Dongle emulator developing - PLB users wanted

I've made an emulator for "Pinnacle Liquid Blue 4.5 (build 9365)". The problem is that I'm completly unfamiliar with Pinnacle Liquid Blue. I think I did everything, but don't want to relase leaving it unchecked. If You are Pinnacle Liquid user, then You could help me (or better: us ).

My questions are:
1. Does PLB run correctly on Win9x/WinMe? (my driver won't run on Win9x/WinMe and PLB detects direct patching, then fills it with random data. Thus I don't want to change anything in the original code... but in the worst case... I'll do it)
2. Exactly what functions are disabled in the demo version? (without dongle). Please describe me step by step (imagine You're talking to a child ).

I've attached two screenshots of working emulator. It shows PLB properly recognizing dongle, and main PLB screen without demo signs... If You take a look and find something wrong please let me know (I'm not sure about "Native input/Capture", etc.).

Thanks - it's my last relase and without Your help I can't finish this one.

Regards.

[aldente]

hello!

i just came back to this forum and read your post.

i hope its not too late!

afaik the demo has "just" some editing and creating limitations, but they are afaik nowhere listed, as pinnacle does not offer it as a demo version.

i could test your crack, too!

Hello. are u knows any tutorialz about dongle emuls. i'm interesting in USB dongles. thanx a lot.

[prt]

Hello dynio,

I'm working on Liquid Chrome, which uses also the same protection system.
I would be intersted in some kind of tutorial, or hints, how you made liquid.blue

Thanks in advance,
Prt

[dyn!o]

Oops... I didn't even notice Amigagamer post Sorry...

I don't really have ANY dongle tutorials. I know they are available by "Googling", but what I remember from Pinnacle Liquid Blue is that it was a very good implementation of dongle protection (multiple checks on different levels) and it took me around a week to crack it ("usual" dongle can be cracked in few minutes to few hours).

I propose you to use the same method as I am using - analysing it on your own. I think dongles aren't really strong, considering the fact of time consumption (the hardest dongle I ecnountered took me around a week, the hardest software based protection I encountered took me two weeks).

Regarding questions about USB dongles. I really don't understand why people are afraid of it? USB dongles use the same idea as "old" dongles, but can operate on longer keys - that doesn't matter since you can always write a small logger which will monitor code section changes and save all needed data. Most of USB dongles don't even use their features so they work in exactly the same way as LPT/SERIAL dongles.

Read few tutorials describing donlges principles and you will do it

"Do things you think you cannot do".

Good luck.

[Cobi]

Here you can get some tutorials (and tools) on dongle reversing.