Need a good Decompiler

[SouthernCross]

Does anyone know of a good decompiler for .DLL's. I run PE and have Windows Visual as well as Borland C++, but what I need is a decompiler that shows the raw C++ code not just the DB and Buffers etc.

Thanks
Southern

[dspain]

Does anyone know of a good decompiler for .DLL's. I run PE and have Windows Visual as well as Borland C++, but what I need is a decompiler that shows the raw C++ code not just the DB and Buffers etc.

Thanks
Southern

don't think you'll find too many of those that work on these WG DLLs.
i know people that went through literally hundreds of em trying to do that exact thing.

they found one that almost worked but the code had to be compiled with a DEBUG option.

[frcorey]

Does anyone know of a good decompiler for .DLL's. I run PE and have Windows Visual as well as Borland C++, but what I need is a decompiler that shows the raw C++ code not just the DB and Buffers etc.

Thanks
Southern

don't think you'll find too many of those that work on these WG DLLs.
i know people that went through literally hundreds of em trying to do that exact thing.

they found one that almost worked but the code had to be compiled with a DEBUG option.

yeah, dlls are hard to decompile also.
I ran a good one on majormud years ago and only got some loader info.

[WndrBr3d]

Win32DASM handles the NE Format DLL's produced by WG/Borland just fine.

You can find a copy by just using Google. I use HIEW to make changes to the assembly since it translates the op codes for me.

[Questman]

Unfortunately, unless you're good with ASM, the decompile to ASM is really only good for removing the copy protection in abandonware modules.

There's really no good way to de-compile back to C code.

[efgosser]

I have looked at many Decompilers, and even went to the Hackers sites, and the crackers sites, all thay could tell me id their is NO decompilers for C++ that will transform the compiled to origanal C++ code, MBB/WG DLL's are even more dificult.


Ghost Creations WG

[dspain]

I have looked at many Decompilers, and even went to the Hackers sites, and the crackers sites, all thay could tell me id their is NO decompilers for C++ that will transform the compiled to origanal C++ code, MBB/WG DLL's are even more dificult.


Ghost Creations WG

as Rick said its easy to remove the protections/keygen stuff but to output to a .C file is next to impossible.


i will revisit the original poster and ask what exactly are we trying to decompile? sometimes reverse engineering an abandonware product is easier than trying to decompile it.

[efgosser]

I think what WndrBr3d was wanting, was to help teach people how to and if that is what he was doing, I say Teach away WndrBr3d

[WndrBr3d]

oh you guys

it has been a few years, but here's a quick blurb i sent to someone a while back which should give folks enough information to do what they need to do.

the only tools you'll need are Win32DASM and HIEW (worth the money, so pay for it).

If you check the Exports for the DLL in Win32DASM, you'll always see _INIT_BLAH (where blah is usually the module name or abbreviation). That's the function that is called when the BBS is loading and it fires up in the audit log.

While in that function you can usually look for string references for shit like "DEMO!" or "REGISTERED!" and use the logic toggling crack done before.

Some modules use a string formatting method for compiling what's sent to the audit log, like:

"MY MODULE 1.1"
or
"MY MODULE 1.1-DEMO"

So step through the INIT code and take a look at the function calls. Then look at the Data Segments for a section that has a string like "%S-DEMO". If you find this string in let's say segment 12, follow the INIT code and calls until you see a reference to "SEGEMENT 12" in the disassembly. It it likely this is where it's loading the string into memory and then the actual registration routine call is usually followed. A dead give away is this followed by a lot of logic in loops and whatnot which is calculating the valid serial #. Somewhere near the end you'll see a CMP and a JNE or a JE. Toggle that and you should be good.

Also, in the disassembly, anything that's using an import from like "majorbbs(0152h)" is a function call in the majorbbs.lib file that's linked at compile. You can find the definition for these methods in the majorbbs.def (or .h, I forget off hand) that's included in the MBBS SDK. From this you can kinda get an idea on what's going on (sending messages to audit, loading information from MSG, and so on).

using HIEW allows you to disassemble and modify the code in-line, so no need to recompile.

honestly, cracking most MBBS modules isn't rocket science and anyone with basic reverse engineering skills should be able to do it. if only because when they were created, it was such a niche market that creating obfuscated registration routines was unnecessary.

hope this helps. i'm curious how long the mods will leave it up

[dspain]

oh you guys

it has been a few years, but here's a quick blurb i sent to someone a while back which should give folks enough information to do what they need to do.

the only tools you'll need are Win32DASM and HIEW (worth the money, so pay for it).

