[SOLVED] What makes Windows 10 know a trial period for an app has expired?

[Rodion15]

Just for curiosity's sake. What makes Windows 10 know a trial period for an app has expired? is it some cookie?

Any help much welcome

 

[sizzling]

Just for curiosity's sake. What makes Windows 10 know a trial period for an app has expired? is it some cookie?

Any help much welcome

The App itself will know it’s trial licence has expired.

 

[Rodion15]

I've read some opinions on this: some say it's saved into the registry on a hash, I guess this wouldn't be the best way: so you may redo the trial period by backing up and restoring the registry? or by restoring a clone of the system partition?.
Another opinion said the app may upload the MAC address or some other hardware code, this seems an easy and foolproof way. I wonder if there're any experiences on this by some app developer?.

 

[USAFRet]

It might be in the Reg, it might be encrypted in a txt file, it might be a cookie, the app may have its own internal serial number and cross reference that with its home base.
It might be all of the above.

Recovering the Reg from an earlier date is unlikely to work, because the app and registry entry reads the system date.
"My trial ends on March 6, 2020" (encrypted, so you can't change that expiration date)
Recovering an earlier version of the registry does not change the system date.
And changing the system date can/will mess will all sorts of other things.