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I mentioned in passing a "practice" that I've come accross over the
years which is called either "dongle cracking" or "de-dongling".
In an attempt to control their products and prevent piracy some software
writers use a technique of releasing their software with a security
system that incorporates a hardware "lock" that is supposed to fit on
one of the external ports (com1, com2, lpt1, lpt2, etc.) of a pc.
Often-times these hard-ware locks conflict wreak havoc with other
previously installed software, lan/wan systems, and other peripheral
devices that legitimately need to use those ports.
Sometimes the user already has another hardware lock previously
installed for another program application and that causes conflict with
the new "dongle".
There are also severe problems with "dongles" on NT3.5 and NT4.
As a work-around, many users actually "legally" buy a dongle "crack"
from three or four "legit" vendors, and install the "crack" software on
the system. The "crack" somehow becomes a "virtual" dongle and fools TS4
into "thinking" that the dongle is still attached to the system. The
legit vendors require the proggie serial number, the original invoice,
the original dongle serial number, and password before they will send
you the "crack" code.
Of course there are less legit ways to acquire a dongle "crack", as
daily postings on m.i.f. will confirm.
My concern about the "pirates and "crackers" version of the "dongle
cracker" is whether their cracks worked, and whether it did any harm to
the integrity of the proggie.
Besides any other ethical, moral, spiritual, or legal reservations, my
concern is that I am risking major money on what TS4 tells me every day.
Can I afford to risk "hacking" and "cracking" TS4's "internals"? This
isn't like "cracking Photoshop!
I would like to hear from anyone who has actually tried these TS4 Dongle
cracks. Do they work? Did it mess up TS4? Did TS4 perform differently?
How much did it cost? Where could it be acquired legitimately?
Your privacy and confidentiality will be respected!
TIA
Tony Parker
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