If you check the Exports for the DLL in Win32DASM, you'll always see _INIT_BLAH (where blah is usually the module name or abbreviation). That's the function that is called when the BBS is loading and it fires up in the audit log.

While in that function you can usually look for string references for shit like "DEMO!" or "REGISTERED!" and use the logic toggling crack done before.

Some modules use a string formatting method for compiling what's sent to the audit log, like:

"MY MODULE 1.1"
or
"MY MODULE 1.1-DEMO"

So step through the INIT code and take a look at the function calls. Then look at the Data Segments for a section that has a string like "%S-DEMO". If you find this string in let's say segment 12, follow the INIT code and calls until you see a reference to "SEGEMENT 12" in the disassembly. It it likely this is where it's loading the string into memory and then the actual registration routine call is usually followed. A dead give away is this followed by a lot of logic in loops and whatnot which is calculating the valid serial #. Somewhere near the end you'll see a CMP and a JNE or a JE. Toggle that and you should be good.

Also, in the disassembly, anything that's using an import from like "majorbbs(0152h)" is a function call in the majorbbs.lib file that's linked at compile. You can find the definition for these methods in the majorbbs.def (or .h, I forget off hand) that's included in the MBBS SDK. From this you can kinda get an idea on what's going on (sending messages to audit, loading information from MSG, and so on).

using HIEW allows you to disassemble and modify the code in-line, so no need to recompile.

honestly, cracking most MBBS modules isn't rocket science and anyone with basic reverse engineering skills should be able to do it. if only because when they were created, it was such a niche market that creating obfuscated registration routines was unnecessary.

hope this helps. i'm curious how long the mods will leave it up

yeah but most devs stopped doing strings in their modules for example:

shocst(spr("My Module Version %s",VERSION),"Demo Initialized");

could be replaced with:

shocst(spr(INITMSG1,VERSION),"INITMSG2);

also another thing the boys back in WG-HACK found full of headaches was when devs kept everything together like in one module:

VOID EXPORT
init__module(VOID)
{
//open all the files
// build the activation code
// compare the activation code
// demo stuff
// proceed if everything is ok else return

}

that doesnt make it impossible but harder to figure out, referencing DEMO variables anywhere isnt smart and look at all the registration cracks that
simply made it non demo but broke alot of game features i played with alto of different methods and my newest way isnt 100% foolproof but not as easy as the old days also if ya notice most the cracks were just keygens some of the methods to create keys were just plain out generic.

but in the end its the same concept cheap people wanting everything for free so why combat em just pack your bags and quit piping out good addons which unfortunately is why alot of devs abandoned ship well before gcomm went dormant.

cant say i blame em hell first time i see my products cracked and re-released ill move on too.

imagine one day coming home to an empty house, someone broke in and stole everything, pretty shitty huh? but don't worry b/c you can always buy more stuff.
same way software devs feel when they put so much effort into making something only to have it given away for free.
makes ya look back and say why waste the time, i will make this awesome addon couple people will buy it but hundreds will steal it.

[WndrBr3d]

your dramatization of the situation is pretty good

i said in my post that with a little effort, people could make cracking modules much harder.

anyways, my intention is to give people the ability to free up modules that are completely abandoned with no means to register. what they do beyond that is their own business.

[dspain]

your dramatization of the situation is pretty good

i said in my post that with a little effort, people could make cracking modules much harder.

anyways, my intention is to give people the ability to free up modules that are completely abandoned with no means to register. what they do beyond that is their own business.

not dramatization i spent a ton of time making some of the stuff i made people start stealing it i'll be done too, and when theres no games left to play
it's whatever.

and giving the info someone can use for one purpose doesnt always work out that way look at where the shoe bomber got his recipe from a website designed to be "informative topics only"

problem with the word abandonware is it is used too loosely. what defines a product being abandoned? look at Farwest trivia, no intentions to sell it, or support it, he hasnt abandoned it he just doesnt want to develop it anymore, clearly within his right, HVS tradewars, same thing.

to be honest and this is clearly just my opinion, but whats the point in stealing a title? i mean whats it gonna grant ya 1 maybe 2 more users a month and for what? to devalue a community into hundreds of systems all running the same stuff over and over again.

back when bbsing was mainstream and still quite expensive what made it such a hotspot was the fact not all systems had the same thing, i know on my system i didnt have majormud or tele-arena in the beginning what i had was the soft-arts telnet gateway to allow users to telnet to systems in other states without running up their LD bill, and a majority of the other systems each was unique some had SAS, others SOC, alot had TW, of course tele-arena, majormud, then there was the trivia lovers, and believe it or not alot of the popular systems ran alot of the simple addons like card games and what not.

