Frequently Asked Questions About Dinkey Pro

What is a product code?

A product code is a string that identifies one product from another. This makes it possible to have some dongles that protect one piece of software and other dongles that protect another piece of software. For Dinkey Pro Lite dongles you need to specify the product code when ordering. For other dongle models you can specify the product code when you program the dongle.

Can another software developer purchase Dinkey Pro and re-program my dongles?

No! Each of our customers has a unique SDSN allocated to them. This is burnt into each dongle we send them. It is also used to encrypt the SDK software so that the SDK is unique to each customer too. This means that you cannot access another customer's dongles and vice versa. For each SDSN we have a registered postal and e-mail address(es) and we only send a customer's dongles to their registered postal address and send SDK updates to their registered e-mail address.

Is it possible to add protection to my software without modifying the source code?

Yes, using our Shell method of protection you can automatically add protection to 32-bit and 64-bit Windows EXE and DLL files (including .NET assemblies), as well as Linux binaries and shared libraries for x86 and x64 platforms. Not only that but it also encrypts your file to make it much more secure and prevent de-compilation.

Does Dinkey Pro work with my programming language?

Dinkey Pro is a very flexible system that will work with just about any programming language or even files that have a programming element e.g. Access databases. Click here for a list of supported languages.

Which operating systems do you support?

All our dongles and software tools are compatible with Microsoft Windows (x86 and x64 platforms), macOS 10.10 Yosemite and higher and Linux 2.6 and higher (x86, x64, ARM Aarch32 and ARM Aarch64).

What can I do if my customer reports their dongle as lost, damaged or stolen?

There are various strategies that can be deployed, which are discussed in detail in our Solving the lost dongle problem blog post. The best solution is to use DinkeyOMS to block the dongle so that it cannot be used in the future.

Do I need to install a large framework or drivers in order to access the dongle?

Unlike some of our competitors' products, you do not need to install any drivers or frameworks for Dinkey Pro dongles to work with your software.

What if I need to send out an update to my program?

You can protect updates to your software without having to issue new dongles or ask for the existing dongles to be sent back for modification.

What if I want to change protection parameters after I have sent the dongle to the customer?

Dinkey Pro allows you to modify the protection parameters stored in a customer's dongle by issuing a secure update code that can only be used once, and with only one specific dongle.

Is there a way I can simplify the dongle update process or even fully automate it?

DinkeyOMS is an online licence management system that allows you to link dongles to your customer data and simplify the process of remotely updating your dongles. You make a change online and your customer's dongle will be updated automatically. You can also integrate DinkeyOMS with an online payment system to fully automate the dongle update process.

Does Dinkey Pro work with virtual machine environments?

In virtually all cases Dinkey Pro does work with virtual machines, however we do not guarantee that this will be the case for every virtual machine setup. Some virtual machines offer limited (or no) USB support or in some cases the USB emulation is imperfect. For a more detailed answer see our knowledge base article on this subject.

Do your dongles contain their own real-time clock?

You can use our dongles to securely set an expiry date limit on your software. However, our dongles do not use a real-time clock. This is because it would require extra chips and a battery - which would make the dongle larger, more expensive and have a limited lifetime. Instead we use software methods which are just as effective. One very simple technique is to store the date and time the dongle was last accessed and make sure this does not go backwards, but we also use other more sophisticated methods.

What can I do if I need to replace my customer's dongle?

In this case you can issue a temporary software key to your customer so that they can still run your protected program on one computer for a limited time period before the replacement dongle arrives. A temporary software key is a purely software-based protection token that can be downloaded immediately and used in place of a dongle for a limited period of time.

How can I securely distribute demos of my software?

There are two different approaches to distributing demos:

1. Restricted-use, time-unlimited demo. In this case you protect your software with our dongle calling our API. If a dongle is not found then you can run your software in a restricted demo mode. However, if the customer has purchased a dongle from you then your software will run with no restrictions. In this way you can use the same code for a demo and your full system.

2. Fully functional, time-limited demo. In this case you can use a demo software key so that your protected software can function for a limited period of time. If the customer decides to purchase your software then you can send them a dongle and your protected software will continue working. The customer is limited to one demo install per computer.