Anybody interested in cracking DOS (or other) software?

Hey AKA, long time since I chatted you - hope all is well!!

I just had a user email me, asking about 'FileDoor' - a File Lister that sysops used for RemoteAccess BBSes back in the day. They are trying to get it to work w/ RA, but have no way to register.

Any chance you'd wanna take a peek??? I know you were releasing doors awhile ago, and this is ALMOST up that alley.

The files, to be found @ 2oFB, are;
fdl_v410.zip
fdl_v501.zip

NO biggy if not, or you aren't working on this anymore - I just thought I'd ask as I remember you were enjoying cracking in 2024. :P Cheers - come say hello @ 2oFB soon!!



|07p|15AULIE|1142|07o
|08.........

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2024/05/29 (Linux/64)
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On Sun, 7 Apr 2024 15:05:36 +0000
"AKAcastor" (21:1/162) <[email protected]t> wrote:

I'm a software engineer, but I've never really looked
into reverse-engineering and cracking software. My
skills with that are fairly limited, but I think it
would be interesteing to do though. I've sometimes
looked at executable and other binary files with a hex
editor, but I'm not sure what I'd be looking for as far
as license and serial number checks and that sort of
thing. It's naturally more difficult to reverse-
engineer a binary than to look at source code. :)

The tools make all the difference! And willingness to trace through assembler code endlessly! :) Some of the disassembly and
decompilation tools and debuggers can do a shocking amount of the
work in some cases. There's no universal solution, but when it does
work it's pretty impressive.

I love doing hex-edit hacks too. Neat to poke around inside an
executable and just paint over some bits to adjust things just so.
Another very handy tool is 'strings', to get a list of readable text
inside a binary file - great for taking a quick peek.

Chris/akacastor

--- Maximus 3.01
* Origin: Another Millennium - Canada - another.tel (21:1/162)

Hey, I sent you a message on reddit the other day but good to see you
hang out here too.

I have permission from the author of Bar World for it to be keygened.
He's looking for the source to remove the registration bit but in the
meantime, feel free to have at it.

https://slbbs.org/files/doorgame/barv15.zip
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On Thu, 4 Apr 2024 15:08:36 -0700
"Nightfox" (21:1/137) <[email protected]t> wrote:

Re: Cracking DOS software
By: AKAcastor to Nightfox on Thu Apr 04 2024 02:05 pm

I wrote that keygen and posted it in the thread created by the
son of the developer of Buccaneer.

Ah, although that was fairly recent, I must have forgotten it was
you. :)

Since then, he (graffd03 on reddit - son of the developer of
Buccaneer) has called my BBS (another.tel) a few times and
played Buccaneer. There's an active game going with at least a
couple of us playing daily. It's a fun game - though your ship
may spend significant time on the bottom of the sea, depending
on your luck!

That's cool. :) I've added it to my BBS too.

Nightfox
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I tried running Buccaneer under DosEMU2 but it's slow drawing the
screen, like 1200 baud. I asked Digitam Man about it and I guess he
thinks it's just slow, but I wonder if there's something else going on.
I don't see any way of configuring the baud rate so I'm thinking it's
stuck at 1200 internally, somehow.
--
End Of The Line BBS - Plano, TX
telnet endofthelinebbs.com 23
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On Thu, 4 Apr 2024 22:31:40 -0400
"Warpslide" (21:3/110) <[email protected]t> wrote:

On 04 Apr 2024, paulie420 said the following...

Anybody interested in cracking DOS (or other) software?

While I don't have the technical skills to perform the work,
I've enjoyed watching you dig in and release SEVERAL great cracks/keygens!

I don't have these technical skills to do this either. Has anyone
ever found a working keygen for Bluewave offline mail reader (both
DOS & 386)? I've found serial numbers for the DOS version which I've
used when playing around with them, but never a keygen.

Jay

... Did you know that dolphins are just gay sharks?

