Hexalock

Burning Software Copy Protection
#1

Hello all,
I have a CDROM with PDF file which i need to print out since i don’t have a system to use to read then,how can i remove the protection to enable me print? the file are protectd with hexalock.
thanks for all your replys in advances

EDIT:
Downloads of UnHexaLock v1/2 & 3 can be found here:
http://club.myce.com/f80/hexalock-204559/index7.html#post2505959

The insertTWIN.exe to patch an Alcohol 120% CD image is attached here:
http://club.myce.com/f80/hexalock-204559/index8.html#post2567706

Most Recent link to Hexalock?
#2

Removal of the protection is illegal. However, why not just open the file in Acrobat Reader and then print it out from there?

#3

That’s the problem with a lot of PDF files and this protection. YTou can’t print or copy text. An awful lot of OEM service manuels are using it and it gets really tuff to drag a PC under a truck with you to read the manuel

#4

Any update on this protection? I just want to print.

#5

To everyone who is dealing with how to backup, archive and utilize their multimedia content protected with Hexalock:

If it is audio, video or any type of on screen display

It can be easily captured with an application called Camtasia. I spent countless hours trying to come up with a solution to make a backup of critical learning presentations I have on CD and discovered it was impossible. However, the content I was trying to archive is Windows Media Video (.wmv) protected by their wrapper - so after much trial and error I located a great application which can and will perfectly capture (local!) video and audio output. There are many utilities for capturing streaming content using WinPcap (easy to sniff network adapter traffic) however options are quite limited when trying to capture locally displayed media without the use of a hardware video capture adapter. After all, why would you want or need copies of audio or video you already have? (especially if it is not DRM protected?)

Camtasia allowed me to select the specific recording area, and after disabling hardware acceleration in the video player - perfectly captured both video AND audio. It gives you full control over quality and output type. So, I conclude by saying HEXALOCK is now useless against trying to protect any type of audio / video / presentation. This should also work to capture PDF or any other stationary content which is displayed on screen by utilizing screen capture feature. Don’t forget - disable hardware acceleration in the video player of your choice (or you will only see a black screen in your recording.)

With that said - Hexalock seems tough to beat when it comes to cloning - I now have many useless coasters from trying to duplicate the discs using every available known application - with no success. So, the discs thus far seem (next to) impossible to duplicate using present technology. However, in this case - I just prefer rendering the output to my liking, saving the content to one DVD (or iso) using it anywhere I like without any DRM or Hexalock to be concerned about - and keep my original CD’s safe and sound. Enjoy!

Much appreciation given to the fine folks at Techsmith…

#6

This isn’t hard guys. I searched the hexalock program and found that all you have to do is get a simple burning program (I used ONES by traxdata) name it to acrobat.exe, drag and drop files from the cd to a data cd and burn…Make sure that you have two disk drives and don’t let the file get written to a cache file. Hexalock will zero out all files written to the disk and you’ll have nothing…ONES crashed in the middle of burning (what I mean is that it was just writing zeros to the disk, so I clicked cancel, and waited for the disk to pop out and there it was…all unprotected)…

Another method is to use a hex editor, name it acrobat.exe
open up the files
find the size
use a memory searcher and find the beginning of the file (I was dealing with pdf’s so I searched for %PDF-1.4 with Artmoney)
use a program like cooldump, procdump, lordpe and dump the memory from the hexeditor to the disk.

I know it’s a lot of manual labor, and a simple visual basic program can be whipped up to do all this (maybe a two part program using DDE) but I only had to unpack 30 PDF’s and the process was straightforward for me…

Did I lose anyone on that rant?
To unprotect use A-PDF or VeryPDF (VeryPDF is easier to use if you know what I mean)

#7

Try this…I coded this up in a half hour so that I can transfer files from one directory to another via winsock *snicker…Please, somebody turn this into a full fledged app…

#8

I’m playing wiht your code… but I can’t seem to follow how you want it to work. Choose the folder, load the file… then what? Hang out?

…Wait… i take that back. I got it… it does work. I may make a few changes to make the app easier to use. Error handling and such. Why VB6???

#9

vb6 because it’s a rapid application development language and I easily can create a winsock object with just that – an object. no funking around with classes and crap… Straight to the proof of concept weakness found in Hexalock…and vb was my first language. I contemplated this in assembly, but that would be over the minds of many (or should I say most).

Why VB6???

I’ll let you answer that yourself

I may make a few changes to make the app easier to use. Error handling and such.

