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# INFO: Reasons for "Unauthorized Copy of Visual C++" Message

Article ID: 102435

Article Last Modified on 12/1/2003

APPLIES TO

- Microsoft Visual C++ 1.0 Professional Edition
- Microsoft Visual C++ 1.5 Professional Edition
- Microsoft Visual C++ 2.0 Professional Edition
- Microsoft Visual C++ 2.1
- Microsoft Visual C++ 4.0 Standard Edition
- Microsoft Visual C++ 4.1 Subscription
- Microsoft Visual C++ 4.2 Enterprise Edition
- Microsoft Visual C++ 5.0 Enterprise Edition
- Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0 Enterprise Edition
- Microsoft Visual C++ 4.2 Professional Edition
- Microsoft Visual C++ 5.0 Professional Edition
- Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0 Professional Edition
- Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0 Standard Edition

This article was previously published under Q102435

## SUMMARY

Under some circumstances, the Visual C++ copyright logo displays the string "Unauthorized copy of Microsoft Visual C++" where the registered owner's name belongs. This message may occur when the user manually copies the executable files from the distribution disks and does not install them with the Setup program or when virus protection software is running during installation. When you install 16 bit edition of Visual C++, it modifies the following four files to reflect the name entered on the registration screen: APSTUDIO.EXE, MSVC.EXE, MFCAPPWZ.EXE, and MFCCLSWZ.DLL. If these files are not updated, the "unauthorized copy" message appears. To correct this situation, run Setup and install the affected component(s). To reinstall only the files the Visual C++ Setup program modifies, select the following from the Installation Options dialog box:

       Microsoft Visual Workbench
       Microsoft Foundation Classes
       Microsoft App Studio: Resource Editor

NOTE:There is no App Studio in Visual C++ 2.x and 4.x. The files modified in 2.x are MSVC.EXE and SPYXX.EXE. For 2.x, install components "Microsoft Visual C++ Development Environment" and "Microsoft Foundation Classes". The files modified in 4.x are MSDEV.EXE, SPYXX.EXE, and MSDEV\BIN\IDE\MSVCCPP.PKG. For 4.x, install component "Microsoft Developer Studio".
In Visual C++ 5.0 and 6.0, a large number of files will be modified due to executable binding that occurs during setup. The file that contains the authorization information is MSDEV.EXE.
For Visual C++ 2.x, 4.x, and 5.0 another solution is to run setup with the /f switch (for example, "setup /f" without the quotes). It is important that you run the setup.exe in the Visual C++ subdirectory on the CD. For Visual C++ 4.x it is in X:\MSDEV where X: is the letter designation of your CDROM drive. For Visual C++ 5.0, it is in X:\DEVSTUDIO.
The "unauthorized copy" message can also appear when VSAFE or other memory- resident virus protection software is loaded by AUTOEXEC.BAT. VSAFE is a virus protection utility included with MS-DOS version 6.0. By default, the utility detects modifications made to executable files. If VSAFE is loaded and the VSafe Manager for Windows is running with executable checking enabled, the VSafe Manager displays a dialog box when Setup attempts to update the executable files.
If VSAFE is loaded, but the VSafe Manager for Windows is not running, the computer beeps when Setup attempts to update the executable files and Setup does not update the files with registration information. When Visual Workbench starts, the logo screen indicates an unauthorized version.
To resolve this situation, edit your AUTOEXEC.BAT file to comment out or remove the command that starts VSAFE or the other memory-resident virus protection software. The Visual C++ README.TXT file recommends against running VSAFE with Visual C++. The Visual Workbench may appear to hang with VSAFE detects that an executable file is changing during the linking process. Once you remove VSAFE or other memory-resident virus protection software, run Setup to reinstall the affected component(s).

Additional query words: licensed

Keywords: kbinfo kbsetup KB102435