Applies to HTML Viewer, IE Browser publications.

By default, all HTML pages, images, JavaScript scripts, CSS files compiled in a HTML Executable publication are protected: they are never unpacked temporarily to the hard disk and thus cannot be copied by the end user.

However, content like Adobe Flash files SWF, Flash video files FLV, video, audio MP3 and WAV, Adobe PDF, Windows Media Player WMA or WMP, Shockwave DCR, Java applets (CLASS) is rendered by external plug-ins (ActiveX controls) and these plug-ins may require the input file to be either downloaded from a HTTP server (through a HTTP connection) or read from a physical file on the hard disk; in other words not directly from memory.

Consequently, HTML Executable offers these two ways as workarounds:

• the input files may be first extracted to a temporary location on the user's hard disk, in order to be read by the plug-in. When the publication closes, these files are removed. The IE Runtime module identifies these input files thanks to their file extension. When a required file has a "special extension" (as defined in the Special File Extension List), it is  unpacked to the hard disk temporarily.
• otherwise, you can choose the option of the built-in HTTP server: in this case, the runtime module creates a built-in HTTP server that delivers content directly to the plug-in. However, this HTTP server may be blocked by third-party firewalls or user account restrictions.

For security reasons, the runtime module not automatically extract all requested files to the hard disk. Only files whose extensions are in the Special File Extension List will be either extracted to the hard disk or delivered by the HTTP server.

A solution to protect your content: virtualization

HTML Executable offers a virtualization feature for files that require to be unpacked to the hard disk in order to be read by plug-ins. When this option is turned on (in Security -> Global Protection), your publication creates virtual files: these files are actually written in memory, and not on the hard disk. External plug-ins will believe that the files are on the hard disk, while they are only in memory.

Consequently, no content is written to the hard disk and thus it is harder to copy any virtual file.

You can define the maximum size for a virtual file (if the size of a file exceeds this limit, it will be unpacked to the hard disk) and the capacity of the virtual memory storage created by the publication.

This feature has been successfully tested both with HTML Viewer publications and IE publications. It works with Adobe PDF files, Flash files, video and audio files, MIDI files...

It is enabled by default for all publications made with HTML Executable 3.6.