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Intro

In this seminar, you'll learn how to protect your Microsoft Access database by setting up forced user registration. I will show you how to prompt users for a registration code when they open the database, how to generate and validate registration keys, and how to tie the registration to each machine using the Windows registry. We'll cover building a startup form, handling form events, working with the registry, and using message boxes, input boxes, and the Quit command. You'll also learn how to set up expiring registrations using the DateAdd function and create time-limited access for your database.

Transcript

Welcome to the registration seminar brought to you by AccessLearningZone.com. My name is Richard Rost, and I'll be your instructor.

The purpose of this seminar is to teach you how to protect your database with forced user registration. What does that mean? Well, you've got a database and you want to distribute it or sell it to other people, but you don't want them giving copies to their friends or putting it online and having a pirate it. So, in this seminar, I will teach you how to force the users to have to register the database with you when they install it.

When they open it up, they'll get a prompt and it'll say your database is not registered. Call customer service at your phone number to get a password. Your key is, and then it'll give them a key number. They have to call you and get the counter key. They type in the code and then it registers the database on that machine. If they try to install it on a different machine, they'll need another registration password. If they don't have it, they'll get a password incorrect. Please call for support message.

Now, this seminar does have a definite prerequisite class. The lessons covered today will only work if you've locked down your database using the techniques that I've shown in my Access Security Seminar. You can find the Security Seminar on my website at 599cd.com/XACSEC. That's Access Security.

The reason being is I'm going to teach you how to handle the password registration today, but if you don't have your database locked down and secured like I show in the Security Seminar, then anybody who knows any kind of Access whatsoever will be able to bypass the startup form in your database, which will get around the registration requirements and then get in and play with your code and stuff. So watch the Access Security Seminar first. Then, when you finish that and you've locked down your database, you can use the techniques covered today to require users to register their copy of your database.

I've recorded today's seminar using Microsoft Access 2013. Everything that I cover today should also work in 2010 and 2007. If you're using 2003, I believe most of this will still work, but of course I can't guarantee it.

In lesson one, we're going to begin building our database. We'll have a discussion about exactly how we're going to handle the scheme for user registration. We'll talk about some security topics. We'll build a startup form that automatically loads when the database starts. We'll work with the Form Open event. I will teach you about the Windows registry and how it fits into our security scheme.

In lesson two, we're going to learn how to read and write values to the registry. We're going to learn about the message box and input box commands to display and get information from the user. And we'll learn about the Quit command to shut the database down.

In lesson three, we're going to learn how to generate random numbers, give the user a random number, and have them give us back a counter key that we will then use with a math problem to figure out if the counter key is valid. Of course, you will know what the counter key is supposed to be and they have to get it from you.

In lesson four, we'll learn how to time out the registration. If you sell your database as an annual subscription, then you can have it say after a year or two years or a month or whenever. You can have it time out the registration, forcing them to call again to get a new registration code. We'll talk about the DateAdd function as well.

Quiz

Q1. What is the primary purpose of this seminar?
A. To teach how to create reports in Access
B. To teach how to protect a database with forced user registration
C. To build advanced forms in Access
D. To design relational databases

Q2. Why might you want to force users to register your database?
A. To speed up performance
B. To allow multiple users to edit simultaneously
C. To prevent unauthorized sharing or piracy
D. To reduce database size

Q3. What happens when a user installs the database on a new machine?
A. No registration is required
B. It automatically registers itself
C. They need a new registration password
D. The database deletes itself

Q4. What prerequisite class is required before following this registration seminar?
A. Access Beginner's Seminar
B. Access Advanced Queries Class
C. Access Security Seminar
D. Access VBA Programming

Q5. Why is it important to secure your database as shown in the Security Seminar before applying registration techniques?
A. To improve database speed
B. To prevent users from bypassing registration requirements
C. To encrypt all data automatically
D. To allow unlimited users

Q6. Which version(s) of Access are guaranteed to work with the seminar's material?
A. Only Access 2016
B. Access 2007, 2010, and 2013
C. Only Access 2003
D. Access 2019 only

