Writing to an .EXE file...
JKHahn
Hi everyone! I am using Visual C++ v5, have a dialog based
application, and would like to know how to write to my program's exe
file. (For shareware registration reasons) can anyone help? Thanks.
st...@tropheus.demon.co.uk
It's not a good idea because many virus scanners will notice the
changed .exe and your users will think it's your application that's
got a virus. The best place to write registration details is in the
registry - that's what it's for. Another place is in user data files
produced by your application.
Steve
--
--------------------------------------------------------
Stephen Wolstenholme: Neural Network Software
Neural-Planner NeuroDiet EasyNN
http://www.tropheus.demon.co.uk
Chris Marriott
JKHahn wrote in message <352c1e4c...@news.mindspring.com>...
>Hi everyone! I am using Visual C++ v5, have a dialog based
>application, and would like to know how to write to my program's exe
>file. (For shareware registration reasons) can anyone help? Thanks.
Don't write to the EXE file - use other methods, such as writing a data file
or storing information in the registry.
Writing to the EXE file is a very bad idea for several reasons:
1. If your customer has a virus scanner active, attempting to modify the EXE
will trigger it. Do you get the reputation of being a possible virus?
2. These days there's a VERY high probability that your application will
find itself running from a network file server, to which the user only has
"read" access. Writing to the EXE is obviously not possible in this
situation.
Regards,
Chris
----------------------------------------------------------------
Chris Marriott, SkyMap Software, UK (ch...@skymap.com).
Visit our web site at: http://www.skymap.com
Astronomy software written by astronomers, for astronomers.
Doren Rosenthal
: On Thu, 09 Apr 1998 01:05:18 GMT, jkh...@hotmail.com (JKHahn) wrote:
:
: >Hi everyone! I am using Visual C++ v5, have a dialog based
: >application, and would like to know how to write to my program's exe
: >file. (For shareware registration reasons) can anyone help? Thanks.
You may not want to deal with all the anti-virus tech. support calls that
method generates.
A better way would be to add a field in a data file so if the user wants
to remove the registration or time limit etc. they lose the data as well.
Doren.......
Dave Webber
JKHahn wrote in message <352c1e4c...@news.mindspring.com>...
>Hi everyone! I am using Visual C++ v5, have a dialog based
>application, and would like to know how to write to my program's exe
>file. (For shareware registration reasons) can anyone help? Thanks.
Include a string in the program like
"Beware the Jabberwock my son, the jaws that bite, the claws that catch..."
and then search for it and overwrite only those bytes - eg using the low
level C library functions. OTOH, this is generally considered a bad idea.
For example the exe file may be installed as read only.
Dave
Dave Webber
Author of MOZART the Music Processor for Windows
(Details on http://www.mozart.co.uk )
RAiD
In article <6gisra$hro$2...@zinger.callamer.com>,
do...@slonet.org (Doren Rosenthal) wrote:
>A better way would be to add a field in a data file so if the user wants
>to remove the registration or time limit etc. they lose the data as well.
The author of Mycdplayer did this, it was the worst thing he could do in
my opinion. Using a few utilities I wrote, i was able to find where the
registered data would go, as well as the countdown sequence. based on
deleting the data file, and having it re-create it a few times I was able
to generate a keygen for it.
So, continue this method...By all means. :)
Email: juno@raid.x (swap to mail)
http://207.23.1.97/~raid/index.html
http://krile.dyn.ml.org/~raid/index.html
RAiD
In article <892124483.9516.0...@news.demon.co.uk>,
"Chris Marriott" <ch...@NOSPAM.skymap.com> wrote:
>Don't write to the EXE file - use other methods, such as writing a data
>file or storing information in the registry.
Yea, do that. Make it easier for those who crack...
I've personally found the pesky cfg files, and the registry storing
registered data is a good place to look around. Makes time reverse
engineering so much shorter.
Andrew McKay
>"Beware the Jabberwock my son, the jaws that bite, the claws that catch..."
A completely off-topic question, but I've seen references to the
Jabberwock before. Where does this originate from please?
Andrew
--- http://www.kazmax.com
Software Solutions for Sports Administrators
ASP Member
And remember, my name isn't Mac!
Andrew McKay
On Thu, 09 Apr 98 23:49:48 GMT, nospam.i...@View.signature.Below
(RAiD) wrote:
>Yea, do that. Make it easier for those who crack...
>
>I've personally found the pesky cfg files, and the registry storing
>registered data is a good place to look around. Makes time reverse
>engineering so much shorter.
As a matter of interest, which do you find are the greatest challenges
to defeat?
Dave Webber
Andrew McKay wrote in message <352dce45...@127.0.0.1>...
>On Thu, 9 Apr 1998 07:33:01 +0100, "Dave Webber"
><da...@musical.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>
>>"Beware the Jabberwock my son, the jaws that bite, the claws that
catch..."
