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So I will preface this by saying I am technologically ignorant, so please bare with me! I also won't go into the full story as to why I want to know this because it is a rather lengthy, dramatic tale.

Say, hypothetically, if someone were to send a file to me created by X program, is there any possible way I can find out the serial number of the specific copy of X program used to create the file?

I have heard that when you create a file, with some programs, it makes a stamp/signature/something that indicates certain information such as the serial number of the program that created it. I know this has a technical name, but I can't remember (sorry!). I have also heard that not every program does this. Is there any other (legal) way to figure out this info, or is this the only way?

Thanks!

After speaking with a particularly tech-savvy friend, he is highly doubtful that a file will contain serial number info for piracy reasons. Arg!

I doubt it would ever contain a serial number. It may contain some author information though. Office files attach the name of the person who created the file to it, so I'm sure others do that also.

Relevant link (if you think about it).

--Patrick

The general story as to why this info is needed is this: a person I know owns a business. He recently fired an employee for opening a business in competition with his behind his back and lying to him about the nature of the business WHILE still under his employment. This is illegal and he told the employee that it would be a conflict of interests. He believes this employee stole copies of some necessary software from him, but would like to try to figure it out without subpena-ing (spelling?) the information (He doesn't want the employee to know he is gathering evidence).

Is there any way that he can figure out if the software was stolen? My friend said that if the software does auto-updates, he could contact the software company and they could trace the IP addy of any comp receiving the updates and see if they all match his IPs. This software, however, does not auto update. Any suggestions whatsoever?

---------- Post added at 10:32 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:30 AM ----------

Also, it isn't Microsoft Office. It's a program similar to photoshop.

---------- Post added at 10:37 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:32 AM ----------

Patrick, thanks for the link. I just read it, and I feel like I need a translater hehehe. I know absolutely nothing about computer science/programming/anything tech Maybe I should buy a For Dummies book on such things.

Heh. The only reason I bring up the link is that, even if you manage to find out what is stored in a file, even if the information in that file is somehow related to the serial number, there is no guarantee that knowing that information will somehow allow you to figure out what that serial number would be. The article explains how it is possible to have two things which can be needed to unlock something, but there would be no way to determine what one of them is just by looking at the other.

--Patrick

Poo! Oh well. Thanks for the help!