Installation, Licensing and Execution

Application Download

From the downloads page, you can download a compressed file containing the application along with the necessary files for its operation.

Application Version Selection

This page displays a table for each application with the following columns:

• Version: Application version number.
• Application Date: Application publication date.
• Technology: Technology used in development.
• .NET Download Link: Link to download the .NET runtimes required to run the application. Normally, these runtimes come pre-installed by default in Windows.
• Application End of Support Date: Date when support for this application version was discontinued.
• End of Support Reason: Reason why support was discontinued.
• Download: Button to start downloading a compressed file containing the application and the necessary files for its operation.

Application Description

By clicking the green button indicating the application version, a brief description of its features is displayed, and below that, the available license types.

Application Features Description

License Types for the Application

License Types for the Application

For each license type, a table is displayed with the following information:

• License Type: Name assigned to the License Type.
• Free: Indicator of whether the license is free.
• Trial Months: Indicates the license validity period. If blank, the license is permanent.
• Application: Applications compatible with the License Type.
• Min-Max Version: Range of application versions that can use this License Type.
• Description: Brief description of the License Type.
• License Type End of Support Date: Date when support for this License Type was discontinued.
• End of Support Reason: Reason why support was discontinued.

License Type Description

By clicking the green button indicating the license type name, a brief description of the license type and the application features that can be used are displayed.

Licensed Features for a License Type

Application Download

When starting the download, the user is shown a brief guide with the steps to follow to obtain the application license for a specific machine.
NOTE: A file-based licensing system has been chosen to avoid problems in isolated Internet environments that cannot connect to external servers to validate the license.

Application Download

Installation and First Execution

The tools are optimized for Windows environments (10, 11, and Server). They require .NET Framework 4.8 or higher. No complex local SQL Server installation is needed, as they use lightweight drivers for connectivity.

Installation simply consists of extracting the files to the desired folder. The Execution section details the batch processing files.

Downloaded Compressed File Content

By double-clicking the application, it should run. However, Windows may display a warning indicating that it is a potentially unwanted application. Although MalaCharger submits samples to Microsoft to prevent this, it cannot be guaranteed that it won't occur.

In How Microsoft identifies malware and potentially unwanted applications and in Detect and block potentially unwanted applications you can find information on how to configure protection against potentially unwanted applications.

If this problem appears, once resolved, you can run the application. After the first execution, the results tab will display information similar to that shown in the following figure:

License Data File Generation

NOTE: Due to software protections, the application startup may take a few seconds.

In the previous image, you can see that the application has not detected the file needed for license generation and has created one: MalaCharger1.DatLic. After this, the application closes.
If such a file already existed but was invalid, a new one would be generated.
If the application is run again and a valid license data file exists, the application indicates which one is valid:

The License file could not be validated.
Proceeding to generate a License Data File to obtain the License.



Creating the Data File for license acquisition is not necessary.
A valid one already exists:
D:\Documentación ETD\Excel To Database\MalaCharger2-Name Changed, but keeping the beginning.DatLic
Proceeding to immediate Application shutdown.

As you can see, it's possible to change the file name, as long as the beginning (MalaCharger), the index (1, 2, ...) and the extension are preserved: MalaChargerI*.DatLic

Execution

By directly invoking the executable, the application launches with the user interface.
Due to software protections, the application startup may take a few seconds.

The application includes a couple of batch processing files (".bat").

The first one (Excel To Database (Sin Consola-Without Console).bat) is used to invoke the application without the associated command console appearing, as happens in Windows 11.
This file also contains the necessary PowerShell commands to achieve the same.

Command Line Execution

There is also the possibility to launch Configuration executions from the command line. This option will allow, for example, scheduling tasks that run periodically or launching Configuration executions when certain events occur.

Thus, as an example, a ".bat" file is included that can be used to be invoked from a process manager. The Configurations to be executed must be specified in the application call arguments, after the modifier "/CFG=". If no Configuration is specified, those Configurations that are marked for execution will run. If, on the contrary, a list of Configurations is specified, it must be enclosed in double quotes (") and separated by commas (,). They will run regardless of whether they are marked or not. For example, the following command will run the configurations "Vacía1" and "Vacía2". If, for example, the "Vacía1" configuration is not marked, through this option it will still be executed.

@echo OFF

@echo Llamada directa con código de error devuelto al planificador
@echo Direct call with error code returned to the scheduler

(call )
.\ExcelToDatabase.exe /CFG="Vacía1, Vacía2"
if %errorlevel% EQU 0 (
   set errorPlanificador=0
) else (
   set errorPlanificador=1
)

@echo Código devuelto al planificador: %errorPlanificador%
@echo The code returned to the scheduler: %errorPlanificador%
rem pause
exit %errorPlanificador%

The following pages can be consulted to understand and/or modify the displayed code:
setting ERRORLEVEL to 0
EnableDelayedExpansion
Wrong errorlevel inside parenthesis in Windows batch script
Command script exit code not seen by same line && or ||?

Licensing

Licensing

The licensing system differs from the usual systems found in other applications. A file-based system has been chosen, as it is most suitable for environments that have no Internet access.