>
>A completely off-topic question, but I've seen references to the
>Jabberwock before. Where does this originate from please?
It is a poem by Lewis Caroll called "Jabberwocky". The first line will be
indexed as
"Twas brillig and the slithy toves did gyre and gimble in the wabe.."
It is IMHO the most glorious example of how one can paint an impressionist
picture with words which don't exist. Everyone understands what is
happening but none of the words are in the dictionary (except those - most
notably "chortle" - which have made it there as a result of having been
invented for this poem.)
(It does look a little off-topic, but I suppose it could be an on-topic
allegory for the shareware author's hunt for the killer app????? I would
certainly gallumph a little if I produced one <g>)
Doren Rosenthal
Andrew McKay (M...@kazmax.demon.co.uk) wrote:
: A completely off-topic question, but I've seen references to the
: Jabberwock before. Where does this originate from please?
:
: Andrew
Lewis Carol, "Through the Looking Glass" known as "Alice in Wonderland" to
you Disney fans.
Doren Rosenthal
Author of "The Rosenthal Utilities (tm)" http://slonet.org/~doren/
Awarded "Best Shareware of 1997" by Boot-It
NEW!! Rosenthal Year 2000 Fix, and CMOS/Clock Battery Monitor. FREE!!
Chris Marriott
Doren Rosenthal wrote in message <6glef2$rlp$2...@zinger.callamer.com>...
>Andrew McKay (M...@kazmax.demon.co.uk) wrote:
>
>: A completely off-topic question, but I've seen references to the
>: Jabberwock before. Where does this originate from please?
>:
>: Andrew
>
>Lewis Carol, "Through the Looking Glass" known as "Alice in Wonderland" to
>you Disney fans.
Right author, wrong work. It's from the poem "Jabberwocky.
Gerry Quinn
In article <352dce45...@127.0.0.1>, M...@kazmax.demon.co.uk wrote:
>On Thu, 9 Apr 1998 07:33:01 +0100, "Dave Webber"
><da...@musical.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>
>>"Beware the Jabberwock my son, the jaws that bite, the claws that catch..."
>
>Jabberwock before. Where does this originate from please?
>
It's from Lewis Carroll - there is a poem 'Jabberwocky' and I think
the Jabberwock comes from this.
Either there or the 25th level of Rogue...
- Gerry
===========================================================
http://indigo.ie/~gerryq/Brewster/brewster.htm
Brewster Kaleidoscopic Screensaver for Windows 95
The only saver that simulates a real kaleidoscope
===========================================================
Gerry Quinn
In article <352dcea3...@127.0.0.1>, M...@kazmax.demon.co.uk wrote:
>On Thu, 09 Apr 98 23:49:48 GMT, nospam.i...@View.signature.Below
>(RAiD) wrote:
>
>>Yea, do that. Make it easier for those who crack...
>>
>>I've personally found the pesky cfg files, and the registry storing
>>registered data is a good place to look around. Makes time reverse
>>engineering so much shorter.
>
>As a matter of interest, which do you find are the greatest challenges
>to defeat?
Possibly some of the ones he says are easy...
He didn't sound like the master of disassembly he would like to be -
time reverse engineering indeed!
Poking around in the registry to find a key, to be rewarded at the end
by saving a few dollars that he could have earned faster in a
productive pursuit, and have more time left for digital orgasm
engineering. It's not as romantic as it's cracked up to be, the life
of a hacker...
Jon Eva
Hi Chris,
Actually Jabberwocky is from "Through the Looking Glass",
Alice finds a piece of paper on which the poem is written
backwards, and she holds it up to a mirror to read it:
“It seems very pretty,” she said
when she had finished it, “but it’s
rather hard to understand!” (You
see she didn’t like to confess
even to herself, that she couldn’t
make it out at all.)
Sometimes I wonder if Doren's postings would make more
sense if I held them up to a mirror. I must try it some
time.
Jon
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Jon Eva mailto:jon...@gallicrow.co.uk
Gallicrow Software Limited http://www.gallicrow.co.uk
Home of Imprint - a utility for printing text and binary files
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Chris Marriott wrote:
>
> Doren Rosenthal wrote in message <6glef2$rlp$2...@zinger.callamer.com>...
> >Andrew McKay (M...@kazmax.demon.co.uk) wrote:
> >
> >: A completely off-topic question, but I've seen references to the
> >: Jabberwock before. Where does this originate from please?
Andrew McKay
>It is a poem by Lewis Caroll called "Jabberwocky". The first line will be
>indexed as
Thank 'ee kindly sir!
Tsk, and there was me thinking it was that big walking fur coat in
Stars Wars..... ;)
RAiD
In article <352dcea3...@127.0.0.1>,
M...@kazmax.demon.co.uk (Andrew McKay) wrote:
>As a matter of interest, which do you find are the greatest challenges
>to defeat?
