I possibly have the widest selection of programs with the
copy-protection removed.
However, I have never seen a cracked version of QL Pawn. The initial
cartridge was always easy to crack - oddly however, it loaded most of
the game/operating system from specific sectors on the second cartridge
(if you DIR it, it appears to be blank) - however, the original
cartridge included a useful CLONE program to make as many copies as you
needed of that second cartridge!!
It just means that you could never get it to run from disk!
Rich
Ralf Reköndt wrote:
Yes, but there are few "commercial" programs, which use this later
than 1984-85 (apart from the Sinclair "Software Production Kit"
utility, written by Tony Tebby).
A lot came later with own protection versions, including using marked
"bad sectors" on MDV, a few with sectors filled on the "Sinclair
Spectrum". Or ask Jochen about his Card Games on Disk, which were
delivered as a One-side-QL-Disk but formatted on side 2 on Spectrum
and read special sectors. Clever boy, he.
Also, some used marked "bad sectors", which weren't really bad but
included special values.
One of the worst one was "QL.Pawn", which used a very heavy way of
protection, also installed an own Operating System at Start-up. As far
as I know, this one was only "freed" by an italian guy. Always notable
by an additional file called "0815". Very ironically.
Also "Tankbusters" was greatly protected. But MC...always searchable.
Good QL.Monitor(s)...;-)).
Ralf
----- Original Message ----- From: "Dilwyn Jones"
I seem to remember from years ago that the protection systems using the
FORMAT random number (the cartridge "fingerprint") can be re-created on a
new microdrive cartridge with a POKE_W to the relevant system variable
(probably the 'random number seed' ) just before a FORMAT command. As I
haven't got technical info to hand at the moment, I can't remember the
details, though I think it might be sv_rand (in QDOS terminology) at
offset
$2E in the system variables. No doubt if my memory is as bad as usual
someone will correct me!
--
Rich Mellor
RWAP Services
URL:http://www.rwapsoftware.co.uk
URL:http://www.rwapservices.co.uk
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