Q7. What is discussed and built in Lesson One?
A. Building complex queries
B. Startup form with registration logic and registry basics
C. Automating email from Access
D. Creating macros for data entry

Q8. What will you learn about the Windows registry in this seminar?
A. How to install Windows updates
B. How to store and retrieve registration information
C. How to back up your registry
D. How to create user accounts

Q9. What command is introduced in Lesson Two for user interaction?
A. The Import command
B. The MessageBox and InputBox commands
C. The Shell command
D. The Export command

Q10. In Lesson Three, what is the method for validating a user's registration?
A. Matching a user email address
B. Comparing database file size
C. Using a random number and math problem to verify a counter key
D. Scanning for viruses

Q11. What is the purpose of timing out registration, as described in Lesson Four?
A. To ensure users upgrade to the newest version every day
B. To force users to re-register after a set period
C. To prevent database backups
D. To automatically email users

Q12. Which function is specifically mentioned for managing registration timeouts?
A. Now()
B. DateDiff
C. DateAdd
D. Sum()

Answers: 1-B; 2-C; 3-C; 4-C; 5-B; 6-B; 7-B; 8-B; 9-B; 10-C; 11-B; 12-C

DISCLAIMER: Quiz questions are AI generated. If you find any that are wrong, don't make sense, or aren't related to the video topic at hand, then please post a comment and let me know. Thanks.

Summary

Today's video from Access Learning Zone focuses on adding forced user registration to your Microsoft Access databases. My name is Richard Rost, and I'll be guiding you through the process.

Many people want to distribute or sell their Access databases but are concerned about unauthorized sharing or piracy. This seminar is designed to show you how to require users to register their copy of your database before they can use it. When someone first opens your database, they will be prompted with a message stating that the database is not registered. They will see instructions to call customer service at your provided phone number, along with a unique key generated for their machine. After contacting you, you can provide them with a corresponding password. Once they enter this password, the database will unlock for use on that computer. If they try to install it on another machine, they will need a new registration password. Without it, they'll receive an error message instructing them to contact support, preventing unauthorized access.

This seminar requires that you have already secured your database using the methods outlined in my Access Security Seminar. If your database is not properly locked down as I demonstrate in the Security Seminar, users with Access knowledge might bypass the startup routines and registration process, gaining access to the database and its code. It's very important to complete the Security Seminar first, which you can find on my website under the title Access Security, before implementing the registration features discussed here.

All examples in this seminar are done using Microsoft Access 2013, but the techniques should work in Access 2010 and 2007 as well. Some features may work in Access 2003, but I cannot guarantee full compatibility.

In the first lesson, we will start building the registration system. I'll discuss the approach we will use for user registration, cover some important security topics, and walk you through creating a startup form that loads automatically when the database opens. We will use the Form Open event and talk about how the Windows registry ties into the security approach.

The second lesson will focus on reading from and writing to the Windows registry. We'll also look at how to use message boxes and input boxes to interact with users, and I will show you how to use the Quit command to close the database as needed.

Lesson three will cover generating random numbers to create a unique key for each user. You'll give this key to the user, and they have to provide a counter key, which you will generate using a mathematical formula. This helps verify that the registration code is valid and ensures only authorized users gain access.

In the fourth lesson, you'll learn how to include a time limit on registration. If you want to sell database subscriptions that expire after a certain period, you can set it up so that after a year, two years, or any time frame you decide, the database will prompt for re-registration. I'll explain how to use the DateAdd function for this purpose.

You can find a complete video tutorial with step-by-step instructions on everything discussed here on my website at the link below. Live long and prosper, my friends.

Topic List

Overview of forced user registration in Access

Building a user registration scheme

Creating a startup form to prompt registration

Using the Form Open event for security

Storing registration data in the Windows registry

Reading and writing values to the Windows registry

Using message boxes and input boxes for user interaction

Using the Quit command to exit the database

Generating random numbers for unique registration keys

Calculating and validating counter keys for registration

Timing out registration for subscription-based databases

Implementing the DateAdd function for expiration management