To generate your unique license, the application creates an anonymous hardware-based ID. This code ensures your license is permanent and machine-specific, with no need for monthly subscriptions.

The license consists of two files:

• .DatLic: Contains what you want to license and where you want to license it.
• .Lic: Contains the license.

Licensing is per machine, meaning you need a license for each machine where you wish to run the application. Therefore, the application should be installed on a machine from which you have access to all servers it needs to access. Otherwise, you will need to "Request" (for evaluation licenses) or "Invest" (for full licenses) more than one license.

.DatLic

In the Installation and First Execution section, it was explained how this file is generated:

When the application runs for the first time on a specific machine, it will generate a file named "MalaCharger1.DatLic". This file will contain information about the application, application version, and information about the machine where it has been executed.
If a file of this type with such information already exists, the application will indicate which ".DatLic" file is valid.
These files can be renamed, although they must always start with "MalaChargerI", where I must be a number, and the extension must be ".DatLic".

If no valid ".Lic" license file exists, the application will stop after a few moments.

.Lic

The license file (".Lic") will be delivered to you through the website. The steps to follow are:

1. Registration: If you don't have an account, you must create one at Registration

   Registration: Account Creation

   

   After registering, you will receive an email to confirm your account. Please check your email and check your spam folder.

   Registration: Account Confirmation Email

   

   The sent token will be valid for 1 day. If you cannot confirm your account during this period, you can request a new account confirmation email on the login page.

2. Login: Once registration is completed, you must log in on the page: Login

   Login

   

3. Upload the ".DatLic" file: After logging in, you access the "Account Management" page. In the "Licenses" section, you must click on the "Get License for Machine" item. Then, you can upload the desired "*.DatLic" file.

   Upload '.DatLic' File

   

4. Select the License Type: After uploading the License Data file, the available information for the machine where you want to license and the available License Types for the Application and Version you wish to license are displayed.

   Select License Type

   

   The previous figure shows the following information:

   • Application and Version to be licensed.

   • Name of the machine where you want to license.

   • It indicates that a machine clone has been detected. A machine clone is understood as a machine with identical characteristics to the machine where you want to license the application but which is a copy of the original. This normally happens with virtual machines that have been copied.

   • It indicates that no machines with similar characteristics to the machine where you want to license the application have been detected. This normally happens when the machine's hardware has been modified, such as a hard drive change, but it remains the same machine.

   • License Types available for the application and the machine:

     • "Excel To Database Free": As observed in previous figures, this License Type no longer has support. Under normal conditions this License Type will not appear as an available option. However, in this case, for that Application, Version, Machine and License Type, a license has already been obtained, so a button ("Download License", in blue) is displayed from which you can download the corresponding License file.

     • "Excel To Database Full": License Type that is not for evaluation. A button ("Invest License", in yellow) is displayed from which you can obtain the appropriate License file. If a License already existed for that Application, Version, Machine and License Type, this button would be blue with the legend "Download License" and from which you could download the License file.

     • "Excel To Database Free New": Evaluation License Type. A button ("Request License", in green) is displayed from which you can obtain the appropriate License file. If a License already existed for that Application, Version, Machine and License Type, this button would be blue with the legend "Download License" and from which you could download the License file.

       It is highly recommended that you first use a license of type "Free", as this way you can check, at no cost to you, whether the application meets your needs and is useful to you.

5. Make the payment or donation: After clicking on any of the buttons for "Invest License" or "Request License", the page where you enter the data to make the donation is displayed.

   To continue maintaining the Website and Applications, the collaboration of all of you is necessary. Please consider making a donation for this purpose.

   Currently, the development team is unemployed, and your generous donations will help the survival of said team. We are not a company, we have no client portfolio, nor budget for proper search engine positioning. Please be understanding and help us.

   Donation Data

   

   After filling in the data to make the donation (please note that they are necessary for the corresponding tax payment) and clicking the "Donate" button, you access the page from which you will be linked to PayPal to make the donation.

   Donate

   

   After making the donation and returning to MalaCharger, you may have to wait for PayPal's response. If so, click the "Continue" button until notification has been received from PayPal.

   Waiting for PayPal Response

   

6. Download the License: Once PayPal's response is received and it is positive, the information shown in the Select the License Type point is displayed again, updated. That is, you can now download the License file for that Application, Version, Machine and License Type "Requested" or "Invested".

   Download License File

   

   The downloaded License file (MalaCharger1.Lic) must be placed in the same folder where the Application is located. As usual, this file can be renamed, although it must always start with "MalaChargerI", where I must be a number, and the extension must be ".Lic".

   You can now use the Application with the restrictions associated with the License Type you have "Invested" or "Requested".

   License File

   

   It is possible to have more than one License Type. Thus, the Application features you can operate with will be the sum of the licensed features with each License Type associated with each existing and valid ".Lic" file. This is the reason why it is recommended NOT to delete the License files (.Lic), but to rename them.

Finally, if after testing the application with a license type "Free", you decide that the application meets your needs, follow the steps already described, but selecting a license type "Full". You will obtain a file ".Lic" that will allow you to access the full functionality of the application.