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2023/04/30 (Linux/64)
* Origin: Northern Realms (21:3/110)

I don't have the assembly skills, but I would love to learn. The more
people who learn, the more abandonware we can bring back to life.

If Aka is willing to teach, I'm willing to learn.
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telnet endofthelinebbs.com 23
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Re: Re: Cracking DOS software
By: Nigel Reed to All on Mon Mar 17 2025 03:49 pm

Since then, he (graffd03 on reddit - son of the developer of
Buccaneer) has called my BBS (another.tel) a few times and played
Buccaneer. There's an active game going with at least a couple of us

That's cool. :) I've added it to my BBS too.

I tried running Buccaneer under DosEMU2 but it's slow drawing the screen, like 1200 baud. I asked Digitam Man about it and I guess he thinks it's just slow, but I wonder if there's something else going on. I don't see any way of configuring the baud rate so I'm thinking it's stuck at 1200 internally, somehow.

I wonder if it's also that slow on a 32-bit Windows PC (which has NTVDM), or a real DOS machine. I guess it's possible it's just made to output everything at that speed.

Nightfox
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Re: Re: Cracking DOS software
By: Nigel Reed to All on Mon Mar 17 2025 15:53:20

Has anyone ever found a working keygen for Bluewave offline mail reader (both DOS & 386)?

DOS runs on a 386 so don't know what your asking here.
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Re: Re: Cracking DOS software
By: Nightfox to Nigel Reed on Mon Mar 17 2025 15:22:54

I wonder if it's also that slow on a 32-bit Windows PC (which has NTVDM), or a real DOS machine.

Define "real DOS machine", 'cause a 32-bit system--Windows or otherwise--will run DOS. Windows is not tied to the CPU.
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Re: Re: Cracking DOS software
By: Nightfox to Nigel Reed on Mon Mar 17 2025 15:22:54

Define "real DOS machine", 'cause a 32-bit system--Windows or otherwise--will run DOS. Windows is not tied to the CPU.

A computer actually running DOS as the operating system. Not Windows or anything else with a VM or emulator.

Nightfox
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Quoting Mortar M. to Jay <=-

Re: Re: Cracking DOS software
By: Nigel Reed to All on Mon Mar 17 2025 15:53:20

Has anyone ever found a working keygen for Bluewave offline mail reader (both DOS & 386)?

DOS runs on a 386 so don't know what your asking here.

I think Jay is referring to the 2 versions of Blue Wave. Theres a DOS
version and a version enhanced for 386 class machines.

I am running Blue Wave on a 386sx 16Mhz machine and it's fast. I also
run it in a Vdos session on my newer PC and it runs fine there also. It
is really hard to tell the difference on the 386 and Vdos session.

And I would register if I could, but did find another way to register
other than contacting the author which doesn't seem possible any longer.

I used to use Qmail Deluxe2 back in the early 90's paired with John
Hancock 3. I registered both at the time, but the keys are long gone.
Mark Herring (Sparkware Qmail) passed away so there is no way to get
that software to work any longer. Not sure about the author of JH3, but
I would be willing to pay for a key for both of these again.

Sadly I don't think this is possible any longer. (just pandering here)

Best regards,

Don

... "Mr. Worf, fire phasers at Mortar" ... Zzzzzap!

___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.20
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Quoting Mortar M. to Nightfox <=-

Re: Re: Cracking DOS software
By: Nightfox to Nigel Reed on Mon Mar 17 2025 15:22:54

I wonder if it's also that slow on a 32-bit Windows PC (which
has NTVDM), or a real DOS machine.

Define "real DOS machine", 'cause a 32-bit system--Windows or otherwise--will run DOS. Windows is not tied to the CPU.

NF - if you mean Blue Wave, I run it in VDOS on my i7 class Windows
machine. I also run it on my 386sx and it's not sluggish on either.

Don

... Taglines are irrelevant. You will be assimilated into the Blue Wave.

___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.20
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