hi guys ,

I made some changes on a FlexLm protected software and after a couple of days I finally ran it without any license file.

My problem is that some of its options are disabled ( gray ).

I used "Windows Enabler" and it almost enabled everything except on tab which is still disable.

how can I enable that one ? I need just a general idea or a link to a good tutorial

Any help, or even just advice would be greatly appreciated

FlexLM licenses specifically enable certain features when the correct license is used. (Which you knew, because you've done research, right?) Anyhow, there are a few good Flex tutorials on this very website if you search around a bit.

If you look for lena151's tutorials, there are a couple that deal with enabling buttons, though in this situation I would say learning about the FlexLM protection is your best bet.

Personmans

Yes, I would absolutely trace it back to the "global" enable/disable point in the license related code, rather than manually start enabling separate GUI details which might very well be blocked in the underlying code anyway.

Thanks dELTA and personmans
Yea actually i've done some research on FLEXLM .and I read some nice essay on this site and one on a chinese site which I translated it to English and it was useful.
But have 3 more questions;

I if the license file disable that file ,the program should use an API to disable it .which API is generally used to enable/disable a Tab ( EnableWindow or EnableMenuItem or ? ) ?
and Is it generally possible to run a FlexLm protected software without any license ? I found that the answer is yes am I right ?
do you recommend me to use the license file again and try to change the Enable/Disable section of code ?

You don't get off that easily. How about YOU put something useful in YOUR favorite search engine and YOU try to find out which:

"API is generally used to enable/disable a Tab (EnableWindow or EnableMenuItem)"!!! Does someone need to hold your hand for this type of "basic" searching?????

Regards,

alphino, can't everything generally run without a license? (Exception here being programs where the license is just the code for the missing functions) The real thing you're looking for is not how to defeat it. The question is "what is the easiest way to defeat it?".

Now, I don't claim to be an expert on FlexLM, but if you are asking me to recommend a method of attack:


I would have to say:
First reverse the program to the point where it's checking your [fake] license. Next checkout the version and feature name that it is looking for. Finally, I would get the seeds, use some sort of program to solve the vendor key, and using some proprietary tools I would make this into a license file.

'course you could also check if the vendor key is already known or even try and patch it. I just don't like patching. =]

Edit: Oh yeah and: 3D4DA1D6

Personmans

Trying to invidually enable tabs is a road to ruin. They're separate propertypages/propertysheets which are dialogs in their own right and are a bit of a nightmare to work with individually. It's even more awkward if the app is MFC. I strongly agree with the other comments here - work on the global enable/disable.

Thanks guys.

I will try to use the license file and find the enable/disable section.

BTW, did you know that you can alwyas guess the JMI 's answer to new topics ?

Its always like this

why don't you put " Your thread topic" in Google ?

well, so whats the reason all this guys are here. ? i know that the search is the first step for every work. but JMI has always think that the one who post a topic here is lazy and has not done any search

don't believe me ?

try search JMI in forum posts

whats your idea JMI ?

Capiche?

alphino, though I really like naides answer I will tell you a little secret. The reason we are here (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong) is because we all found a place where we can work out problems that are not already solved, come up with new ideas and way to more easily and generally solve problems, and most importantly to teach. Not to teach how to reverse, per-say. To teach how to think like we do which includes knowing how to search for not only answers, but ideas related to our topic in order to solve the problem.

Or we're just here to give you annoying answers. Whatever you want to believe. =]

OK, I love a challenge!

First, I very much like nadies' and personmans' responses. However, alphino, if you thought you were going to get by with ignoring our Forum Rules about "searching BEFORE you post" you are very much mistaken. The issue isn't whether or not you have done "any searching." The issue is whether or not you did any searching about which ""API is generally used to enable/disable a Tab (EnableWindow or EnableMenuItem)"!!!

We have a saying here: "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen!" If you want sympathy you should ask your mommy. She's the only one likely to tell you that "the bad man shouldn't have told you to do your own thinking and your own work!"

Are you going to become a "grown-up," who attempts to "think" for himself, and who does his own work, and only asks for help through the dark codewoods when he has actually tried on his own, but just can't find the correct path, or are you going to spend the rest of your life following your mommy around the kitchen while she does your homework, so you can continue to watch the cartoons?? You get to choose.



Regards,

<3 XKCD

kayaker:

Love the cartoon!

Regards,

I completely disagree with JMI. I'm only here for the cracks and the l337 w4rez0rz. If you're fast enough you can grab the latest bittorrent links before he deletes them.

I save them all anyway, so I can download and infect my computer with the latest trojans and such with whatever is the latest and greatest offerings.

Regards,

I just keep writing them, passing them off as crackz and warez and JMI is always there downloading and installing them.

OK .

First,I gotta say that i did not expect such a childish answer from a so called "super-moderator"
however the personmans and are correct but they did not consider one basic point.

personmans:


If you are here to solve the problems that has not been already solved, it means that you did not consider that you are in the "Newbies" forum.
So , in order you make you guys feel better and clearing the forum from such easy or annoying questions ( in your opinion perhaps) you can ask the admin to close this forum.
If you look at the topics in Newbies forum most of em are problems that can be considered as solved problems.

so if you don't like to respond , go to other more advanced forums and if you decided to come here and help newbies then share your knowledge. it takes you much less time typing " it dose not use any API"
rather than



or telling about cartoons or what your mommy had told you when you were a child ,like what JMI's mommy has told him


Regards

alphino:

I'll try to make this clear to you one more time and, if you want to argue about it some more, then you will get to join the "goners".