now with keygens and cracks floating around so many systems nothing unique about em when i have bbs's online with my custom tele-arena games i keep an average of 30-40 users online but thats b/c theres something there thats nowhere else.

i have moved on to mmo development but still do WG stuff for the few sysops that are left that actually believe in purchasing something over stealing it, but other than my few customers i dont really invest alot of time into something b/c once it bercomes popular sure as shit people will suface to work on bypassing my activation systems, and i dont waste time combatting it, sure i could sue and win but for what? to have a judgement sit on some bum who dont have a job and wont pay it anyhow? so i turn a hundred dollar program into a fifteen hundred dollar problem with attorney fees.
its best to work on something in small doses, allow the few sysops to purchase it support it through emails and leave it at that.

i mean hell Rick may be busy with real life but dont think the lack of people wanting to buy modules ever with cheaper prices over cracking them hasnt thwarted his progression.

[Stoneslinger76]

your dramatization of the situation is pretty good

i said in my post that with a little effort, people could make cracking modules much harder.

anyways, my intention is to give people the ability to free up modules that are completely abandoned with no means to register. what they do beyond that is their own business.

not dramatization i spent a ton of time making some of the stuff i made people start stealing it i'll be done too, and when theres no games left to play

Do you think he knows how many modules can still be registered, many of them for free, just a bit of homework to locate the ISV or patience waiting for Questman to have a chance to generate the codes.
The fact remains the orignal copywrites for all of major/wg and most ISV modules are still in force despite some peoples belief of "abandoned".

[dspain]

your dramatization of the situation is pretty good

i said in my post that with a little effort, people could make cracking modules much harder.

anyways, my intention is to give people the ability to free up modules that are completely abandoned with no means to register. what they do beyond that is their own business.

not dramatization i spent a ton of time making some of the stuff i made people start stealing it i'll be done too, and when theres no games left to play

Do you think he knows how many modules can still be registered, many of them for free, just a bit of homework to locate the ISV or patience waiting for Questman to have a chance to generate the codes.
The fact remains the orignal copywrites for all of major/wg and most ISV modules are still in force despite some peoples belief of "abandoned".

and thats my thing im not saying he has a malice intent people will take this info and register my new tele-arena engine, majormud, the list goes on, most the old "abandonedware" is for dos based systems anyhow because 95% of all wgnt catalogs have been located and the original authors havent abandoned them they just either wanna sell too high or dont wanna part with it period.

so rather than say crack it why not write your own flavor? for instance i got a deal im working with a guy right now where he wants his own majormud like addon since majormud cannot be purchased anymore, and another guy who sent me a bunch of info to create their game based off tele-arena and swords of chaos.

[Iceman]

Do you think he knows how many modules can still be registered, many of them for free, just a bit of homework to locate the ISV or patience waiting for Questman to have a chance to generate the codes.
The fact remains the orignal copywrites for all of major/wg and most ISV modules are still in force despite some peoples belief of "abandoned".

i mean hell Rick may be busy with real life but dont think the lack of people wanting to buy modules ever with cheaper prices over cracking them hasnt thwarted his progression.

Sooo is Rick = Questman/Elwynor... cause I am still trying to upgrade my wg3.2nt license and/or convert another license I own and after a couple emails I still can't get a response... if there is another email address I can try I will just not sure what to do and I am maxing out my current.... who knew I'd have 50+ people daily still. its the night crowd thats pushing it over the limit and they are usually a little nicer about it but would like to have them not get a "busy" signal heh... remember those days fighting for open modems.

is HVS tradewars still buyable, I thought the whole bankruptcy thing ruined that... and I really would prefer something other than TWGS just to simplify things.

[dspain]

Do you think he knows how many modules can still be registered, many of them for free, just a bit of homework to locate the ISV or patience waiting for Questman to have a chance to generate the codes.
The fact remains the orignal copywrites for all of major/wg and most ISV modules are still in force despite some peoples belief of "abandoned".

i mean hell Rick may be busy with real life but dont think the lack of people wanting to buy modules ever with cheaper prices over cracking them hasnt thwarted his progression.

Sooo is Rick = Questman/Elwynor... cause I am still trying to upgrade my wg3.2nt license and/or convert another license I own and after a couple emails I still can't get a response... if there is another email address I can try I will just not sure what to do and I am maxing out my current.... who knew I'd have 50+ people daily still. its the night crowd thats pushing it over the limit and they are usually a little nicer about it but would like to have them not get a "busy" signal heh... remember those days fighting for open modems.

is HVS tradewars still buyable, I thought the whole bankruptcy thing ruined that... and I really would prefer something other than TWGS just to simplify things.

sometimes hes slow responding just keep trying.

only other TW option i could think of is my Tradewars II port to worldgroup.

it is based off of tw2-500t

[WndrBr3d]

only other TW option i could think of is my Tradewars II port to worldgroup.

it is based off of tw2-500t

I think what you meant to say there is that TW2002 for WG/MBBS is "abandoned".

