You ship a Windows program, and within days a cracked copy shows up online. Or someone patches out your registration check. The Enigma Protector is built for that problem. It wraps your finished executable in protection and adds a licensing system, without you rewriting your code.
Quick facts
- Current version: 8.10
- Platform: Windows
- Protects: 32-bit and 64-bit executable files
- Trial: a trial version is available to download
- Vendor: The Enigma Protector Developers Team
Key features
Protection against hacking, analysis, modification and disassembly
The protection features cover copying, hacking, modification and analysis. The program encrypts and compresses the executable code and application data, so changing them without breaking the protection is meant to be impossible.
A virtual CPU for the sensitive parts of your code
The Virtual Machine technology runs part of your application and protection code on its own virtual CPU. This makes that code very hard to analyze.
Registration keys bound to a computer, with an expiry
The licensing system lets you add registration key checks quickly. You can bind a license to a specific computer and limit the license term. You can build your own key generators or use the built-in or customizable CGI key generators.
A ready-made registration dialog when you can't touch the source
If you can't change the source code, you can use the standard registration dialog. Only you can generate licenses for your applications.
Windows version control
If your application supports only certain Windows versions, the protector can enforce that.
Virtual Box: one file instead of many
The Virtual Box technology combines the files your application uses into a single module. It handles file types including dll, ocx, mp3 and avi.
Who it's for
It suits independent developers and small teams who sell commercial software or shareware for Windows. It also suits anyone who wants to turn a freeware build into a trial-and-register product without writing a licensing system from scratch.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Protection and licensing come in one tool.
- x86 and x64 protection are fully compatible, and keys made in one version run on the other.
- You can test it with the trial before you buy.
Cons
- It is Windows-only.
- The x64 edition is a separate stand-alone application, so you download it separately.
- No protection scheme makes cracking truly impossible, so use it as one layer of defense.
FAQs
Can it protect 64-bit programs?
Yes. The x64 edition is a separate stand-alone application, and it can protect 64-bit executables.
Can I try it first?
Yes, the vendor offers a trial version for download.
Do I have to change my code to add licensing?
No. If you can't edit the source, the standard registration dialog handles it. If you can, you can call the licensing functions directly.
Can it lock a key to one machine?
Yes. Licenses can be bound to a specific computer and limited in term.
System requirements
The protector runs on Windows. It protects both 32-bit and 64-bit executables.