Protecting files on a CD

[pixi]

I am new to C++.
I have created a ppt application that uses mp3 sound files and jpg images. Can I use C++ to create something like a container on a CD that would hide the files that are on the CD? How is this usually done so that the CD cannot be replicated?

[jonnin]

well, 30 years ago when software came on CDs, they physically damaged the CD so that attempts to copy the whole disk would fail in a lot of copy software because it hit unreadable sectors/sections/whatever a CD has, coupled with some attempts to write in the areas of the disk that are normally outside the safe tolerances of the read/write heads but actually really inside the practical tolerances. Better copy programs were made that kept going on failure and that could read the margin of error areas, though, allowing copying of the whole disk anyway. It was also often possible to copy the installed software, or borrow the CD to install it, and so on. None of the methods really worked well -- they made it harder for the casual user until the work arounds became common knowledge, and that did not take too long. I haven't seen software on a CD in many, many years -- my last 2 computers did not have optical drives at all (6-7 year span).

These days, to protect software the most common approach is delivery and validation of the user over the internet. OS boot disk is on a USB stick.

[seeplus]

Search for copy cd protection on the internet. There's a couple of ways of preventing a cd from easily being copied using passive protection. But these can be circumvented by using the right software.

eg https://freedom-to-tinker.com/2005/12/15/make-your-own-copy-protected-cd-passive-protection/