Studio 5K Disabling Grace Period License

Aabeck

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I haven't found this on a search of the forum or Rockwells KB.

Is there a way to disable RSL/Studio5K from creating a grace period license?

I keep my licenses on a USB dongle I carry with me. I usually put an installation of Studio5K on the HMI/SCADA computer, but want a way of it NOT opening if I am not there with my dongle, or another programmer with his dongle. I just had a call where a machine (that I was at Tuesday) was screwing up and some DINTs and at least 1 timer preset were not what they used to be. Operators and mechanical maintenance tech's [EDIT: here I add 'industrial engineers'] with little knowledge of what they can do to a machine online can be disastrous. This shop does not have a controls technician or programmer, just a couple general maintenance techs.

What I have been doing is after I remove my dongle I open Studio5K to get the Grace Period popup so that after 7 days it won't open, but during that 7 days it can be opened, as was here, by anyone.
 
just a thought ...

maybe take a "critical" RSLogix/Studio file (something like the main executable) and copy that to your memory stick ... then delete that file from the company's computer before you leave ...

yes, you'd have to copy that "critical" file back to the computer's hard drive whenever you arrived for another session - but maybe something along those lines would meet your needs ...
 
Ron,

That sounds like a great idea. Just one little improvement -

Copy the executable to the dongle G:\Real\ folder, but in a G:\Backup\ folder on the dongle make a copy of RSLogix5.exe and rename it to the S5K executable, copy that to replace the real program & if anyone tries to open it they will get RSLogix 5 instead, if it did open. That way the icon for the shortcut would be a RSL icon & not blank or something else. And no chance this computer will be connected to a PLC5 to do any damage.
 
Im not a fan of password protecting PLC's but this tool can set permissions to tags, AOI's and or routines. (I have never used.)https://rockwellautomation.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/22601

I'm thinking out loud, Is the critical data in your application static like timers do not need on the fly adjusting?

Sometimes constants are helpful and constants cannot be changed while online (Pro or Con). To change a constant, go offline, edit, and redownload. Calculations as an example where the value of PI 3.14159... would never, ever change or...
Constant SINT; SECONDS_IN_MINUTE = 60
Constant STRING[6] = WEEKDAYS[1] = "MONDAY"
Constant SINT MONDAY = 1

Or,
I have found people and some PLC programmers are less likely to screw with structured text, Security through obscurity. The same can be accomplished with AOI's and local tags.
If recipe_x == 1 then recipe_timer_1 := constant DINT[x]; Must redownload to change.

Or,
This idea is odd, but a second cheap processor that monitors and sets tags if changed in the main processor.
 
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I have had bad results setting up passwords in Factory Talk services.


And there are so many DINTs, reals, timers and counters, and some of them are not set constant values, that longing their value to another tag and changing them back if they were not changed properly (which would have also changed the logged value - I have done this before) would be an extensive program in itself.

Replacing the S5K exe file would be the easiest, and for fun I could have it open a photo or video or other sarcastic item.
 
Have you tried changing the date on the computer to the future? It may break the grace period.

Open Logix without the dongle to activate the grace period, Close Logix, change the computer date, reopen Logix.

Change date and restart, then open Logix, maybe.
 
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I do know the date thing works from installing a 30 day trial of Norton anti-virus. Installed, had to reboot, and as soon as it came back on it popped up the 30 day trial was over - the computer clock was now set ahead 30 days.

I changed the date back, uninstalled Norton, and rebooted, but had a few problems with other software that wouldn't open and gave an error about the date being changed back. I had to reinstall a few programs because of Norton. [Guess which anti-virus I have not used since!]
 
Just curious, why do you install Studio 5k on the customer's PCs at all? Why not just use your own laptop? Is it a backup in case your laptop fails?
 
I find it easier & faster to open it on the computer already connected and online. I can leave the laptop(s) in the car.



Plus I prefer a regular keyboard and mouse over the laptop.
 
Phrog,
All of my laptops run Windows, the fastest open and boot I can do on any of them would be about 5 minutes before I could open a program - after I bring it in the shop.
The PC on the machine is already booted up, RSLinx is running, and getting online takes less time then opening the laptop case. Plus bringing in the correct one of the 4 laptops in the car. for the PLC installed, and the 2 bags of cables.
I just got in the habit of putting the software (AB, Siemens, Mitsubishi, Omron, etc.) on the computer when I build the panel - just keep the licenses on a dongle or flash drive.
Also, when I can get online and get the machine running 1 minute sooner it can mean $1500 savings for a tier 1 automotive supplier if their part shortage shuts down an assembly line.
 
Yes, there a few ways.

After grace mode starts, changing the clock forward past the grace period, then attempt to open Logix, you will then get the "Fatal Error! Copy Protection". Once you change the clock back you will still get the error.

If you don't want to do this, you can open the .RNL file in FactoryTalk Activation with a HEX editor and just write 0 to all values, this will essentially corrupt the file and give you the same error as above.

Now there is ways to do the opposite, it is even easier than above to reset the grace period...

I like the idea of disabling Logix from running by removing system files, this makes it much more difficult for someone to figure out. In the past I have even kept the files in place, but just renamed them, like blah.exe to blah_.exe. Then you just have to rename the file.
 
Is it possible to just give them a service charge if the programs do not match? I did tell a customer this. He is welcome to change the program, but it is a base $350 charge to repair a system with an altered program.

Writing a batch file to detect if the executable if there would be pretty easy, as well, as Ron suggested.

Code:
if RSL5k.exe exists
Rename RSL5k.exe to RSL5k.exe.bak
else if RSL5k.exe.bak exists
Rename RSL5k.exe.bak to RSL5k.exe

Then put it somewhere so you can just "Windows key + r" and execute it pretty quickly. If they can't figure out why they shouldn't tinker with timers, they probably won't know enough to check out an executable file.

As far as your laptops, mine boots up from a cold boot in under 10 seconds and I can be in a full windows VM in less than a minute. I wonder why your startup takes so long.
 
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Actually my 2 primary laptops both have SSD's that have made a noticeable impact on booting, plus I have the BIOS set to quick boot. The Windows 10 laptop I would use for this PLC had a quad processor rated at almost 3GHz, and 16G DRAM - but still takes over 1 minute to get to the lock screen to be able to log in, then it takes Windows at least a couple minutes to get the desktop fully open. The SSD is regularly defragmented with SSD optimization using Auslogix. It is only slightly faster if I put the laptop in Hibernation instead of shutting it down, but 30 seconds faster at the most.



Even the 3 Windows desktops I use, 1 with a SSD, it takes an average of 2 minutes to get to the lock screen, then 2 to 3 minutes before all the background stuff is done and I can open a program.



And this is all on Windows, because if I boot any of these off the TOR based operating system on a flash drive it can be open in 30 seconds.
 

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