Help portabilizing a CD based tutorial

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verpit
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu Jan 17, 2008 1:55 pm

Help portabilizing a CD based tutorial

#1 Post by verpit »

I have a set of CDs that run a tutorial. The so-called installation 'appears' as simple as all get-out! Each CD has an executable file that sets of the tutorial to run from the CD itself. Nothing is actually "installed" per say, BUT, it does force you to register the product by entering pertinent name/address data, and a code provided with the CD. It then verifies the code you entered via your internet connection and then works forever. If you move the CDs to another PC then of'course you cannot use the tutorial without registering it again and you get two registrations before you have to call the company and get new CDs.

To resolve this issue, I thought a simple registry watcher program would do the trick and allow me to get the program to run on another PC without "re-registering". I thought "no problem". I'll just watch for a registry change. I tried InstallWatch by http://www.epsilonsquared.com/ which shows a number of registry and file changes, 90% of which I feel certain aren't needed.

I see that this tool can wrap everything up in a neat little package which might be an added benefit. Would this be a good tool to use to resolve this issue? I'm confused as hell with the instructions and they appear to be written several months/versions ago. Any assistance is greatly appreciated.

BAHeath
Posts: 15
Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2007 8:49 pm
Location: USA

#2 Post by BAHeath »

verpit,

Have you ran through the instructions in "The JauntePE 12-Step Program" thread yet? That should get you through the setup or if so what step are you getting stuck on?

verpit
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu Jan 17, 2008 1:55 pm

#3 Post by verpit »

Thanks BahHealth, I am still having trouble.

DETAILS OF MY PARTICULAR PROGRAM THAT I AM TRYING TO PORTABILIZE.
For simplicity sake, here is my situation.
I have a CD on my D drive that executes a file (from the CD) called tutorial.exe. It's a tutorial that forces you to register.
Once you register, it checks your information and CD code against it's online database, gives your computer the OK somehow and you aren't prompted again.
It's this process, I would like to not have to go through again if I decide to run the CD from another computer.
I have also noticed that if I copy the contents of that CD to a directory called c:\tutorial1, I do not have to re-register because the same computer is being used. It is only when I move the CD or files from that CD to another PC , that I am forced to re-register.
Additionally, as the CD is played, information from where you 'left-off' in the tutorial previously, is conveniently saved for you.. 'somewhere?'. I don't absolutely have to save that as I move from PC to PC but it would at least like to be able to run the CD without having to re-register it each time.

12 STEP WOES:
Assuming the following information:
CD Contents are copied to C:\tutorial1
The file that gets executed is tutorial.exe
No registration is currently required.

So basically, I am confused still confused about locations in the doc and there appears to be no way to upload an attachment so I can outline this. Any assistance is greatly appreciated.

I've tried to copy the link to the 12 step doc outlined with my troubles in red using Scribd. Sometimes when clicking on a Scribd link, you are prompted with a non-descriptive error but a copy and paste generally works. Here is the link non-the-less. http://www.scribd.com/doc/1153990/Jaunt ... s-Modified

Despite my trouble with the 12 step instruction document, I am sure glad someone took the time to write it. I'd be lost even more if it weren't there. Hats off to the author for attempting to document this complicated procedure.

Chris
Posts: 106
Joined: Sun Dec 03, 2006 10:08 am

#4 Post by Chris »

Hello verpit,
My only worry is that the software is using hardware specific registration.

Anyway, about JauntePE. All you need to do are...
1. Copy jauntePE.dll and madCHook.dll to the app's folder.
2. Create new file called JauntePE_JauntePE.ini. And add below.

Code: Select all

[Registry]
Use=1
Data=.\JPE-Data\Registry\%appname%_registry.reg 

[Filesystem]
Use=1
Data=.\JPE-Data\FileSystem\%appname%\
3. Create "JPE-Data" folder... just in case.
4. Run the JauntePE.exe, click "Build Portable", point to the EXE file and follow the wizard.