Programs which don't actually have the registered routines in them. :)
Anything else, and it's just a matter of time.
>
>Andrew
>
>--- http://www.kazmax.com
>Software Solutions for Sports Administrators
>ASP Member
>
>And remember, my name isn't Mac!
RAiD
In article <6glqak$e03$1...@news.indigo.ie>, ger...@indigo.ie (Gerry Quinn)
wrote:
>Possibly some of the ones he says are easy...
As a shareware author myself, I found these hurdles at one point decent.
Until I realized how easy it actually was to bypass them.
>He didn't sound like the master of disassembly he would like to be -
>time reverse engineering indeed!
Foolish statement. One doesn't always need to bother with disassembling a
program to defeat it. It does of course depend on the program.
>by saving a few dollars that he could have earned faster in a
>productive pursuit, and have more time left for digital orgasm
>engineering. It's not as romantic as it's cracked up to be, the life
>of a hacker...
I consider the time spent reverse engineering worth it to me. I don't have
$30 here and $50 there to spend. If I did, I'd register the damn things.
Doren Rosenthal
Jon Eva (jon...@gallicrow.co.uk) wrote:
: Hi Chris,
:
: Actually Jabberwocky is from "Through the Looking Glass",
: Alice finds a piece of paper on which the poem is written
: backwards, and she holds it up to a mirror to read it:
:
: “It seems very pretty,” she said
: when she had finished it, “but it’s
: rather hard to understand!” (You
: see she didn’t like to confess
: even to herself, that she couldn’t
: make it out at all.)
:
: Sometimes I wonder if Doren's postings would make more
: sense if I held them up to a mirror. I must try it some
: time.
:
: Jon
Yes, Lewis Carol was quite good. You know his book was banned and he was
black-listed for writing it. Go to your book store sometime and look at
the list of books that were banned.
I never expected a simple engineer like myself to have made such an
important contribution as a black-listed program. To be ejected
from a professional trade association over a censoship issue because I
offered it to others. It's not like I'm Gallelio, Darwin or Pastuer.
Doren........
Andrew McKay
On Fri, 10 Apr 1998 21:08:06 +0100, Jon Eva <jon...@gallicrow.co.uk>
wrote:
>Sometimes I wonder if Doren's postings would make more
>sense if I held them up to a mirror. I must try it some
>time.
What's going on here then? Here I am, asking a perfectly innocent
question about the origins of (the?) Jabberwocky because I really
didn't know about it, and the damn conversation yet again turns full
circle to include Doren! My spam filter will fill up again with pleas
for me to stop hassling Doren at this rate, even though my best
intentions were to steer the conversation away from his lordship and
onto less contraversial ground.
I propose that we make April 15th a Doren-free day. And the 16th,
17th, 18th.....
Dave Webber
Doren Rosenthal wrote in message <6gm82f$jnm$1...@zinger.callamer.com>...
>Yes, Lewis Carol was quite good. You know his book was banned and he was
>black-listed for writing it. Go to your book store sometime and look at
>the list of books that were banned.
I believe he was poking fun in the books at some of his colleagues in
Oxford, who may not have liked it much and may have exercised their right
not to buy a copy, but I don't believe they wrote a list of any colour. The
books have been exceedingly popular in Britain for a very long time.
Generations of children have grown up with them. His download count from
bookshelves would make yours pale into insignificance.
>...
>It's not like I'm Gallelio, Darwin or Pastuer.
No, you're quite right there, it isn't - whoever the first and third of
these people were.
Dave
Dave Webber
The Cheshire cat.
Brian
zGerry Quinn wrote:
> Poking around in the registry to find a key, to be rewarded at the end
> productive pursuit, and have more time left for digital orgasm
> engineering. It's not as romantic as it's cracked up to be, the life
> of a hacker...
Hacker- A VERY extremely good programmer that knows computers like the
back of their hand
Cracker- Someone that tries to "crack" passwords or enable unregistered
software by "cracking" the registration code, or reverse engineering the
program
Pirate- Someone that registers shareware, then distributes the
registered shareware
Hackers have gotten a bad reputation as Crackers, by the true
definition, Hackers do NOTHING illegal
>
> - Gerry
> http://indigo.ie/~gerryq/Brewster/brewster.htm
> Brewster Kaleidoscopic Screensaver for Windows 95
> The only saver that simulates a real kaleidoscope
--
Brian Harris
mailto:bir...@not.mindless.com remove not.
goto:http://members.tripod.com/~jsgamerealm
Anything CAN happen, some things are just more probable than others.
RAiD
In article <352EDA12...@mindless.com>, Brian <bir...@mindless.com>
wrote:
>Hacker- A VERY extremely good programmer that knows computers like the
>back of their hand
Shrug.
