protecting software to run only on one computer in vb.net

Question

I have developed a small application and now i want to protect it.

I want to run it only on my own computer and i have developed it for myself.

How can i do that?

Answer 1

A. Don't publish it.
B. Hard-code your computer name in the code, and make the first thing the program does to be verifying that System.Environment.MachineName matches it.

Answer 2

You could always check the processor ID or motherboard serial number.

Private Function SystemSerialNumber() As String
    ' Get the Windows Management Instrumentation object.
    Dim wmi As Object = GetObject("WinMgmts:")

    ' Get the "base boards" (mother boards).
    Dim serial_numbers As String = ""
    Dim mother_boards As Object = _
        wmi.InstancesOf("Win32_BaseBoard")
    For Each board As Object In mother_boards
        serial_numbers &= ", " & board.SerialNumber
    Next board
    If serial_numbers.Length > 0 Then serial_numbers = _
        serial_numbers.Substring(2)

    Return serial_numbers
End Function


Private Function CpuId() As String
    Dim computer As String = "."
    Dim wmi As Object = GetObject("winmgmts:" & _
        "{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\\" & _
        computer & "\root\cimv2")
    Dim processors As Object = wmi.ExecQuery("Select * from " & _
        "Win32_Processor")

    Dim cpu_ids As String = ""
    For Each cpu As Object In processors
        cpu_ids = cpu_ids & ", " & cpu.ProcessorId
    Next cpu
    If cpu_ids.Length > 0 Then cpu_ids = _
        cpu_ids.Substring(2)

    Return cpu_ids
End Function

Was taken from where: http://www.vb-helper.com/howto_net_get_cpu_serial_number_id.html

Here's a question by Jim to convert this for Option Strict.