Don't worry, practice saying it to yourself a couple times and it'll feel less dirty

[Stoneslinger76]

Sooo is Rick = Questman/Elwynor... cause I am still trying to upgrade my wg3.2nt license and/or convert another license I own and after a couple emails I still can't get a response... if there is another email address I can try I will just not sure what to do and I am maxing out my current.... who knew I'd have 50+ people daily still. its the night crowd thats pushing it over the limit and they are usually a little nicer about it but would like to have them not get a "busy" signal heh... remember those days fighting for open modems.

is HVS tradewars still buyable, I thought the whole bankruptcy thing ruined that... and I really would prefer something other than TWGS just to simplify things.

Yes Rick= Questman. be patient he will respond. You are not the only one.
See the sticky in General Discussion and wg32, I may have solved the sticky note. Questman is working on that now.

HVS Tradewars still registerable..... HAHAHAHAHA WHERE
Let me know please with FULL contact info.

[Stoneslinger76]

is HVS tradewars still buyable, I thought the whole bankruptcy thing ruined that... and I really would prefer something other than TWGS just to simplify things.

sometimes hes slow responding just keep trying.

only other TW option i could think of is my Tradewars II port to worldgroup.

it is based off of tw2-500t[/quote]

NO HVS Trade Wars 2002 can not be purchased. I would really like to know where if Iceman has a source.

Did you get TW2 done and not send it over? geez.... I will have to check your ISV directory.

The only other alternatives for Trade Wars 2002
TWGS v2 with rlogin
GameServ.ca with original TW 2002 by Martech (single node door) or TWGS v1, TWGS v2.
TW2 for WG (when its done)
a third option Dspain and I have been working on is a rlogin direct connect to the HVS game I run on the swamp bbs, similar to what you could do if we all had vircom's DMA kit. But we need to get a glitch in the rlogin inbound fixed.

[Stoneslinger76]

only other TW option i could think of is my Tradewars II port to worldgroup.

it is based off of tw2-500t

I think what you meant to say there is that TW2002 for WG/MBBS is "abandoned".

Don't worry, practice saying it to yourself a couple times and it'll feel less dirty

Here is the login screen from TW2:

TW2 is based on Trade Wars v.ii
By Chris Sherrick (PTL)
copyright 1986 Chris Sherrick
Worldgroup Port by Daniel Spain
TW2 copyright 2011-2012 Daniel Spain/Arcticzone Software.

HVS Trade Wars 2002 is not "abandoned ware", it is not supported currently but may be in the future.

If you would like to see the early build of TW2 I am almost certain Despain wont mind me puting the beta up for users to test, altho you cant do much in it currently and you would probably be disapointed.
It will be online as soon asDspain gets more completed.

[Franchise_24]

SO there is somewhere out there where I can point the BBS to rlogin into and connect to a TWGS server and my users can play off the main BBS instead of going to the Synchronet doors server I have set up?

The more options off the main BBS instead of going into a doors server the better. Would be nice to run my BRE and FE leagues off the actually WG BBS instead of having to go to a doors server first

[dspain]

only other TW option i could think of is my Tradewars II port to worldgroup.

it is based off of tw2-500t

I think what you meant to say there is that TW2002 for WG/MBBS is "abandoned".

Don't worry, practice saying it to yourself a couple times and it'll feel less dirty

umm actually no i spoke to the author last week as a matter of fact, he verified what everyone else has said that it will not be sold with the other HVS catalog however if the right deal came along he would be open to deal.
tradewars is a sticky subject due to JP not wanting it distributed by anyone other than him

[Stoneslinger76]

umm actually no i spoke to the author last week as a matter of fact, he verified what everyone else has said that it will not be sold with the other HVS catalog however if the right deal came along he would be open to deal.
tradewars is a sticky subject due to JP not wanting it distributed by anyone other than him

Very interesting..... hmmm , non-disclosure agreement reminder.

[dspain]

umm actually no i spoke to the author last week as a matter of fact, he verified what everyone else has said that it will not be sold with the other HVS catalog however if the right deal came along he would be open to deal.
tradewars is a sticky subject due to JP not wanting it distributed by anyone other than him

Very interesting..... hmmm , non-disclosure agreement reminder.

resend me the exact terms to that, we discussed alot of non wg stuff that came up in the end when i mentioned remaking tw from the old 1986

[Stoneslinger76]

resend me the exact terms to that, we discussed alot of non wg stuff that came up in the end when i mentioned remaking tw from the old 1986

done, no problem.

