Thread

Copy a floppy that is protected

Copy a floppy that is protected Software 31 posts Oct 26, 2009 — Jan 14, 2010

#1 Mon, 26 Oct 2009 - 02:59

I've managed to aquire an old copy of Digital Performer 2.11 with a single original key floppy. I wanted to make a backup copy since I don't completely trust 14 year old disks. The rig I'm using to attempt copy has been a Qaudra 605 running system 8.1. I've tried DiskDup+ 2.9.2 which makes a disc but when I try to run the copy it asks for the original disk. I tried CopyII mac but it hangs the system.

Anyone had any success with this kind of thing? What sofware should I try?

Thanks

#2 Mon, 26 Oct 2009 - 03:09

Ah yes, Digital Performer. I bought one on eBay last spring, that came with a key diskette that didn't work. After a month with tech support, they sent me a CD containing Digital Performer 2.7, which doesn't require a diskette. As long as you can prove that it's not pirated, they'll most likely give it to you.

Not sure if that helps. I don't know if 2.7 is PPC only or not.

#3 Tue, 27 Oct 2009 - 03:14

I guess I could give MOTU a call. They used to be notorious for not liking to support the old stuff but it's worth a shot.

I'd still like to be able to make a disk image to copy onto a Cd for an emergency.

I was able to locate another copy of a key disk through the help of a friend who runs a music shop.

It would probably also be wise to convert all my old Performer sequences into SMF format and archive it all to CD just in case.

#4 Tue, 27 Oct 2009 - 09:54

DON'T COPY! DON'T COPY THAT FLOPPY!

(google it)

#5 Tue, 27 Oct 2009 - 16:20

:lol: I remember that campaign by the software industry!

#6 Tue, 27 Oct 2009 - 22:12

DON'T COPY! DON'T COPY THAT FLOPPY!(google it)

lmao

#7 Tue, 27 Oct 2009 - 23:56

DON'T COPY! DON'T COPY THAT FLOPPY!(google it)

Heh, even that vid says you are legally allowed to make one backup copy of a program AFAIK.

#8 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 - 07:51

I don't know about that particular disk, but a relatively common copy-protect scheme was to damage the disk in one or more locations. Upon launch, the program would check for the ability to write to the damaged area. A successful read-write-verify operation would cause the program to quit.

The damage was fairly obvious to the naked eye, so you can readily check whether this method was used in your case. Just open the shutter and rotate the disk. Look for an obvious burn mark or something similar. To (attempt to) make a copy, note the location of the damaged area with as much precision as you can, and use a utility knife to make a matching defect in the target floppy. Rerun your copy operation, and see what happens. You may not succeed on the first try, but with care you should be able to get there eventually.

#9 Thu, 29 Oct 2009 - 09:14

Thanks Tomlee,

I think that may be at least part of the protection scheme. Diskdup+ reports a single bad sector. I did a cursory inspection of the physical disk but did not notice any damage. I'll give it another, more painstaking look for some form of damage.

#10 Thu, 29 Oct 2009 - 20:01

To (attempt to) make a copy, note the location of the damaged area with as much precision as you can, and use a utility knife to make a matching defect in the target floppy.

That's insane! How would you know what track/sector corresponds to any given physical location on the floppy?

#11 Thu, 29 Oct 2009 - 20:52

That's insane! How would you know what track/sector corresponds to any given physical location on the floppy?

On hard sector disks, sectors are in an absolute physical position. However, that does not apply to soft sector disks such as used with the Mac.

In my utility collection, I note the existence of Fedit that I was using well into the PowerMac era to perform disk recovery. Fedit can identify bad sectors and perform selective read/writes, making it a great copying tool.

#12 Thu, 29 Oct 2009 - 21:42

That is how it looks protection on my SmoothTalker diskette ... first time I hear for Fedit, can you please send it me, so I could try to backup my protected floppies, well I would like to make a disk images to run them on vMac emulator.

#13 Thu, 29 Oct 2009 - 21:58

You can get Fedit here and Fedit Plus here.

#14 Thu, 29 Oct 2009 - 23:50

Thanks, I appreciate the heads up on Fedit

#15 Mon, 7 Dec 2009 - 11:20

lol dont coppy that floppy, did you see all of the macs that heaven there guys

#16 Mon, 7 Dec 2009 - 21:31

Hi,

I have successfully copied my protected Turbosynth disk using Copy II Mac.

Perhaps give it a try. Copy II Mac v7 can easily be found using Google.

#17 Mon, 7 Dec 2009 - 21:40

So far, nothing worked for me to copy SmoothTalker, Adobe Illustrator, Macintosh Basics, to disk image (to another disk yes, but not disk image, to try it on vMac). Possibly impossible ...

