Locking ebook to USB sticks

Locking a Portable Publication or Ebook to a Specific USB Disk 🔒

If you create a trial or restricted ebook, you can configure it so that it works only on a given USB disk/stick. For instance, clients of a publication should have the option to show the secured publication on every computer but should not have the ability to copy it to another USB-stick or computer.

⚠ Warning: Some disks or USB sticks do not have a manufacturer serial number. Only USB sticks with such serial number will work properly. In order to find out whether this is the case or not, you can use the Disk Information tool that comes with HTML Executable: in HTML Executable, click File and choose the Disk Information Tool menu.

Steps to Lock a Portable Publication

ØEnsure you have a portable publication (Application Output > Portable Mode page).

ØGo to the Security > Certificates page and enable "Create a restricted publication".

ØDouble-click on Default and turn on "Do not allow access to the publication without prior registration".

ØChoose OK and double-click on Registered. Choose Activation Properties, Registration Key and enable "Use hardware-locked registration keys". Choose OK.

Ø⚠IMPORTANT for portable publications: click Advanced Options and select Use the Manufacturer-allocated serial number of the USB disk option.

ØBuild your publication and copy it to the USB disk.

ØYou can activate the registered certificate of your choice yourself: end users who will run your publication do not need to enter anything as the publication is already pre-registered by you.

To do this, in the Security ribbon, click Key Generator. Enter the name of the registered user, and verify that the destination USB drive with the publication EXE file is ready.

Click Generate License File: HTML Executable reads the system ID of the USB drive, and generates the appropriate license file directly on the USB drive. Your USB stick is finally ready for distribution.

Of course, you can let end users register your publication themselves, you can replace registration keys with online activation or use different certificates... HTML Executable is versatile on this point and allows a lot of possibilities thanks to certificates and security profiles.