Jinx! protects itself by checking the validity and ownership of the code signing certificate on every start. This step has been necessary, because people started to patch out copyright strings and tried to use Jinx! in an illegal way. So since I sign my binaries, you can be sure that the software your are using is from me and didnt get patched or manipulated in any way.

So if the check on startup fails, it may have two reasons. First of all, the binary has been patched or modified by a human beeing or a computer virus. So make sure you use a clean version directly from my website.

The second reason the check may fail is an outdated root certificate database inside windows. Until XP you have to download (or use windows update) the last root certificate package from microsoft and install it inside your windows. Since Windows Vista the root certificates inside windows gets updated automatically. So if you have Windows Vista or newer, be sure your computer have an internet connection on the first startup of Jinx!. If windows dont have the correct root certificate it will automatically download it from the Microsoft servers (be sure your firewall dont blocks the windows update server http://www.download.windowsupdate.com/) and install it inside your local certification store and Jinx! should start without any problems. After that you dont need any internet connection on your PC to start and use Jinx!, because the updated root certificate resides inside your local certification store.

This has nothing to do with Jinx!, its the way the Microsoft certificate store works since Vista. Jinx! itself never use any internet connection.