>Cracker- Someone that tries to "crack" passwords or enable unregistered
>software by "cracking" the registration code, or reverse engineering the
>program
Sir, I'm by no means a cracker.
>Hackers have gotten a bad reputation as Crackers, by the true
>definition, Hackers do NOTHING illegal
Nah, breaching security to go where one isn't welcomed isn't illegal...Naw
:)
Doren Rosenthal
Dave Webber (da...@musical.demon.co.uk) wrote:
: >Yes, Lewis Carol was quite good. You know his book was banned and he was
: >black-listed for writing it. Go to your book store sometime and look at
: >the list of books that were banned.
:
: I believe he was poking fun in the books at some of his colleagues in
: Oxford, who may not have liked it much and may have exercised their right
: not to buy a copy
No it, as I understand it, it had to do with his comments about the queen
and her guards. Anyway my local book store has a whole list of banned
books and the reason they were banned. Very interesting! You wouldn't
believe some of the books on the list.
Anyway, having my stuff black-listed hasn't seemed to make a whole lot of
differance. ASP CD is gone, Garbo dosn't even offer anything for current
operating systems, Simtel just offers my older obsolete stuff.... nobody
else cares, and my own url downloads are going NUTS! I get more downloads
every day, than I ever got from Garbo or Simtel combined in a month.
The only ASP prediction that came true, was the PR nightmare they were
worried about for themselves. So enjoy the fruits of your efforts guys!
Doren Rosenthal
http://slonet.org/~doren/
JKHahn
A agree. But PLEASE tell me actually how to write to an exe file!
(Actual Code) Its nice everyone has a opinion, but thats not what i
wanted when i posted my question...
>In article <6gisra$hro$2...@zinger.callamer.com>,
> do...@slonet.org (Doren Rosenthal) wrote:
>
>>A better way would be to add a field in a data file so if the user wants
>>to remove the registration or time limit etc. they lose the data as well.
>
>The author of Mycdplayer did this, it was the worst thing he could do in
>my opinion. Using a few utilities I wrote, i was able to find where the
>registered data would go, as well as the countdown sequence. based on
>deleting the data file, and having it re-create it a few times I was able
>to generate a keygen for it.
>
>So, continue this method...By all means. :)
Andrew McKay
On Fri, 10 Apr 98 21:30:07 GMT, nospam.i...@View.signature.Below
(RAiD) wrote:
>I consider the time spent reverse engineering worth it to me. I don't have
>$30 here and $50 there to spend. If I did, I'd register the damn things.
Pardon me for suggesting it, but you obviously have a PC. Have you
ever thought of contacting the authors of the shareware that you like
to use? Seems to me that you could be useful as a beta-tester for some
of these people, the result of which would be a free legitimate copy
most times.
We shareware authors like to make sure that our registration status
can't be compromised too easy. Why not offer people a service relating
to trying to break their shareware status, but legitimately? <g>
Just a thought.
Andrew McKay
On 10 Apr 1998 22:56:15 GMT, do...@slonet.org (Doren Rosenthal) wrote:
>Yes, Lewis Carol was quite good. You know his book was banned and he was
>black-listed for writing it. Go to your book store sometime and look at
>the list of books that were banned.
He wasn't an ASP member then?
Doren Rosenthal
Andrew McKay (M...@kazmax.demon.co.uk) wrote:
: What's going on here then? Here I am, asking a perfectly innocent
: question about the origins of (the?) Jabberwocky because I really
: didn't know about it, and the damn conversation yet again turns full
: circle to include Doren! My spam filter will fill up again with pleas
: for me to stop hassling Doren at this rate, even though my best
: intentions were to steer the conversation away from his lordship and
: onto less contraversial ground.
:
: I propose that we make April 15th a Doren-free day. And the 16th,
: 17th, 18th.....
:
: Andrew
Andrew I'm not going to go away as you've suggested so many times. I'm
dealing with a problem. If you guys want to solve the problem, I'm an
easy guy for your board to reach..... For me this is a battle your CARO
anti-virus guys (you know Ross Greenburg, Wolfgang Stiller) have been at
since 1990. I'm not going away.... So I suggest a cooperative arrangement
to deal with the problem.
I've already got the ASP compliance letter. Demand they try the program
themselves and if the letter is not truthfull point out tests we can all
verify for ourselves. If the letter is truthfull have your president and
all your board members sign it and make that public.
I'm also making this offer open to anyone willing to examine my software
and undersign the letter.
Doren.......
http://slonet.org/~doren/
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: November 22, 1996
From: Brad Kaenel, Chairman, ASP Author Standards Committee
To: Shareware Consumer
Subject: Rosenthal Virus Simulator
At the request of the author, Doren Rosenthal, I submit to you this
letter of clarification concerning the purpose and usage of the
Rosenthal Virus Simulator software suite (VirSim).
I have examined VirSim and found it to be exactly what it claims: a set
of tools for testing the effectiveness of so-called "anti-virus" utilities.
