Hi friends,
I'm new here and I'd like to know how to break the copy protection of my Montezuma's Revenge Apple II original disk, to make a copy of it.
I've already done that using Locksmith 7.0, but now I'm intrigued how people did it back in 1984, without using a bit copier program.
I'm reading all the Computist magazines available online, all the archives about the subject at www.textfiles.com (http://www.textfiles.com/apple/CRACKING/), but I'm still puzzled how to break the copy protection of this particular game, Montezuma's Revenge.
I have an Apple IIe Platinum, obviously having the AutoStart ROM installed. According to this article http://www.textfiles.com/apple/CRACKING/crackin.app I'll need an old Monitor ROM, that could be recorded on an Apple ][ language card. I'd like to know if it is possible to have a language card on slot 0 of my Apple IIe Platinum. If so, where do I put the flat ribbon cable on the motherboard?
I'm also reading the books Beneath Apple DOS, Beneath Apple ProDOS, 6502 Assembly Language Programming to learn as much as I can (just FYI I'm currently an Apple developer for a living...).
I already have the ROM F8 image from here: http://code.google.com/p/openemulator/source/browse/trunk/roms/Apple+II/?r=401
How to record this on an Apple language card, to use with my Apple IIe Platinum?
Can I use a card like this one: http://www.blujay.com/item/Apple-II-Language-Card-16K-9010400-3620693&keywords=language+card
I know I have many questions... and thanks for your patience and time, trying to help me out.
Am I in the right direction? I wonder how many of you guys have this great knowledge today or even back in 1984... This subject always amazed me an now I have a little bit more time to dig deeper and learn more about it.
Please, any advice will be very much welcomed! I'd feel a lot better knowing that I'm not alone in my quest for knowledge on our beloved Apple II vintage world!
Thanks in advance.
Neo,
First of all... Welcome Aboard!
Second...I must say right off the bat that I am not, nor have I ever been, into the cracking end of programming, but you posed an interesting question about whether or not you could use a Language Card in a Platinum IIe.
So... I went out to the "Archive of the Ancients" (my library) and pulled out the SAMs Computerfacts for the IIe. After looking at the picture of the motherboard and the schematics I personally can see no way of connecting either a Language Card nor a 16K Memory Card as you could on a II, or a II+. The way the RAM on the IIe board is set up completely different.
As I said before, I am not the most knowledgable person up here when it comes to hardware / software hacks. There are many other folks here who are. You will probably get an answer to all of your questions.
Good Luck.
Hi gsmcten,
Thanks a lot for your welcome message! And I thank you also for checking the manuals to make sure that mostly likely I'll not be able to put a language card on my Apple IIe Platinum.
It's great to be here with like minded Apple II people!
Neo
The language card was to bring the II/II+ to 64k. Your IIe already has a built-in language card. The type of language card you showed wouldn't be compatible as the cable was meant to plug into a 16k memory socket where it used the motherboards RAM refresh signal. The IIe doesn't use 16k RAM so no refresh.
If you want to use a non autostart ROM then one possibility is to locate an Apple ROM card. I've used one with a IIe to run integer basic programs. no reason you couldn't have applesoft and the old monitor ROM. It'd sort of turn your IIe into a II+ which would limit which programs you could run while the card was activated
For program cracking, the wild card was fairly popular. I don't know if they're hard to locate nowadays.
Hi Wayne,
Thanks for your thoughts. I'll be searching more information about the Wildcard and how to get one.
Hello neowinston,
You can find (french) instructions to break the protection and make a copy on Jean-Marc Boutillon's website.
You will need 128 Ko of RAM (stock 64 Ko + 64 Ko on the 80 colum card) and a software called BREAK made by TSUNOO (provided below).
BREAK simulates a Wildcard so you don't need to buy one
Here is a short translation of the instructions :
1) Boot a DOS disk
2) Go to the monitor by typing CALL -151[Return]
3) Enter the BREAK routine (don't use http://boutillon.free.fr/Underground/Deplombage/Interviews/Tsunoo/Interview_Tsunoo.html#BREAK, there is two mistakes). Use this one :
300:20 00 C3 A2 00 BD 9F 03
308:95 00 E8 E0 09 D0 F6 AD
310:C7 03 85 FE AD C8 03 85
318:FF A9 00 A8 91 FE C8 C0
320:FF D0 F9 85 FE E6 FF A4
328:FF C0 C0 D0 EE A9 3A 8D
330:F2 03 A9 03 8D F3 03 20
338:6F FB AD C7 03 85 3C 85
340:42 AD C8 03 85 3D 85 43
348:A9 FF 85 3E A9 BF 85 3F
350:38 20 11 C3 4C 57 03 A2
358:00 BD A8 03 9D 50 03 E8
360:E0 07 D0 F5 20 58 FC 4C
368:00 00 A9 00 85 24 A9 02
370:85 25 20 22 FC A2 00 BD
378:AF 03 20 ED FD E8 E0 18
380:D0 F5 20 9C FC 20 1B FD
388:C9 CF D0 0D A9 59 8D F2
390:03 A9 FF 8D F3 03 20 6F
398:FB 20 58 FC 4C 59 FF 8D
3A0:03 C0 8D 05 C0 4C 00 C6
3A8:18 20 11 C3 4C 6A 03 16
3B0:05 03 14 0F 12 09 13 05
3B8:12 20 12 05 13 05 14 20
3C0:28 0F 2F 0E 29 20 3F D0
3C8:03
4) Return to DOS by typing [CTRL C] then [Return]
5) [Optional] Insert a DOS formatted disk and save the BREAK routine by typing BSAVE BREAK,A$300,L$C8[Return]
6) Place your original Montezuma's Revende in Drive 1 and Lauch BREAK by typing CALL 768[Return]
7) The game is loading
8 ) Hit [CTRL Reset] to return to the monitor
9) Insert a DOS formated disk without boot program and type C600G[Return]
10) Save the game by tying BSAVE MONTEZUMA'S REVENGE,A$13F0,L$8012[Return]
And voilà !
BTW, this game is also widely available on many sources like Asimov.
WOW !!!
That's what I was looking for! Thanks a lot !!!!!!
Neo
I know this is a very old post, I came by it in a Google search but I figured I'd add something since it wasn't suggested and in case anyone else may want to backup their disks, the easiest way to backup protected disks is programs such as pirates friend, disk muncher, or a cracked version of essential data duplicator to name a few. These will even copy the copy protection, so it's an identical disk and not a cracked version.