[comp.sys.mac] Opcode's protection

chow@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu (Christopher Chow) (12/24/86)

In article <401@nitrex.UUCP> rbl@nitrex.UUCP ( Dr. Robin Lake ) writes:
>I just purchased Activision's "Shanghai" after trying the demo they posted
>to the Net.  It's an interesting game/solitare based on Maj-Jong tiles
>stacked in a pyramid.
>
>Unfortunately, backup of the disk is a problem.  Copy II, Version 5.2,
.
.
.
>Any hints would be appreciated.

Well, as long as we're discussing copy protection in this group, does
anyone have a way of disabling the obnoxious scheme used by Opcode in their
sequencer software?  For those who are unfamiliar with it, it is one of
those insert key disk schemes.  Unfortunately, it also detects if any
debuggers are loaded (i.e., TMON and/or Macsbugs).  If so, it then simply
resets the Mac.

It even does this when its installed on a hard disk, so I have to make sure
that I don't have Macsbugs in the system folder if I want to use the
sequencer during that session.  Furthermore, the program pauses during
loading, suggesting that the copy protection routine is nontrivial - making
me waste about 2 seconds each time load the hard disk installed copy.
Needless to say, this is quite annoying to live through each time you invoke
the sequencer.

BTW, for those people who do own hard disks, its possible to install a
master copy on the hard disk, then back up the installed copy and its
associated invisible file.  Then you can uninstall the copy back onto your
floppy master and then restore the copy you just backed up.  But you still
have to live with the protection routine wasting your time (and reseting your
Mac if you forgot you used the debugger when you booted up.)


>Rob Lake
>decvax!cwruecmp!nitrex!rbl
>ihnp4!cbatt!nitrex!rbl

Christopher Chow
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