VirSim allows you to create safe, benign viruses that can be instructed
to "infect" your computer in harmless (and reversible) ways.
Doren Rosenthal is a member in good-standing of the Association
of Shareware Professionals (ASP), an organization that maintains strict
"non-destructive, non-intrusive" usability rules for its authors' software.
VirSim complies with these rules.
It is not the policy of the ASP to endorse the specific functionality
of an application, nor to recommend its suitability for any particular
purpose. However, we do pledge that our authors make every effort to
produce software that is well-written, well-supported, and absolutely
safe to install and evaluate on your computer.
Brad Kaenel,
Chairman, ASP Author Standards Committee
Doren Rosenthal
Andrew McKay (M...@kazmax.demon.co.uk) wrote:
: On Fri, 10 Apr 98 21:30:07 GMT, nospam.i...@View.signature.Below
: (RAiD) wrote:
:
: >I consider the time spent reverse engineering worth it to me. I don't have
: >$30 here and $50 there to spend. If I did, I'd register the damn things.
: We shareware authors like to make sure that our registration status
: can't be compromised too easy. Why not offer people a service relating
: to trying to break their shareware status, but legitimately? <g>
:
: Just a thought.
:
: Andrew
Andrew I've used this same RAID guy for exactly that function, and he
tested my utilities. Yes he did provide that usefull service to me.
He was especialy usefull to test my Virus Simulator (you know the program
that got me kicked out of the ASP). If you're serious about giving your
software an independant, no-holds bared evaluation against the worst case,
bad news hackers you can find, guys like RAID take their work seriously.
I'll warn you though, don't give it to them if you have any doubts. These
guys are real pro's when it comes to the internal workings of software.
So RAID... How'd my Utilities stand up to your efforts? Was the free
registerd copy you earned as a tester worth the chalange?
Doren Rosenthal
http://slonet.org/~doren/
Doren Rosenthal
Andrew McKay (M...@kazmax.demon.co.uk) wrote:
: On 10 Apr 1998 22:56:15 GMT, do...@slonet.org (Doren Rosenthal) wrote:
:
: >Yes, Lewis Carol was quite good. You know his book was banned and he was
: >black-listed for writing it. Go to your book store sometime and look at
: >the list of books that were banned.
:
: He wasn't an ASP member then?
:
: Andrew
Andrew why is it you inject a plug for the ASP book-burning, black-
listing, and censorship practices into every post on this newsgoup? We are
all aware of these ASP pollicies, and not all of us approve. Nor do we
feel it's in the best interest of shareware authors in a free society.
You asked for the origin of a silly poem, and I gave you a straight answer
including the name of a Disney cartoon if you've never read the Lewis
Carol book. The book was banned at one time, but I think your youthfull
mind will not be too corrupted by watching the Disney cartoon version.
Doren Rosenthal
http://slonet.org/~doren/
RAiD
In article <352f1faa...@127.0.0.1>,
M...@kazmax.demon.co.uk (Andrew McKay) wrote:
>Pardon me for suggesting it, but you obviously have a PC. Have you
>ever thought of contacting the authors of the shareware that you like
>to use? Seems to me that you could be useful as a beta-tester for some
>of these people, the result of which would be a free legitimate copy
>most times.
Yes I have a pc. An old 80486 dlc40 with a .52 dotpitch vga monitor.
Running windows 3.1 :) Recently, I did manage to get 8 megs of ram for it
tho. (thanx to a dead pc someone donated). The software that is out these
days doesn't usually run on this machine, Like I said. I'm not rich. :-)
There are those rare circumstances where I'll find a nice program which
either supports dos, or doesn't mind windows 3.1, but the sad aspect, the
program is often several years old, and its author cant be contacted to
register it if I had the money, as is the case with MyCdplayer. Shrug.
however, you do present some good advice. And, I'd be happy to do
that...:)
>We shareware authors like to make sure that our registration status
>can't be compromised too easy. Why not offer people a service relating
>to trying to break their shareware status, but legitimately? <g>
Don't misunderstand me andrew, I have written cracks and keygens sure,
but, I don't just stick em on a webpage for all to leech.
RAiD
In article <6go13n$cqu$1...@zinger.callamer.com>,
do...@slonet.org (Doren Rosenthal) wrote:
>He was especialy usefull to test my Virus Simulator (you know the program
>So RAID... How'd my Utilities stand up to your efforts? Was the free
>registerd copy you earned as a tester worth the chalange?
Your programs were actually quiet interesting to study.. I still haven't
isolated your routine that shouts "virus" in the pc speaker. But, I am
looking for it. :)
I've probably spent more time playing with your programs then I did with
chekmate...Only because his program was..amusing to say the least. :)
>
>Doren Rosenthal
>http://slonet.org/~doren/
Dave Webber
Doren Rosenthal wrote in message <6gmjov$uu$1...@zinger.callamer.com>...
