Mac OS 9 Lives

Classic Mac OS Software => Digital Audio Workstations - General Discussion => Topic started by: systemseven on April 04, 2018, 05:38:20 PM

Title: Way to defeat disk authorization for old floppies? (OSC Deck II 2.2)
Post by: systemseven on April 04, 2018, 05:38:20 PM
Thanks to a very kind member of this board I was able to obtain an original floppy disk and documents of OSC Deck II 2.2  This is the last version of Deck by OSC before they sold out to Macromedia and is very significant in the history of DAW development, but currently unavailable anywhere online!

The floppy has a copy authorization scheme and will not let me install.  Installs are limited to two hard drives, and I believe the original owner had reached this two drive limit and possibly no longer has access to those drives to de-authorize.  Understandable after 25 years! 

I think the install checks the serial of the hard drives and then writes that to the floppy.  Is there any possible way to overcome this protection?  We are talking about a legally purchased disk, 20+ years on from abandonment by a company that was dissolved decades ago as well.

I am also unable to make a backup of the disk using Disk Copy 6.3 in OS9.  Is there a simple way to make a copy of this that overcomes that protection as well?  Then at least I could share the disk image online for other more gifted hacker/programmers to look at.

Thanks!
Title: Re: Way to defeat disk authorization for old floppies? (OSC Deck II 2.2)
Post by: IIO on April 04, 2018, 08:21:40 PM
when i remember right opcode used the same scheme as steinbger did.

there were 3 key files on that floppy, which you could move onto your HD to authorize it. then you had 2 keys left on the floppy and one on your HD. you could also write back the key, to restore the count of 3 auths on the floppy - and unauthorise your HD.

but if you just wrote 3 keys onto the same HD and then loose the HD, your authorisation was gone and you had to start a phonecall in french.
Title: Re: Way to defeat disk authorization for old floppies? (OSC Deck II 2.2)
Post by: DieHard on April 05, 2018, 12:03:33 PM
Quote
The floppy has a copy authorization scheme and will not let me install.  Installs are limited to two hard drives, and I believe the original owner had reached this two drive limit and possibly no longer has access to those drives to de-authorize.  Understandable after 25 years!

There are ways to copy the original diskette, but they only work it you have at leat 1 authorization left and then use the "copied" disk to install. If you ruin the original (decrement count down to 0), I doubt there is a fix :(
Title: Re: Way to defeat disk authorization for old floppies? (OSC Deck II 2.2)
Post by: systemseven on April 06, 2018, 11:50:17 AM
yeah, i was afraid of that.  I got a tip to try DiskDup, so I will give that a shot.  Is there any chance that something like ResEdit might allow me to futz with the authorization count?
Title: Re: Way to defeat disk authorization for old floppies? (OSC Deck II 2.2)
Post by: GaryN on April 06, 2018, 01:24:23 PM
This has ALL been tried and failed - repeatedly. It's time out of your life that you don't get back. Move on.
Title: Re: Way to defeat disk authorization for old floppies? (OSC Deck II 2.2)
Post by: DieHard on April 06, 2018, 08:14:31 PM
Quote
It's time out of your life that you don't get back. Move on.

Note to self... stop drinking coffee when reading Gary's post... time to clean the screen again!
Title: Re: Way to defeat disk authorization for old floppies? (OSC Deck II 2.2)
Post by: systemseven on April 07, 2018, 01:02:32 AM
This has ALL been tried and failed - repeatedly. It's time out of your life that you don't get back. Move on.

you could also save time in your life by keeping your unconstructive comments to yourself.  you waste your time, you waste my time.  grow up.
Title: Re: Way to defeat disk authorization for old floppies? (OSC Deck II 2.2)
Post by: IIO on April 07, 2018, 07:23:56 AM
resedit, no, copying floppies was so easy back the days, that maby nobody made a fullcrack because of that.

but i am just thinking that one could eventually make use of norton disk editor.
Title: Re: Way to defeat disk authorization for old floppies? (OSC Deck II 2.2)
Post by: Astroman on April 07, 2018, 08:23:08 AM
I don't know the app, but if it's from the old M68k days of code the most simple way is to just remove the disk check handling when it compares the counter and branches.
You just alter the instruction to always branch into the valid path.
If such a modified version doesn't exist, it probably wasn't considered worth the effort.
Title: Re: Way to defeat disk authorization for old floppies? (OSC Deck II 2.2)
Post by: mrhappy on April 07, 2018, 08:32:23 AM

you could also save time in your life by keeping your unconstructive comments to yourself.  you waste your time, you waste my time.  grow up.

Hey SS... For whatever reason you seem to have taken Gary's post the wrong way. It looks to me that he was just trying to pass along his hard fought wisdom/ experience to help you. It certainly doesn't seem to be any sort of personal attack or whatever... just advice... take it or don't. Either way good luck with solving your problem. ;D ;D

I think there's been some other interesting 'copy-floppy' posts here in the past... don't know if you tried searching the site but you might dig something up that could help.
Title: Re: Way to defeat disk authorization for old floppies? (OSC Deck II 2.2)
Post by: GuiBer on April 07, 2018, 08:39:29 AM
Hoping I can help you, I sent you a PM.
Let me know.
Title: Re: Way to defeat disk authorization for old floppies? (OSC Deck II 2.2)
Post by: mrhappy on April 07, 2018, 08:40:48 AM
Might be something in this thread that could help out?

http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php/topic,2680.msg16400.html#msg16400
Title: Re: Way to defeat disk authorization for old floppies? (OSC Deck II 2.2)
Post by: DieHard on April 07, 2018, 11:19:58 AM
systemseven,

I know you are new here and are un-familiar with our humor, believe me that was not an actual attack by Gary at all; in text emotions cannot get conveyed and are often mis-interpretted. I found it so funny because I have wasted many hours, if not years, on the small details of how to get a mac issue resolved, Gary's advice may have save me countless hours to move on to another project when I get fixated on something.  If you are tenacious, like me, don't take comments here to heart; we are all just having a good time here... no ill-will :)  Gary speaks truth, he does not attack or demean. If you still plug away at it, and figure out a way to get copies to re-authorize we will all congratulate you since it will help many before who have tried and failed.
Title: Re: Way to defeat disk authorization for old floppies? (OSC Deck II 2.2)
Post by: GaryN on April 07, 2018, 03:26:24 PM
Wow… nice to see I have support! Thank you all for defending my honor - it's much appreciated.

systemseven: Perhaps when you didn't get a huge tome of info in reply to your query, you stopped actually reading and absorbing what I said.
To wit: "This has ALL been tried and failed - repeatedly". That may seem excessively simple, but it's true, and should you take the time to search things like "authorizations" "copy protection" etc, here on the Forum, you'll see that there is enough discussion about the subject to fill a book.

My advice to you stands: It's all been tried before without success. When the authorizations are gone, they're gone…period.
If you don't like people giving you answers and advice you don't like, then don't ask, you'll be often disappointed.
Title: Re: Way to defeat disk authorization for old floppies? (OSC Deck II 2.2)
Post by: macStuff on April 08, 2018, 05:00:59 AM
i have a friend on facebook whos capable of re-creating master/key diskettes

hes got two different methods for doing so, one hardware solution and one software
Title: Re: Way to defeat disk authorization for old floppies? (OSC Deck II 2.2)
Post by: mrhappy on April 08, 2018, 07:03:37 AM
i have a friend on facebook whos capable of re-creating master/key diskettes

hes got two different methods for doing so, one hardware solution and one software

Maybe you can encourage your friend to stop for a visit at OS9Lives??!! I'll bet we'd get along just fine with him!!;D ;D
Title: Re: Way to defeat disk authorization for old floppies? (OSC Deck II 2.2)
Post by: IIO on April 08, 2018, 07:33:23 AM
Maybe you can encourage your friend to stop for a visit at OS9Lives??!! I'll bet we'd get along just fine with him!!;D ;D

and let me know when they arrive so that i can put all of them to my ignore list :D
Title: Re: Way to defeat disk authorization for old floppies? (OSC Deck II 2.2)
Post by: GaryN on April 08, 2018, 04:38:21 PM
i have a friend on facebook whos capable of re-creating master/key diskettes

hes got two different methods for doing so, one hardware solution and one software

That would be the Central Point CopyIIPC Deluxe Option Board (hardware) and probably

The Monte Method (software)

Neither of which are capable of re-creating spent authorizations. They both require a source with a still-working auth to start with.

Again: This has ALL been tried and failed - repeatedly.
Title: Re: Way to defeat disk authorization for old floppies? (OSC Deck II 2.2)
Post by: IIO on April 08, 2018, 05:06:47 PM
two blind discussing colors.^^
Title: Re: Way to defeat disk authorization for old floppies? (OSC Deck II 2.2)
Post by: DieHard on April 09, 2018, 04:13:05 PM
Yes just to reiterate...

Quote
There are ways to copy the original diskette, but they only work it you have at leat 1 authorization left and then use the "copied" disk to install. If you ruin the original (decrement count down to 0), I doubt there is a fix :(
Title: Re: Way to defeat disk authorization for old floppies? (OSC Deck II 2.2)
Post by: systemseven on April 09, 2018, 09:59:24 PM
I have a SCSI2SD that lets you set the serial # of each virtual SCSI device.  I'll try to see if I can find the serials stored on floppy and set my SCSI2SD drive to that number.

In the meantime, a kind member of the forums as provided me with [k] copies of Deck II 2.1.2 and 2.2.2 (both by OSC before the sale to Macromedia).  I have a Powermac 7500 with PCI Audiomedia III, and I think Deck wants to see Nubus devices before it will launch.  Deck II 2.5 works fine on the PCI Audiomedia III, so I'll be using that for the moment.
Title: Re: Way to defeat disk authorization for old floppies? (OSC Deck II 2.2)
Post by: Syn-Fi on June 13, 2018, 11:52:04 AM
i think i have a version on Deck II on my Quadra 840av, using the DSP and i have an nubus audiomedia card in there too.  What does 2.2 have over 2.0

thanks