recommended best method to lock software to a compuer ?

[vhelp]

cpu, chip number or something. is there a way to snif a computers internal ID or something unique that i can store internally inside the software ? i don't know.. that's why i'm asking.

i am writing custom tools and would like to tie the tool to a given computer so that it can not be run on another computer. these are not official tools but they entail sofisticated routines that would give the person a certain advantage in certain situations. however, i do not want them to take the sofware home. the last thing i want is others taking advantage of these tools in other home, hobby, or work enviornment, let alone, i would not recieve the credit for them.

since i am not selling, nor promoting anything, i am not trying to evade hackers nor protect from such. the sofware i write are for small tasks, mostly macros for commercial sofware. i am not liciencing anything i develop. let alone, the co is not at that point or thought, etc. i develop small utilities for myself to help me get the job done better and/or faster. but when i was training someone to assist me in some of my duties, i discovered the person had quite cassually copied the software to a memory stick..said "..i copied to my memory stick and took it home.." the thought never occured to me that someone would do this but it hit a nurve and i want to stop it right away since i will be developing additional soon. i will inform the person that these are not to be copied or used at home, but i can't gaurantee this since i now know i can't trust the person to follow such instructions. at least one tool escaped, but i don't want any more to.

any suggestions will be helpful, thanks.

[jagabo]

Modern CPUs have a unique serial number. Hard drives too. NICs have their own MAC address. Oh, each Windows install has a unique ID too.

[TreeTops]

Banks do it somehow but I don't know how they do it. I know when I do a bank login from another computer, I'm locked out.

[jagabo]

Banks do it with browser cookies.

[lingyi]

Modern CPUs have a unique serial number. Hard drives too. NICs have their own MAC address. Oh, each Windows install has a unique ID too.

Don't know if Microsoft is still doing this, but Windows installs would take poll certain hardware IDs and if you changed two or more components (or the CPU or motherboard IIRC), you'd have to call for a new serial number.

Another way is to embed the user's info within the output file. MS does this with their Office programs. Hidden within every Office output file is various metadata, including your name, your computer name, your network or hard drive name, the name of anyone who edited the file and lots more. Search word document metadata for a detailed list. <brrr> Just got a chill up my spine.

[lingyi]

Banks do it with browser cookies.

I think sometimes it's more than just a cookie. On business bank accounts, they add or do something that locks the account to that browser and computer. I've cleared the browser cookies for business accounts and was still able to log in from THAT computer, though no other.