>No it, as I understand it, it had to do with his comments about the queen
>and her guards.
I don't think the books actually allude Queen Victoria or the British Armed
Forces, although at this remove it is difficult to know which of his
characters was based on whom. I suspect your sources are misinformed: this
is a very common situation in the USA on a number of topics - including the
British Royal Family - on which a certain degree of romanticism tends to
take over. (E.g. your wording betrays it: they are only "*her* guards"
in a sense in which the US Army and Navy would be also now be the property
of Bill Clinton. I know our lot dress up in red coats and enormous black
hats and pose for the tourists in front of sentry boxes - but in fact
they're part of the army and have the usual gear too: they are not just
chocolate box regal accessories <g>.)
Dave Webber
JKHahn wrote in message <352ed67b...@news.mindspring.com>...
>A agree. But PLEASE tell me actually how to write to an exe file!
>(Actual Code) Its nice everyone has a opinion, but thats not what i
>wanted when i posted my question...
Look up fread(), fwrite(), fseek() in the ANSI C runtime library and do it
thre way I told you earlier.
Everyone agrees its a bad idea and I guess that means that no-one has any
code you could use. I certainly haven't.
Doren Rosenthal
RAiD (nospam.i...@View.signature.Below) wrote:
: do...@slonet.org (Doren Rosenthal) wrote:
:
: >He was especialy usefull to test my Virus Simulator (you know the program
: >So RAID... How'd my Utilities stand up to your efforts? Was the free
: >registerd copy you earned as a tester worth the chalange?
:
: Your programs were actually quiet interesting to study.. I still haven't
: isolated your routine that shouts "virus" in the pc speaker. But, I am
: looking for it. :)
That's an easy one RAID. I wrote that routine back in '87 as I recall. At
that time people said that the IBM couldn't be made to talk through it's
own speaker because it's only a one bit port, no sound chip like a
Commadore for example.
Also I had a 7 Mhz 80286 AT to develop on, but most people were still
running XTs... So getting the hardware to bit-bang speech through the 4.5
mhz XT port was a real interesting trick. Makes me glad I didn't sleep
though calculus.
: I've probably spent more time playing with your programs then I did with
: chekmate...Only because his program was..amusing to say the least. :)
Yes, I know my stuff is a target for guys like you. Thanks for helping
give it a good anti-hacker test RAID. I hope you enjoyed the chalange.
Take a look at my WinLite sometime. That's the first selfloading Windows
program that wasn't done inside Micro$oft.
Doren.......
RAiD
In article <6goti9$6va$1...@zinger.callamer.com>,
do...@slonet.org (Doren Rosenthal) wrote:
>That's an easy one RAID. I wrote that routine back in '87 as I recall. At
>that time people said that the IBM couldn't be made to talk through it's
>own speaker because it's only a one bit port, no sound chip like a
>Commadore for example.
Ahh...yes, the old commies...:-)
>Also I had a 7 Mhz 80286 AT to develop on, but most people were still
>running XTs... So getting the hardware to bit-bang speech through the 4.5
>mhz XT port was a real interesting trick. Makes me glad I didn't sleep
>though calculus.
haha
>Yes, I know my stuff is a target for guys like you. Thanks for helping
>give it a good anti-hacker test RAID. I hope you enjoyed the chalange.
Was fun...theres one thing..that for a utility type person would be an
asset...er, I use it everyday actually...called DELOCK (its a file editor
of sorts...) let me know if you care to see it sometime....heh, its old...
but, for me atleast, is still damn useful.
Kevin G. Rhoads
>Hi everyone! I am using Visual C++ v5, have a dialog based
>application, and would like to know how to write to my program's exe
>file. (For shareware registration reasons) can anyone help? Thanks.
>
If you really need to write to your own .EXE (which I doubt),
try the following:
1) Your invoking program is trivial, all it does is read
a data file (or the #$%^& registry) and based on the data
invoke the main .EXE, named XXXXnnnn.EXE - where
XXXX is some fiexed string and nnnn is a number. Start
at 0000. Use HEX if 10,000 isn't enough - 65,536 ought
to be enough for anyone (why I can remember when 4096
was a lot! ;-] )
2) When you need to write to your .EXE you don't. You read
your .EXE and write changes to a new file where the nnnn is
bumped up by one. When then changes are successfully
written, you update the data file (or #$%^&* registry key).
This avoids freaking out scanners, but can waste disk
space and time if you have a large .EXE.
3) When your main executable exits, it invokes another
trivial program which "cleans up" by deleting the "old"
.EXE.
4) variations on a theme -- the main .EXE can be encrypted
and your invoker can
4a) have it's own loader (NOT recommended)
4b) decrypt to an alternate name, and load that
Please note:
1) that this won't work on systems where you
do not have write-access permissions (net server kinds
of things, or running off CD-Rom).