[Iceman]

is HVS tradewars still buyable, I thought the whole bankruptcy thing ruined that... and I really would prefer something other than TWGS just to simplify things.

HVS Tradewars still registerable..... HAHAHAHAHA WHERE
Let me know please with FULL contact info.

NO HVS Trade Wars 2002 can not be purchased. I would really like to know where if Iceman has a source.

(I'll include three NOTs below to clarify things as you seem to skim over everything I type)


Stone dude... seriously... stop trying to think everything is a conspiracy... I did NOT, NOT, NOT say you could still buy HVS tradewars (it was a preference as opposed to running another program/server/window/whatever)... it was posed as a QUESTION and I followed with I thought the bankruptcy ruined that... I am not saying you can buy it, I am not saying you can register it, I am not saying you can even get a lost code from the man himself...

I get it, you dislike me, don't try to twist everything I say into some new conspiracy of me trying to do harm to you or the world.

I know you have the worlds last known copy of trade wars 2002 for mbbs, you can be proud of yourself and defend it to death... we're not all out trying to take over your world... I was simply discussing something with someone else.

Okay you may now carry on with your latest accusation of something I've done, or twist my words and show how you are superior to me, and how you found some flawed typing technique of mine that proves your theory.

Some things you may find a way to twist and use against me....

I once ran a 5min mile
I like the color red
Sometimes I read a book
Sometimes I watch a movie
I dislike mayonnaise
I dislike mac and cheese

[Stoneslinger76]

is HVS tradewars still buyable, I thought the whole bankruptcy thing ruined that... and I really would prefer something other than TWGS just to simplify things.

HVS Tradewars still registerable..... HAHAHAHAHA WHERE
Let me know please with FULL contact info.

NO HVS Trade Wars 2002 can not be purchased. I would really like to know where if Iceman has a source.

Your funny, a simple answer to a conspiracy theroy.... wow .

Hopefully early beta testing of TWii will go well this weekend and we will have a slick new module with a week or two.

[Wookie8662]

I dislike mac and cheese

You *ARE evil!

[Iceman]

I dislike mac and cheese

You *ARE evil!

Come to the dark side wookie, we have cookies.

Seriously, there is a star wars reference for every moment in life!

[dspain]

I dislike mac and cheese

You *ARE evil!

Come to the dark side wookie, we have cookies.

Seriously, there is a star wars reference for every moment in life!

and now a game to go with.

[Questman]

I'm still waiting to get the HVS stuff (not including TW). Then again, if you guys are dealing with him on the side, perhaps that is why he suddenly "lost the code" and isn't responding anymore.

And people wonder why the priority for this has dropped down (especially with all the trouble with that RAID). Because there's no real help, just everyone wanting to be "the guy".

I don't actually care about being "the guy", but I have spent tens of thousands of dollars acquiring stuff so that it could be made available again. Few if anyone else have done that. But, whatever.

My original intention was to make all of this free and open source. Once the ISVs refused to donate code and charged me ridiculous sums for the rights, I had to ask for donations for codes for some things -- really inexpensive prices, just to keep me from going broke. I'm not rich.

But instead, we have 3 archive sites competing with themajorbbs.com, we have people dealing behind backs, etc.

[dspain]

I'm still waiting to get the HVS stuff (not including TW). Then again, if you guys are dealing with him on the side, perhaps that is why he suddenly "lost the code" and isn't responding anymore.

And people wonder why the priority for this has dropped down (especially with all the trouble with that RAID). Because there's no real help, just everyone wanting to be "the guy".

I don't actually care about being "the guy", but I have spent tens of thousands of dollars acquiring stuff so that it could be made available again. Few if anyone else have done that. But, whatever.

My original intention was to make all of this free and open source. Once the ISVs refused to donate code and charged me ridiculous sums for the rights, I had to ask for donations for codes for some things -- really inexpensive prices, just to keep me from going broke. I'm not rich.

But instead, we have 3 archive sites competing with themajorbbs.com, we have people dealing behind backs, etc.

i'm working with jp directly, i have never spoken to the wg guys, i deal directly with the ip holder to tw for a tw v.ii port which has never been made for wg, i think what you 2 are referring to is the tw2002 port for wg which i was eplicitly told tw v.ii cannot compete with.

[Questman]

No, that's cool. I thought you were referring to JM and HVS. I never was involved (much) with TW, except to try to help JP.