That is what I do when testing new software. If something wrong, you would need to edit the ini for more specific settings.

Try to register online the application that has been JPEized. If there any changes in the system, JPE should redirect it to "JPE-Data" folder. If everything works, try to use it on other PC.
Good luck.

BAHeath
Posts: 15
Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2007 8:49 pm
Location: USA

#5 Post by BAHeath »

verpit,

I agree with Chris, the registration process could be linked to the hardware.

There are many ways to go about testing your app but I will try walking you through the "12 steps" so you can maybe get a better understanding. Here are the steps as related to each of the 12 steps.

1. lets just use the c drive to keep this simple so... create "C:\Portables\Tutorial"

2. copy JauntePE_jauntePE.ini from where you have your JauntePE files to "C:\Portables\Tutorial"

3. edit JauntePE_jauntePE.ini adding this code to the top:

Code: Select all

[Registry]
Use=1
Data=.\jauntePE_registy.reg

[Filesystem]
Use=1
Data=.\

[Redirection]
Logging=1
4. since the application has no installer we create these folders manually "C:\Portables\Tutorial\Files\ProgramFiles\Tutorial" this is where you copy tutorial.exe, then skip to step 8

8. create a new JauntePE_jauntePE.ini file in "C:\Portables\Tutorial\Files\ProgramFiles\Tutorial" with this code:

Code: Select all

[Registry]
Use=1
Ini=..\..\..\JauntePE_jauntePE.ini

[Filesystem]
Use=1
Ini=..\..\..\JauntePE_jauntePE.ini
9. run JauntePE.exe then drag-n-drop "C:\Portables\Tutorial\Files\ProgramFiles\Tutorial\tutorial.exe" onto the launchpad area

10. right click the tutorial.exe icon on the launchpad and select properties, make sure "Registry", "File system" and "App-specific registry storage" are checked.

11. now launch tutorial.exe

12. see how it goes and customize as needed.

Hope this helps

verpit
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu Jan 17, 2008 1:55 pm

#6 Post by verpit »

Chris wrote:Hello verpit,
My only worry is that the software is using hardware specific registration.

Anyway, about JauntePE. All you need to do are...
1. Copy jauntePE.dll and madCHook.dll to the app's folder.
2. Create new file called JauntePE_JauntePE.ini. And add below.

Code: Select all

[Registry]
Use=1
Data=.\JPE-Data\Registry\%appname%_registry.reg 

[Filesystem]
Use=1
Data=.\JPE-Data\FileSystem\%appname%\
3. Create "JPE-Data" folder... just in case.
4. Run the JauntePE.exe, click "Build Portable", point to the EXE file and follow the wizard.

That is what I do when testing new software. If something wrong, you would need to edit the ini for more specific settings.

Try to register online the application that has been JPEized. If there any changes in the system, JPE should redirect it to "JPE-Data" folder. If everything works, try to use it on other PC.
Good luck.
Hi Chris, thanks for your help.

To recap, the tutorial I am trying to portabilize runs currently without any registration requirement and is located at C:\Tutorial1\tutorial.exe.

I followed your instructions as illustrated below and now see the path C:\Tutorial1\JPE-Data\FileSystem\Tutorial.exe\Windows\System\Macromed\Flash and a file at C:\Tutorial1\tutorial1_portable.exe so I am encouraged. Once finished with the building, I clicked on the tutoial1_portable.exe to see how it would execute and I get: Run-time error 339. Component flash.ocx or one of it's dependencies is not correctly registered. A file is missing or invalid.

I don't think I followed your directions very well so forgive my stupidity.
Here is what I did during the build:

1) Copy jauntePE.dll and madCHook.dll to C:\Tutorial1 where my tutorial.exe resides.

2) Created a new file called JauntePE_JauntePE.ini, placed it in the same folder, and added the code below:

Code: Select all

[Registry]
Use=1
Data=.\JPE-Data\Registry\%appname%_registry.reg 

[Filesystem]
Use=1
Data=.\JPE-Data\FileSystem\%appname%\
3) Created the "JPE-Data" folder there too... just in case.

