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Advanced Topics - Auto License Key Entry

The PingPlotter install has the capability of automatically entering a license key to make multi-user deployment in an organization easier. There are several ways to do this, via a pre configured License File, from the Command Line and Custom Options.

License File
The easiest way to have this work is to put a file called "Ping Plotter Registration Info.dat" into the same directory as the PingPlotter installation (i.e.: where the pngplt_2.exe is). When the install is launched, this file (the .dat file) is read for a license key and user name, and then the install will enter this key so the user is never prompted for a license key.

The file should resemble the following, so if you wish, simply cut and paste the text in blue below into a text file called "Ping Plotter Registration Info.dat" and modify it with your information accordingly.

; Ping Plotter multi-user license
; (Your company name)
; Issued (Purchase date)
;
; A username can be specified as below, but if not specified, the user name is
; pulled from the machine being installed (the preferred method).
; USERNAME=(Your company name).
;
REGCODE=(your license key)

An actual file (with fictitious values for illustration purposes) would be:

; Ping Plotter multi-user license
; Highly Successful Corporation, Inc.
; Issued July 23, 2003
;
; A username can be specified as below, but if not specified, the user name is
; pulled from the machine being installed (the preferred method).
USERNAME= Workstation User
REGCODE=ABCD-EFGH-1234-5678

While this file can actually have just the one line (i.e.: REGCODE=license key), the rest is helpful if you ever need to edit the file.

This method works especially well on a CD, or a network drive where the install and the .dat file can be in the same directory. Ping Plotter will only look in the same directory that the install is ran from (the location of the pngplt2.exe file).

Command Line
Another option is to pass the installation command line parameters with the license key:

pngplt_2.exe REGCODE=(your license key)

This method works well if PingPlotter is being installed by some other program that can easily specify a command line parameter like this. If this is the case, you might want to have the PingPlotter installation user interface suppressed. This is done by adding the /s command line to the install:

pngplt_2.exe /s REGCODE=(your license key)

In silent (/s) mode, no dialogs will appear on a successful install, and the default directory of c:\program files\ping plotter will be used (note that the Program Files drive is pulled from the system setting, so this might be something besides c:\program files).

You might be tempted to wrap your own installer rather than using the PingPlotter installation. This is acceptable with a few caveats:

• You will have to rework your install package each time PingPlotter is updated.
• We don't support the customization of your own installer unless you leave our installer intact.
• You cannot distribute your repackaged version of PingPlotter outside your own company.
• You know the environment in your company and can account for variances. Once you get outside your own company there may be additional problems, and we can't support these customizations.

Using the /s option will allow you to embed the standard PingPlotter installer inside of your own installer. This will install the PingPlotter uninstaller as well. If you're installing additional PingPlotter related files that you want the uninstall to clean up, you'll need to account for that. Contact our support team, and we'll be happy to help you with this.

Custom Options
There are several other options available through the command line interface of the installer. You can specify a different install directory, or you can have PingPlotter automatically launched with the install is complete. Please contact our support team with your needs, and we'll help you build the right install package.