If you find our Posting Rules objectionable, whether it's the Newbie Forum or the Advanced Forum, then it is time for you to go somewhere where they are willing to permit you to make the Rules. That's not this place. We have established a set of Rules which suit our purposes. You don't have to like them, you only have to follow them. If you don't want to follow them, you are, of course, free to take your questions elsewhere.

It is particularly important, here in the Newbie Forum, that these Rules be followed. You have no idea how many first time posters post in this Forum simply trying to get a "crack" for their current target. While we like to encourage "Newbies," we have certain expectations of them, just like we do of those who post in all the forums. That expectation is that they will make an effort to solve their own problem BEFORE they ask their question here, and that they SHOW some of the results of that effort.

So far, you've indicated that you have read two tutorials on a very difficult target and demonstrated that you have not done nearly enough research to have even a basic understanding of what you are attempting. Instead of doing more independent research, you simply "asked" someone to tell you the answer to your question and, since then, have behaved as if you have a "right" to the answers you seek, simply because you have posted in the Newbie Forum and "want" what you want.

Things don't work that way here. Whether or not you approve of the Rules is not the issue. Whether or not you follow them is. If you choose not to follow them, you will simply be "gone."

Regards,

Well ...well ...well ....

someone can not stand the criticism ....


JMI , you always criticise the otheres ( most of the time wrongly ) so one time let the others criticise you ...big brother

let the other express their opinion ... but promise me not to make em "goner"
after their wrote their comments

Regards

Two things:

First, don't misquote me. It doesn't make you look smart, just makes it look like you only quoted half my sentence.

Second, if you bothered to read the rest of the sentence you misquoted you would see the part about helping others learn. JMI is not a mind reader, thus he assumes that if you are asking a question that can be solved with research, you ought to research.

In your case, you started off on the wrong track, trying to enable buttons. We told you to go the other direction: generate a license. You then should have gone and researched FlexLM licensing and figured out how to create a license for the software.



So did you try it? How is your license file coming? Do you need additional resources? If so did you google "woodmann" + (your topic) I'm sure that will help as we have discussed flex many times here. If JMI doesn't make you a "goner" I would say to drop the unrelated subject in this thread and spend more time working on your flexlm application. I may not sound like a 'nice guy' but I'm just trying to help.

Personmans.

Alpino:

You still do not seem to "get it." I'm not raising "issues" about, and frankly couldn't care less about your attempts to criticize me. I have not suggested you might become a "goner" for expressing whatever opinion you might have on that subject. Your "opinion" about me is not a issue of concern. Following the posting Rules IS the issue of concern and the only one I was addressing.

Since the odds are excellent that I was older than you are now when your parents were born, and have "children" who are, themselves, approaching "middle age," I would have "learned" nothing from or about life if I were so easily distracted from the "issue" by "ad hominem" arguments.

There is a great deal of information available, both here and on the net about reversing FlexLM targets, for those who spend their time learning how to search and then finding what they want and reading it. Had you spent more of your time doing the same, you'd now be much farther along the path through "the dark code woods."

Regards,

Alphino:
You sound like an intelligent, sensible young person.
People in here have given you quite good advice, in non confrontational ways.
Nobody is going to crack this program for you. Get married with that idea.
If you want to defeat the protection, activate a tab, you have your job cut out for you.
At some point in time, based on a clue from the license manager, the program decides to activate or gray out your precious tab.
How does a windows program do that?
you can attack the license manager or your program interface. this is your very own project. Take it to completion and come out a better (wo)man at the other end.
Make yourself and all of us proud!

<... at a loss for words ...>

Thanks naides and personmans ( ? JMI )

I haven't asked someone to crack it for me. I 'll do it by myself and i do not consider myself a Newbie asking you to crack a software for me.

Anyway, I'm working on my target and this time I use the license file. i found the core part of license checking. and now I'm working on Keys.
I will post the result as soon as I made some major progress.



I think you guys will agree with me that it dose not worth to respond to this Quote
"Older" is relative dude !.It can be by age or Brain. and you seems to be by first one buddy

Alphino you little fuck, I don't even care about what you have done or not done in regards of making an effort with your target and request, but if you don't drop the attitude now, I will spare everyone the effort, and ban you myself.

How's that for a deal?

There we go, that is the post I was waiting for. Now you should be able to trace pretty deep and figure out which features are enabled/disabled by the lic. file. That should get your button working.

~Personmans

Some one has called his dady ?!

I don't think I have done something wrong. Why should I be banned ?

Oh a little question : How many username can be made by letters used in "Alphino" buddy ?

Regards

Alphino, everybody's getting tired of your trolling. Drop the antagonism, accept our advice and we'll forget all about it. Or you can go right ahead and see if our excellent administration can't ban you as a person, rather a member. You might be disappointed.

as many ip address as you can muster
as many email address as you can create
as many proxies as you can hide
as many .......................

Sadly, this board isn't about what you think. Bye bye, "buddy"...

But, but... I was just beginning to warn up to the young fella.

Regards,