinTimelock is free. Any government, 
commercial company usage will need this author's written approval with
possible minimum fees. Redistribute time-locked target applications by
commercial developers will cost Aus$30 per type of application -- 
for eaxamle, if your company wants to time-lock MS Access 7.0 and 
MS Excel 7.0 to give them to all of its potential customers, 
it will cost your company Aus$60.

Copy Right Guang Yang, August 1996
P. O. Box 591, Blacktown, NSW, Australia 2148
Phone 02-9622 0061, Fax 02-9622 2605, e-mail inventa@wisenet.net.au

Appendix 1. Files Generated after Adding Time-Lock 
For each target application, running genlimit will generate another file
uniquely named after the original application. You should not delete nor
run this file directly(it does not run any way). When running a time-locked
application, another temporary file is also generated, also with a unique
name after the original target application. This file can be deleted when
the target applcation is not running, without affecting the time-lock etc.