#18 Tue, 8 Dec 2009 - 16:42

Did you check the bozo bit?

#19 Tue, 8 Dec 2009 - 19:16

Bozo bit?

#20 Tue, 8 Dec 2009 - 20:39

You've got some old-time Mac lore to read up on, then.

#21 Wed, 9 Dec 2009 - 03:01

http://en.wikipedia.com/wiki/Bozo_bit

#22 Wed, 9 Dec 2009 - 16:03

That Wikipedia article isn't authoritative. Here's an oldie but goodie from my Usenet archives (which should be going online this evening):

The post veers off into general copy-protection methods, but the first few paragraphs are about bozo bit.

Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP

Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site Shasta.ARPA

Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!whuxl!whuxlm!akgua!gatech!seismo!cmcl2!harvard!talcott!panda!genrad!decvax!decwrl!glacier!Shasta!gus

From: gus@Shasta.ARPA

Newsgroups: net.micro.mac

Subject: Re: bozo bit?

Message-ID: <1585@Shasta.ARPA>

Date: Wed, 11-Dec-85 23:22:11 EST

Article-I.D.: Shasta.1585

Posted: Wed Dec 11 23:22:11 1985

Date-Received: Sun, 15-Dec-85 00:30:42 EST

References: <2129@aecom.UUCP>

Distribution: net

Organization: Stanford University

Lines: 72

> Can someone explain to me what the bozo finder file bit is for?

The "bozo" bit in the MFS really doesn't do much of anything. It is where the

finder stores an in-memory copy of the copy protection bit. It turns out

that there are TWO flags words in the directory: one maintained by the finder

and the other by the file system. Ironically however, the only programs that

really honor the copy protection flag are the finder and the old 128K four

pass disk copier. The SetFile utility from Apple only gives you access to

the "finder information" area of each directory entry. Newer programs also

give you access to the C.P. bit.

The "bozo's" are those people without any reasonable tools to deal with this

sort of thing. Reasonable tools being Disk Util (Larry Kenyon's program),

FEDIT, Copy II Mac, or any of the 512K mass disk copiers. The 128K four

pass copier really has to go out of its way to detect that at least one of

the files on the disk is copy protected using this bit. I believe that there

is also a "global" copy protection bit somewhere in the volume header. I

don't know if it is actually used or not.

In any case, all of this shows the futility of building copy protection into

the operating system. As soon as a C.P. system is well understood, there are

tools designed immediately to defeat it. Any organized attempt to copy

protect more than one program in the same way makes all programs in such a

group vulnerable as soon as one is defeated. The Electronic Arts scheme I

described some weeks ago is a perfect example.

This situation creates an environment where anyone who is serious about C.P.

must "Re-invent the wheel." This leads to general chaos as developers must

devise ways to use undocumented features in the system. Apple DOES provide

some information to certified developers about how copy protection works on

the Mac. Unfortunately, Apple must necessarily not provide too much

information to too many people. Thus the most important products from the

largest companies get the most help. Smaller companies must either fend for

themselves or go to an outside contracter.

Companies that strike out on their own tend to make mistakes. These are the

sort of mistakes that inhibit HFS compatibility, or keep programs from

running on a Mac XL. Such programs will almost certainly NOT work with future

Mac architectures. This is a problem that will hamper Apple's ability to come

out with new products and still retain compatibility with a large portion of

the existing software base.

Companies who go to outside contractors must realize that any copy protection

house must provide a similar protection system to several clients in order

to keep the cost of such systems down to a minimum. I have heared stories of

$35 games serving as key disks for $250 business programs.

Hardware key systems will solve most of these problems if and when.

1) They become available

2) They become a built-in feature of the machine and not just an add-on

kluge.

3) They become very inexpensive to produce so that inclusion of a key

does not add significantly to even the least expensive

pacages.

Unfortunately, the first two criteria do not hold true today, and it remains

to be seen what the cost of such keys will be.

I have no doubt that a protection system using such keys can be cracked

unless 1) An important part of the program is in the key and executed there.

(This means puting a processor and a fair amount of ROM in the key) or

2) The key destroys itself if it suspects tampering. This would be rather

dangerous as some spurious signal could inadvertently erase the key and would

thus not be used any more than a copy protection system that sprinkles random

bits in memory if it smells something fishy. (Killer Prolok) I can emagine a

stong case for a user sueing a software company because valuable data was

lost when a nasty copy protection system triggered its "alarm."

