Steve Comstock wrote:

>Also, what about the shop that tries to locate the end date and zap it? You 
>may say it doesn't happen but I have heard tales...

True. I also heard it via grapevine.

Some software does integrity checks [CRC check?] on that date to prevent 
zapping. Rather, you can replace [1] a jump/branch to that part which examines 
that date, so no checking can be done at all. 

However, that will also fails if the checking part sets [sometimes 
periodically] a flag in memory which says "I'm now licensed/legal" and each 
functions of that software check that flag.

There are self modifying code [on PC] which modifies the storage areas where 
the program is loaded and then in that storage the keys/dates/etc are only 
revealed/checked. So what is written in the program on disk is not always the 
same when loaded in memory. I think that self modifying trick can't be done 
with REUS=RENT programs except those in key=0 on z/OS. [2]

Groete / Greetings
Elardus Engelbrecht

[1] - with some NOPs.
[2] - debuggers can override it, even with REFRPROT set.

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