#10

goldstar… does not seem to work for my cd with loads of pdf’s. The created pdf’s cant still be openend on my pc

isnt there a way to crack the whole hexalock thing yet to an iso?

Greetz

DvL

#11

send me a copy of the PDF’s that didn’t open (copy and paste using windows explorer) and also a copy of the PDF’s that the program created, zip them up in a file and upload so I may take a look at what’s going on. I can help you from there.

#12

Hi guys,

I been lurking here for a while and I have basically the same problem but with PPT files… it’s hexalocked and comes with this invasive wrapper that plants itself on my computer… HCPM.exe (i think thats it)…

I can only view the files from PPTView.exe on the disc but I can’t actually opent the power point files and edit them or even view slides in a different order.

will this process also work with ppt files… I guess I would call the HEX editor PPTView.exe in my case? but I’m really not good with HEX… only Javascript, C++ and HTML.

any help is appreciated.

thx

#13

In theory this should work with any file that is hexalocked, if we may call it that. For power point files, you don’t need any extra files (verypdf/apdf remover/etc), just the zip file I attached above.

#14

Well… I’ve done as you said and it write to the Hard Drive… but it still won’t open…

I’m not sure if I need to rename the acrobat.exe to PPTview.exe… but I don’t see how that would change anything…

This disc is set to only allow the PPT files to be viewed in PPTview, NOT in regular powerpoint… but they are still powerpoint files.

any ideas?

Thx for the help

#15

to quote myself in a private message earlier, try this darien

Like I said, we are letting HexaLock do the work for us. So,
Insert the CD
Run the “Start_Here.exe” program to start the protection.
Double click on a PPT file to make sure that it truely is working, and close powerpoint viewer out.
NOW, use my acrobat.exe program to extract the real PPT file. It should work once HexaLock is loaded up.

renaming acrobat.exe to PPTview.exe won’t trick hexalock, because it knows what version comes with the files. Try renaming it to one of these:

quicktimeplayer.exe, qt32.exe, qt.exe, powerpnt.exe, notepad.exe, netscape.exe, mspaint.exe, mshta.exe, mplayer2.exe, kodakprv.exe, iexplore.exe

Try powerpnt.exe first then like notepad or qt32.exe and see what results you get. Trial and error. Don’t forget to start the protection (Start_Here.exe) on the disk as well.

#16

[quote=GoldStar611;1930915]to quote myself in a private message earlier, try this darien

renaming acrobat.exe to PPTview.exe won’t trick hexalock, because it knows what version comes with the files. Try renaming it to one of these:

quicktimeplayer.exe, qt32.exe, qt.exe, powerpnt.exe, notepad.exe, netscape.exe, mspaint.exe, mshta.exe, mplayer2.exe, kodakprv.exe, iexplore.exe

Try powerpnt.exe first then like notepad or qt32.exe and see what results you get. Trial and error. Don’t forget to start the protection (Start_Here.exe) on the disk as well.[/quote]

Making progress here… I renamed the file to powerpnt.exe… and I ran the Start_Here.exe from the disk first like you suggested…

but now it errors and says “Run Time error 75” “Path/File access error” this is for part 1… so part two is not engaging and therefore no file is written to the disk…

it does however launch the file… so it does somehow launch the file in PPTView.exe (which can’t save), but it’s still not able to write it to the Hard Disk.

could it be that I don’t have common dialog tools and winsock correctly installed… I’m sorry but I’m pretty new to this… I had to search for and install these things…

any help is appreciated,

thx again

P.S. How long should this take… sometimes I try this and it just gets stuck in part 2… for minutes… does it take a long time or should it be almost instant?

#17

When you open Part 1 make sure you select a folder that is on your computer, because you cant write files to a cd :stuck_out_tongue: Select My Documents or desktop or something…then select file button and find the file on your cd drive… That should do it for ya

FYI, IF part 1 opens at all you’re set with common dialogs and winsocks…

#18

[quote=GoldStar611;1930957]When you open Part 1 make sure you select a folder that is on your computer, because you cant write files to a cd :stuck_out_tongue: Select My Documents or desktop or something…then select file button and find the file on your cd drive… That should do it for ya

FYI, IF part 1 opens at all you’re set with common dialogs and winsocks…[/quote]

lol… thx… yeah I’m not trying to write to the disk… destination folder is on a folder in my desktop… then the file I’m loading is from the optical drive/hexalock CD.

#19

HOLY CR@P!!!

IT WORKED!!!

Thx soooooooooo much… you’re the MAN!!!

#20

and hexalock bites the dust again…