On the other hand, there is no legal commercial market for defeating hardware

copy protection systems that do not otherwise impeed normal work as there is

for software copy protection. You will NOT see any "copy II Mac/key" sold

legally simply because itt could be proved that any attempt to use such a

product constitutes an attempt to make an unauthorized copy.

#23 Wed, 6 Jan 2010 - 05:28

I've managed to aquire an old copy of Digital Performer 2.11 with a single original key floppy. I wanted to make a backup copy since I don't completely trust 14 year old disks. The rig I'm using to attempt copy has been a Qaudra 605 running system 8.1. I've tried DiskDup+ 2.9.2 which makes a disc but when I try to run the copy it asks for the original disk. I tried CopyII mac but it hangs the system. Anyone had any success with this kind of thing? What sofware should I try?

Thanks

and you require another authorization floppy ?

#24 Wed, 6 Jan 2010 - 21:05

The used copy I bought only had one floppy and the hard drive authorization had been used up so I've had to use the disk as a key disk instead of authorizing the hard drive. I never did get the disk to copy as a backup. I did manage to find a copy of digital peformer 2.1 that had both key floppies with it, one have a n authorization left and have found that 2.1 keys will work with 2.11. It would still be nice to be able to make the backup of the original purchased software key but it has become far less of a priority. I just hate to use up two copies of software when I'm sure there is is someone who would want a copy.

Cest La Vie

#25 Wed, 6 Jan 2010 - 23:41

The used copy I bought only had one floppy and the hard drive authorization had been used up so I've had to use the disk as a key disk instead of authorizing the hard drive. I never did get the disk to copy as a backup. I did manage to find a copy of digital peformer 2.1 that had both key floppies with it, one have a n authorization left and have found that 2.1 keys will work with 2.11. It would still be nice to be able to make the backup of the original purchased software key but it has become far less of a priority. I just hate to use up two copies of software when I'm sure there is is someone who would want a copy.Cest La Vie

Well Buickguy if you want i could mail out the floppy authorization to you in exchange for a Buick ( no just kidding ! ).

Send me a PM to confirm you still want the floppy key and your address: OK ?

et oui c'est bon ?

#26 Sat, 9 Jan 2010 - 02:03

Digital Performer 2.x

Open ResEdit, then open Digital Performer 2.1; look for the ALRT box and open it; look for #1100 insert me master, delete that then save the file.

Close ResEdit.

Open Digital Performer 2.1, you will get an error, click OK.

#27 Sat, 9 Jan 2010 - 02:20

The used copy I bought only had one floppy and the hard drive authorization had been used up so I've had to use the disk as a key disk instead of authorizing the hard drive. I never did get the disk to copy as a backup. I did manage to find a copy of digital peformer 2.1 that had both key floppies with it, one have a n authorization left and have found that 2.1 keys will work with 2.11. It would still be nice to be able to make the backup of the original purchased software key but it has become far less of a priority. I just hate to use up two copies of software when I'm sure there is is someone who would want a copy.Cest La Vie

Click to expand...

Well Buickguy if you want i could mail out the floppy authorization to you in exchange for a Buick ( no just kidding ! ).

Send me a PM to confirm you still want the floppy key and your address: OK ?

et oui c'est bon ?

Perhaps i missed receiving a reply. Do you not want an original floppy key as a back up. All the authorizations are on my authorization key disk i could mail to you. MOTU was very generous in those days and would mail out a authorization disk if you asked for a replacement.

However if you do not want it that's also fine with me.

Walter

#28 Sat, 9 Jan 2010 - 03:41

MOTU was very generous in those days and would mail out a authorization disk if you asked for a replacement.

If you can provide a receipt of any kind (I used an eBay receipt since I bought mine on eBay), they will send you Digital Performer 2.7 on CD (doesn't require auth disk), free of charge, and register it with your account.

A lot easier than trying to screw around with authorization diskettes...

#29 Sat, 9 Jan 2010 - 04:29

Sorry for the late reply, some re-flooring work in the kitchen has kept me very busy.

I'd love to get that diskette. I've sent out the PM.

Gil, What are the system requirements for 2.7? I'm running some vintage stuff (I know, who isn't around here) for the sequencing.

I'd be somewhat embarassed to let MOTU know what I paid for the old software, but I do have the receipt.

#30 Mon, 11 Jan 2010 - 05:20

Gil, What are the system requirements for 2.7? I'm running some vintage stuff (I know, who isn't around here) for the sequencing.I'd be somewhat embarassed to let MOTU know what I paid for the old software, but I do have the receipt.

I believe that the requirements are the same across the version 2.x releases. I can try and find out the specifics, though.