Non-standard applications are not using standard Win32 PE (portable executable) but proprietary (special purpose) file format. Most of such applications contain internal overlay where they store important data. Since internal overlay is re-positioned during protection process, application is encrypted and protection code is embedded into it, original application code is usually not able to detect and use internal overlay after protection.

Advanced overlay management (AOM)

This is new, universal approach for managing protection of non-standard applications with internal overlay. AOM code will try to automatically handle problems noted above and even more, allow additional encryption of internal overlay. In this way internal overlay data stays encrypted in resulting protected application and can not be loaded by third party tools which are usually made for accessing and managing this data. If AOM is enabled, internal overlay encryption option will be available in encryption settings.

Test your application after protection.

If it refuses to work please try turning off "Encrypt internal overlay" option in encryption settings.

If you are still not able to successfully run your application after protection please send us a small, sample, freshly compiled, non-protected application created with your compiler so we can analyze it and hopefully implement special managing code and add support for it.

Out-of-the-box support

PC Guard includes out-of-the-box support for many non-standard application. Here is the full list of currently supported non-standard applications: