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Thread: Looking for some help with defeating limitation on disc

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    Default Looking for some help with defeating limitation on disc

    I have a collection of Genealogy cd's, they are basically databases of Births, Deaths and Marriages. 2 of the newer discs have protection of some kind on them, you can copy the disc but get limits on the number of searches when installed.

    Its hard for me to describe, because I havent hit this limitation yet but thought I would ask if anyone knows how or what this limitation is. The discs use the companies software called "Digger".

    Edit : Just installed and had a look, it asks you to register the disc. You can do 20 searches before you cant use it.



Look Here ->
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    Looks like you answered your own question as it appears to a be a software controlled licensing limitation.

    It's possible with some of these types of software limitations to find the .ini file it loads on your pc & change it's registration status.
    Eg; it will have in the file something like; Reg Stat= nil or null or no or 0.
    So you change it to; Reg Stat= positive or yes or 1.

    It may also require a registry adjustment.

    The only easy way to know for sure is to see a reg status in a valid registered file.
    Cheers, Tiny
    "You can lead a person to knowledge, but you can't make them think? If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem.
    The information is out there; you just have to let it in."

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    You know you try out this link at your own risk ( Firefox tells me "This Connection is Untrusted" ):


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    Quote Originally Posted by jwoegerbauer View Post
    You know you try out this link at your own risk ( Firefox tells me "This Connection is Untrusted" ):

    dead link

    can you post a pick of the file structure
    im with tiny, have done this in old days with a hex editor
    https://www.facebook.com/philquad68

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    Quote Originally Posted by Philquad View Post
    dead link
    Haven't verified it. Sorry for this.
    Quote Originally Posted by Philquad View Post
    can you post a pick of the file structure
    im with tiny, have done this in old days with a hex editor
    1)
    I doubt this is helpful. Macbeth, who authored Digger software, send you a registration code that is made up - among other data you give them - on the product-key which is printed on the back of each Digger CD. So the Digger registration code you get sent by Macbeth cannot already be present (hard coded) in the Digger-software. Therefor a hex editor won't help. My opinion, of course.
    2)
    If the Digger software comes as a MSI-file (Windows Installer File) then it is easy to find out at which places this software adds information (registry keys, etc, pp). You simply use a MSI-unpacker (viewer/reader), such as . In my eyes this freeware is the most convenient MSI unpacker for non-technical people. I use this freeware tool to inspect software before installing it. Always.
    Last edited by jwoegerbauer; 29-04-15 at 04:36 AM.

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    That's correct "if" they use a registration key.

    Even if the registration can be cracked, the fall down in both Simple & complex registration of the disc will be if the Software compares the ID of the disc to a database, which is a high possibility due to the company that makes the software probably also compiles the discs & keeps a database of them.


    EDIT; according to wiki;
    In Microsoft introduced the , and began to steer developers away from using INI files for configuration. All subsequent versions of Windows have used the Windows Registry for system configuration, and applications built on the .NET Framework use special .config files. The APIs still exist in Windows, however, and developers may still use them.
    So you may have to look for the programs configuration & registration status in an XML file & or the registry as well as a possible .INI file?

    Last edited by Tiny; 29-04-15 at 10:15 AM.
    Cheers, Tiny
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    The information is out there; you just have to let it in."

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    Thanks for the replies.

    There doesnt appear to be any connection between the software and the internet at this stage......so I might have a look around as per Tiny's suggestion as it appears to be a limitation by file.

    Will be back with my findings.

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    send us the code leet 1337 boss
    https://www.facebook.com/philquad68

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    My two cents worth would be to delete all references to it in your registry??

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    Quote Originally Posted by Tiny View Post
    So you may have to look for the programs configuration & registration status in an XML file & or the registry as well as a possible .INI file?
    May be of interest too, if running Windows 7 and higher, and if searching for a legacy application generated INI / XML / etc.pp:

    Windows realizes a file system virtualization using the kernel-mode driver 'luafv.sys'. Means Windows 7.x virtualizes the system directories %ProgramFiles%, %ProgramData% and %SystemRoot%. Hence, respectively, the user's virtualized root directory is located at %LOCALAPPDATA%\VirtualStore.

    Example:
    A legacy application (Macbeth's Digger probably 100% is such one) wants during installation to create a file named C:\Windows\Application.ini. Then this Application.ini isn't to be found as C:\Windows\Application.ini , instead as %LOCALAPPDATA%\VirtualStore\Windows\Application.in i.

    Same is valid regarding Windows's registry.

    P.S.

    Often an application's configuration data / serial also is stored in a file with extension .BIN, .DLL, .SYS, .TXT etc.
    Example: iGO stores it's serial in a file named 'device.nng'
    Last edited by jwoegerbauer; 29-04-15 at 07:38 PM.

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    have had issues such as this in the past where i could not
    find any help nor could afford the cost

    My way around it though a little tedious was set setup
    a virtual machine , once i had a clean setup i made a copy
    of the virtual drive and saved it in a separate folder.

    Now i would load my disc setup and use it until i reached its
    limit i would then turn of the virtual drive and delete it and paste
    back the clean copy and start over again.
    dont say linux if i wanted it id install it

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    I have the actual disc contents ripped as an excel database. Its just as handy and searchable.

    I havent had time to sit down and have a good play yet, hopefully I will this weekend.

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    Quote Originally Posted by admin View Post
    I have a collection of Genealogy cd's, they are basically databases of Births, Deaths and Marriages. 2 of the newer discs have protection of some kind on them, you can copy the disc but get limits on the number of searches when installed.

    Its hard for me to describe, because I havent hit this limitation yet but thought I would ask if anyone knows how or what this limitation is. The discs use the companies software called "Digger".

    Edit : Just installed and had a look, it asks you to register the disc. You can do 20 searches before you cant use it.
    i have a patch for the Tas fed one if you want it..

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    Quote Originally Posted by admin View Post
    I have the actual disc contents ripped as an excel database. Its just as handy and searchable.

    I havent had time to sit down and have a good play yet, hopefully I will this weekend.
    I know this is an old thread but can you provide some details on how you ripped the database to excel?

    Thanks

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    Quote Originally Posted by jenkins View Post
    I know this is an old thread but can you provide some details on how you ripped the database to excel?

    Thanks
    Sorry, I didnt rip it, it was given to me.

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    Quote Originally Posted by casmith View Post
    i have a patch for the Tas fed one if you want it..
    Would love it mate, can you send me details to andrew at the domain we are now on.

    Shit, I should subscribe to some of these older threads, I came in here for something else.....

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    Default FED CD Patch

    Any chance I could get a copy of the FED Patch?
    Thanks.
    Joolz

  • 13-07-20, 09:44 PM


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    Default Digger Problem

    Hi All, an older retired member just rejoined, my apologies for starting with an old thread but I have just got back into my genealogy after many years and tried to use my old Digger CD I bought in the early 2000s but after unknown number of searches it won't allow me to continue it says I have exhausted my unregistered uses and I have to register but I can't register again as it was so long ago previously and it was on a long disposed pc. I was hoping someone could explain how I could get around this, I read member jwoegerbauer explanation but went way above this old brain.
    Any help would be appreciated. Thankyou

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    Is there a website, or forum, dedicated to this program? They might be of more use. Given that the program is so old, it might only be useful as landfill now.
    I'm out of my mind, but feel free to leave a message...

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    Folks use win7 for this, because it can pull off a convincing winXP cheese-platter -- beyond that with M$, you probably need a VM

    If someone hoists an iso image, I can poke at it and see what the go is =)

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