The target is JAWS PDF Creator v2.0(http://www.jawssystems.com/products/products_fs.html)

The setup program of this package uses SETUP.INX, not SETUP.INS.
Both isDCC v2.1 and WISDec v1.0 can't recognize this file as a valid InstallShield script file. I don't know the difference between *.INX and *.INS, but I can find the "INVALID_SERIAL_NUMBER" macro in the INX file and "value.shl" file.

Any suggestions? TIA

Anyone has such experience?
I'm not asking for serials, just want to know how to reverse SETUP.INX

just bpm on the serial and see what the script does with it...

Hi Solomon.
In an already cracked target, Delphi 5 demo,
I have been able to crack the setup.ins scripts, by pure and simple "hmemcpy on the serial, backtrace from the nag" methods, before I knew about the convenience of wisdec. The size of the code and the strength of the protection was not unsurmontable, and that might have worked to my favor.
The point is that even without "dissasembly" of the scripts, they are (were) still suceptible to trace cracking.

SETUP.INX is InstallShield 6 isn't it? There's a isdcc6 that can decompile these kind of files and give you back the script.

yes, a debugger is the ultimate way to crack a serial protection. Actually I ever cracked some InstallShield serials with SoftICE before. But without enough patience one will probably get lost in the InstallShield script interpreter DLLs. The same will happen when cracking VB/Java progs only with a debugger, coz VB/Java/FoxPro are interpreted languages(Am I right?), most of the time we are tracing in the interpreters.

I just get a decompiler for setup.inx written by Nekosuki. It works well. (h**p://nekosuki.virtualave.net)

well, thank you all for the help.Happy reversing

yes, a debugger is the ultimate way to crack a serial protection. Actually I ever cracked some InstallShield serials with SoftICE before. But without enough patience one will probably get lost in the InstallShield script interpreter DLLs. The same will happen when cracking VB/Java progs only with a debugger, coz VB/Java/FoxPro are interpreted languages(Am I right?), most of the time we are tracing in the interpreters.

I just get a decompiler for setup.inx written by Nekosuki. It works well. (h**p://nekosuki.virtualave.net)

well, thank you all for the help.Happy reversing