Need some technical help - Installing a program on someone elses computer...

[Snake]

Hey, Guys,

I have Defender Pro installed on my computer. Now somebody just called me up and told me they have a virus. I was sure that I could bring DP over to their house and install it without a problem. My girlfriend says that it willl cause their computer to crash because you're not supposed to do that. I tried to explain that it would work fine because I've got the CD key and it shouldn't do anything messed up.

Now my question is, will it install fine or no?

[ - EDIT - ]
I forgot to say that on the box it says that it's licenced for 3 computers.

Thanks in advance,


--Snake

[Candall]

Hey, Guys,

I have Defender Pro installed on my computer. Now somebody just called me up and told me they have a virus. I was sure that I could bring DP over to their house and install it without a problem. My girlfriend says that it willl cause their computer to crash because you're not supposed to do that. I tried to explain that it would work fine because I've got the CD key and it shouldn't do anything messed up.

Now my question is, will it install fine or no?

[ - EDIT - ]
I forgot to say that on the box it says that it's licenced for 3 computers.

Thanks in advance,


--Snake

I've never heard of a program actually crashing a computer on purpose... I'd think that would be a poor way to get sales from paranoid customers.  As long as you have the CD key and the willingness to give up one of your licenses, there shouldn't be a problem... as long as the computer in question meets the requirements of the program, of course.

To follow all of that up, I should mention that there's a free (for personal use) program called AVG from www.grisoft.com which is really quite good (and you know it has to be because its name is a set of three initials with both an A and a G in there).

[Snake]

Thanks,

Here's another question. As far as I know, you can't write on a CD. Just doesn't happen unless it's a rewritable or writable CD with a CDburner. We have neither. How does this CD know that you've used it on 3 computers? And what happens when you have? It just simply won't allow you to install, right?

lol, it's my girlfriend that's the paranoid one I told her that if she called Defender Pro and asked if she could install it on another computer that they'd just tell her "no" anyway just to try to make another sale


--Snake

[LimpingFish]

If you install it on three computers, and each computer is connected to the internet, and providing Defender Pro requires access to the internet to complete it's installation, then...

Even if it does detect misuse, it will just give you an install error and exit. Have you installed it on three computers? If not, then everything is kosher. Commercial applications rarely go out of their way to cause malice to your system. It's just not the done thing.

[Mr Jake]

The "liceansed for 3 computers" thing is probably nothing more than legal grounds for the program to be used in a home enviroment, no more than 3 computer most of the time, but not be snapped up for a business to use on 300 computers for the same price. I seriously doubt the software itself even checks or cares how many computers its installed on

[Khris]

Except when all the computers are networked.
Put it on four in a LAN and the fourth installation won't run.

[Snake]

Thank you, everybody,

LF: No, it's only been installed once on my computer.


It's funny, I knew everything was going to be fine. If it's not going to let me install, then it's just not going to let me. The monitor isn't going to blow up. Defender Pro would have one hell of a law suit if that happened.

The reason why my girlfriend is so paranoid is because - let me begin saying that she had no right to be doing this herself - she tried to install Windows XP (her CD) on her friends computer OVER Windows 98. Just popped in the CD and clicked install or whatever the hell. Next thing you know the computer is locked up and Windows is not starting. They had to bring it to a computer fixer-upper guy (har har). So now she has it in her head that you can't use your version of ANY program on someone elses computer or you'll crash it


--Snake