2) you can encrypt the data file, make the main .EXE
refuse to run if invoked directly &c if you want to
use this to "enforce" shareware trial limits (it's still
a HIGHLY sub-optimal solution for many venues)
3) it is rather unhelpful for those interested in writing
viruses (they should be looking for help elsewhere
anyway)
4) it is a lot of work for very little reward
5) poking a value into an unused word in the .EXE
or tacking it on at the end will provide very LITTLE
protection with tremendous disadvantage and work
Before you go further, find out about /KNOWEAS
(an undocumented option for the 16 bit MS Linkers
v5.30 and later, maybe 5.20) which VC4 and VC5
tells you to use if you try to override the default
STUB .EXE in a PE (i.e., COFF format) executable.
There is room in the STUB EXE to do what you claim
to want to do, and more can be made there by design.
/KNOWEAS can be found in the VC4/5 on-line docs,
but what it says is not too helpful and has a bug.
DOCUMENTATION BUG: it refers to "40" as if
it were decimal when it is 40H == 64D.
Then, go get the .EXE file format docs (sorry I don't
know the URL off the top of my head), and then if
you STILL can't figure out how to write to an .EXE
and you think you have a legitimate need -- ask again,
with a MORE specific question. There is LOTS of
data out there on how to, and not all of it from virus
writers' 'zines.
--
Kevin G. Rhoads, Ph.D.
T_Rhoads@NO_SPAM.Classic.MSN.COM
KRhoads@NO_SPAM.CmpNetMail.com
JKHahn
OK, OK, here is what I want to know. I want to make a shareware
program. What is the most secure way to do this? (RAiD???) PLEASE
HELP ME! I am desperate!
RAiD
In article <35301c2...@news.mindspring.com>,
The most secure way, is to release 2 seperate binaries, one shareware, and
one registered. This way, one can't crack something that isn't there.
:)
Doren Rosenthal
Andrew McKay (M...@kazmax.demon.co.uk) wrote:
: What's going on here then? Here I am, asking a perfectly innocent
: question about the origins of (the?) Jabberwocky because I really
: didn't know about it, and the damn conversation yet again turns full
: circle to include Doren! My spam filter will fill up again with pleas
: for me to stop hassling Doren at this rate, even though my best
: intentions were to steer the conversation away from his lordship and
: onto less contraversial ground.
If you think your mailbox is filling up, do you guys have a clue as to how
many prospective authors this BS has cost you? Sorry your mail hasn't been
as supportive as mine Andrew, but I love getting all the great mail.
Also I've got lots of authors trying my software now and taking advantage
of my free offers.
I'm an easy guy to reach if the ASP board wants to solve this problem.
Doren.......
Doren Rosenthal
RAiD (nospam.i...@View.signature.Below) wrote:
: In article <35301c2...@news.mindspring.com>,
: >OK, OK, here is what I want to know. I want to make a shareware
: >program. What is the most secure way to do this? (RAiD???) PLEASE
: >HELP ME! I am desperate!
:
: The most secure way, is to release 2 seperate binaries, one shareware, and
: one registered. This way, one can't crack something that isn't there.
Outstanding RAID! A valuable contribution. Isn't that a better use of your
technical talents?
Doren Rosenthal
Author of "The Rosenthal Utilities (tm)" http://slonet.org/~doren/
NEW!! Rosenthal Year 2000 Fix, and CMOS/Clock Battery Fix. FREE!!!
RAiD
In article <6gpc1b$kj0$2...@zinger.callamer.com>,
do...@slonet.org (Doren Rosenthal) wrote:
>Outstanding RAID! A valuable contribution. Isn't that a better use of
>your technical talents?
Your being...sarcastic right? :-)
Andrew McKay
On Sat, 11 Apr 98 21:03:07 GMT, nospam.i...@View.signature.Below
(RAiD) wrote:
>Yes I have a pc. An old 80486 dlc40 with a .52 dotpitch vga monitor.
Wow! I can't actually remember .52 pitch - I thought .28 was bad
enough.
>Don't misunderstand me andrew, I have written cracks and keygens sure,
>but, I don't just stick em on a webpage for all to leech.
I didn't mean to imply that you did. My apologies if that's the way it
came across.....
st...@tropheus.demon.co.uk
On Sun, 12 Apr 1998 01:44:49 GMT, jkh...@hotmail.com (JKHahn) wrote:
>OK, OK, here is what I want to know. I want to make a shareware
>program. What is the most secure way to do this? (RAiD???) PLEASE
>HELP ME! I am desperate!
As I said before you need to produce two separate versions of your
application. One is for evaluation and one with a few extras for
people who have registered it. You can use compile time directives so
that both version can produced from the same source code. The
evaluation can't be registered and hasn't the code for the extras so
it can't be hacked. No code to hack!
