51 lines
2.9 KiB
Erlang
51 lines
2.9 KiB
Erlang
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% How to Copy Programs. A Beginners Primer.
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BY THE THREE MUSKETEERS
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%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
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Copy a program is a minor technique easily mastered. The major problem with
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copying a program is figuring out how it is protected, this is obvious.
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To see how a disk is protected, first listen to the drive as it boots up the
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disk. Be prepared to know what a normal boot sounds like, then check for any
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differences. If you hear a "swishing" or "syncopated rhythm" the disk is
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proboably using nibble counting. A procedure in which the number of "nibbles"
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on a disk is compared to the number actually put on at the company. Strange, as
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it may seem, a disk with the same information with another disk have differ- ent
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number of nibbles. If this is found, finding the track is usually easy. It is
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normally a track that cannot be copied easily for it usually only has a series
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of one number on the entire track, which nibble copiers tend to be quite
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irritated at. To copy that track use the option for nibble counting. LS 5.0,
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EDD 1,2, &3, NA ][ vA,vB,vC, Copy ] all have an option on the menu to "keep" or
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"preserve" the nibble count. Others like LS 4.1 have parameters to change. (LS
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4.1 = 4C=1B).
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Another common scheme is to Syncronize the tracks. That is, to place the
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sectors on one track in a special relationship with another sector on a separate
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track. The sound of this is an unusually long time on a track. It sounds like
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a "swinging pendulum" as it goes from track to track. All copy programs have an
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option to Sync Tracks. Just choose it.
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Other techniques involve changing headers (track starts and data starts) and
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ending data. Use a "Nibble Editor" to inspect the original disk. You will see,
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usually plainly, a series of FF's or FE's or some other number (not 96's
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though...) hese are called Sync Bytes. They tell the program to get ready to
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receive data. The next bytes are called the header bytes. They tell the
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computer what track, sector, and volume of the sector. The first three bytes
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are the start bytes. They tell the computer that this is the Start of Actual
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Information. Normally they are D5 AA 96. They may be changed. If they are
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changed, enter the data into the copy program. Usually through parms. although
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some copiers (one is NA ][ ) can enter it from a menu. Later in the data you
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will see a smaller series of the same Sync Bytes. They are there as a delay.
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Next comes three more bytes to show that data is next. They are normally D5 AA
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AD. If changed, enter the altered bytes into the copier.
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These are most of the techinques that are used. But do NOT forget that just a
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normal run might work.
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As homework, try to see the headers in a normal DOS 3.3 disk. Have Fun and
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Success A.S.R.
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