How does trial software work w/o a 'Registry'? (X-Windows User)

Coming from the windows world, it was comon if not necessary to protect time limited, trial software, by using the windows registry. Since there is no such thing in os x, what keeps someone from simply backing up the application, such as the trial Office that came with OSX, and restoring it once the trial has ended? There has to be something im missing here... i'm very curious how this works.

Thanks,
Ryan

Im sure for Office, its writen into the code of the software, or by a simple product key, were as a certin product key will only work for 30 days.

JGruber said:

Im sure for Office, its writen into the code of the software, or by a simple product key, were as a certin product key will only work for 30 days.

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But if it was written into the software, then all you would do is make a copy of the app before first launching it - then restoring the backup and start the trial all over again.

What am I missing?

Unix magic?

There are hidden files placed on your system to keep you from doing what you stated.

Can you be more specific? Locations, etc?
So your saying when i install shareware, its mucking up my system with hidden files that remain even after removing the software??

Seems a little too 'windows'.

The software developers that want to be paid for their work, in most cases will not supply a demo version. If a demo version is available it may be crippled in some way, so that you will want to full version. There are several different ways to keep you from reusing the demo version of the software. That includes placing a file or key on your system. Your problem is trying to figure out what the developer called the file (if there is one) and where they placed it.

sabotage said:

Can you be more specific? Locations, etc?
So your saying when i install shareware, its mucking up my system with hidden files that remain even after removing the software??

Seems a little too 'windows'.

Click to expand...

It's not "mucking up your system" just leaving tiny, usually text, files in an appropriate location.

Luckily we're talking Unix so it is (relatively) easy to discover all the files created by an application when it is first run and then cleaning them up after the trial is finished such that if you re-install you get a new trial.

The apps that you can't do this with (most new ones) are those that require you to register on a website to get a product code (which uses the date combined with your details to generate the code) which you then have to enter when you run it. This type of trial app can extract the date from the code and when the trial period ends will cripple the software, no matter what you do it will not reinstall with the same code so you would then ned to register again with different details.

Amen-Moses