Steve
--
--------------------------------------------------------
Stephen Wolstenholme: Neural Network Software
Neural-Planner NeuroDiet EasyNN
http://www.tropheus.demon.co.uk
RAiD
In article <3530769b...@127.0.0.1>,
M...@kazmax.demon.co.uk (Andrew McKay) wrote:
>Wow! I can't actually remember .52 pitch - I thought .28 was bad
>enough.
heh... Well...I use this old beast everyday...:)
>I didn't mean to imply that you did. My apologies if that's the way it
>came across.....
not a problem, I just didn't want various shareware authors under the
impression that I promote piracy or cracking. I crack software when I have
no other choice. Shrug.
RAiD
In article <35308654.628013@news>, st...@tropheus.demon.co.uk wrote:
>On Sun, 12 Apr 1998 01:44:49 GMT, jkh...@hotmail.com (JKHahn) wrote:
>As I said before you need to produce two separate versions of your
>application. One is for evaluation and one with a few extras for
>people who have registered it. You can use compile time directives so
>that both version can produced from the same source code. The
>evaluation can't be registered and hasn't the code for the extras so
>it can't be hacked. No code to hack!
Exactly :)
using this method deters hacking/cracking of course, just that piracy is a
thing to be concerned with at that point. However, if you make the program
put the users name/address etc on screen and in any data files it might
make, that tends to deter pirating it. Until someone figures out how you
stored the data anyways.
Doren Rosenthal
RAiD (nospam.i...@View.signature.Below) wrote:
: In article <6gpc1b$kj0$2...@zinger.callamer.com>,
: do...@slonet.org (Doren Rosenthal) wrote:
:
: >Outstanding RAID! A valuable contribution. Isn't that a better use of
: >your technical talents?
:
: Your being...sarcastic right? :-)
No, supportive of your posative contribuition.
Thank you.
Doren.....
Börje Hagsten
RAiD skrev:
>
> In article <35301c2...@news.mindspring.com>,
> jkh...@hotmail.com (JKHahn) wrote:
> >OK, OK, here is what I want to know. I want to make a shareware
> >program. What is the most secure way to do this? (RAiD???) PLEASE
> >HELP ME! I am desperate!
>
> one registered. This way, one can't crack something that isn't there.
Yeah, but then you'll have someone called "John Smith" buying your stuff
and suddenly you'll find the registered version out there anyway.
I don't get this discussion at all. Why protect your stuff by
implementing 200 different unlocking schemes etc? Take a look at some of
the most succesful shareware-applications ever, like Paint Shop Pro and
WinZip. They function for as long as you whish, with a simple reminder
of the 30 day evaluation and they haven't done much to protect the
program. Still, they do make a good living out of the stuff.
People in common are honest and pay for the license if they can. If they
can't pay and you have protected your program with 30-day limits etc,
they'll just erase it and try something else - if they can't reinstall
the current one or fool it by setting their computer-time back and forth
(has anyone else also noticed that many people already have set their
time to past the year 2000..? ;)
You can't squeeze money out of your users, but you can give them the
chance of using the program and pay when they can afford it. That's how
Nico Mac Computing (WinZip) and the other "shareware stars" make their
living and I guess we all would like to be in their position, or.. :)
Set a limit, but don't overdo it. Give you users a chance to really use
the program and even if you loose some on the people that never
register, you won't get them by using too much restrictions either. I
still get 4-5 registration per month on my first release from -95 and
usually it ends up with a sale of the new version as well.
I get many, many more registrations from users that has used the program
for 3-4 months, or even more and finally has got some money left to
spend. They ususally tell me they want to register because they have had
some "guilt" over using my stuff without paying me for all all the
thousands of work-hours I have spent on it. This said as a tip, for
those of you who think that heavy protection will bring more sales to
you.. ;)
Borje
------------------------------------------------------------
From: Borje Hagsten E-mail: hag...@algonet.se
Internet: http://www.algonet.se/~hagsten
Developer of TOLKEN97 v3.2, language-translator, texteditor,
dictionary and vocabulary-test, all in one good application.
Member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP)
------------------------------------------------------------
JKHahn
nospam.i...@View.signature.Below (RAiD) wrote:
>In article <35301c2...@news.mindspring.com>,
> jkh...@hotmail.com (JKHahn) wrote:
>>OK, OK, here is what I want to know. I want to make a shareware
>>program. What is the most secure way to do this? (RAiD???) PLEASE
>>HELP ME! I am desperate!
>
>The most secure way, is to release 2 seperate binaries, one shareware, and
>one registered. This way, one can't crack something that isn't there.
>
>:)
>
>
>Email: juno@raid.x (swap to mail)
>http://207.23.1.97/~raid/index.html
>http://krile.dyn.ml.org/~raid/index.html
Thank you RAiD, I think I'll try that.