5) Find C:\JauntPE where I have extracted the JauntPE download and run JauntePE.exe file located in there.

6) Clicked "Build Portable", and pointed to the c:\Tutorial1\tutorial.exe file.

7) I then made the following choices in the wizard:

Code: Select all

1. Portable.exe storage = C:\Tutorial1
2. Run-time file storage location to be used when running portable the new app = C:\Tutorial1
3. Reg changes made by portable = default (allowed to occur)
4. Application file system modifications = default (allowed to occur)
5. Icon = default (executables icon OK)
6. Stuff the original apps exe and registry into the portable apps executable (different from default).
Thanks again Chris for your help. Thanks also to BaHeath.

verpit
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu Jan 17, 2008 1:55 pm

#7 Post by verpit »

Chris wrote:My only worry is that the software is using hardware specific registration.
Point well taken here too which, after outlining all that makes me think that all I really need to do is let someone who really understands registry changes take a look at my before and after reports from InstallWatch to find out how the software's registration information is communicated to the computer to tell it the product is correctly registered. So I am probably going about this all wrong.

I have a need for JauntPE anyway in our I.T. department so I'm going to start with this and see if it works for me. If it does then problem solved.

If it doesn't and there is some kind of hardware dependency thing going on, and I can figure out what language it's feeding the registry, then maybe I can solve it by examining the changes InstallWatch saw as well.

What do you think Chris?

Chris
Posts: 106
Joined: Sun Dec 03, 2006 10:08 am

#8 Post by Chris »

Run-time error 339. Component flash.ocx or one of it's dependencies is not correctly registered. A file is missing or invalid.
I guess you would need to exclude some of the components. Open the JauntePE_JauntePE.ini and add new entry, example:

Code: Select all

[ModuleExclude]
1=DockShellHook.dll
2=CrashRpt.dll
For the dll of tutorial.EXE, there is a freeware called ProcessExplorer. Run the tutorial.EXE in normal mode. In ProcessExplorer go to view -> Lower Pane View -> DLLs.
You could also exclude all and include only those dll by the application, like this:

Code: Select all

[ModuleExclude] 
1=* 

[ModuleInclude] 
1=%appname%.exe 
2=msvcrt.dll
I think it's better to know what information are added to the system during registration. From there, it's easier to know more. Perhaps, it only use registry. But since it connect to internet and obligation to ask for additional CD when installed on more than 2 PCs, maybe it's more than just that.

verpit
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu Jan 17, 2008 1:55 pm

#9 Post by verpit »

Chris wrote:
For the dll of tutorial.EXE, there is a freeware called ProcessExplorer. Run the tutorial.EXE in normal mode. In ProcessExplorer go to view -> Lower Pane View -> DLLs.
You could also exclude all and include only those dll by the application, like this:

Code: Select all

[ModuleExclude] 
1=* 

[ModuleInclude] 
1=%appname%.exe 
2=msvcrt.dll
I think it's better to know what information are added to the system during registration. From there, it's easier to know more. Perhaps, it only use registry. But since it connect to internet and obligation to ask for additional CD when installed on more than 2 PCs, maybe it's more than just that.
I'm not sure I understand the above. I agree with you on the second point and I have the InstallWatch file oulining the before/after changes to the registry. I can't tell what is important and what isn't in there. Could I entice you into having a look?

Chris
Posts: 106
Joined: Sun Dec 03, 2006 10:08 am

#10 Post by Chris »

Apps being JPEized could run faster when JPE redirects lesser DLLs. And some DLLs are even required to be excluded from being redirected by JPE in order to make the app runs properly (like FireFox for example).

I think it would still be difficult to know the exact needed registry entry or even if it would really work, I could only try to speculate. But sure, post it anyway perhaps someone could help also.
And I think, Virtual PC could be useful for you. With Virtual PC, you could run a fresh installed OS on the current OS, so you could work better.

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