In this tutorial you will learn how to crack any type of software protection using
W32Dasm and HIEW.
IDENTIFYING THE PROTECTION:
Run the program, game, etc., (SoftwareX) that you want to crack without the CD in the
CD reader. SoftwareX will not run of course, however, when the error window pops up it
will give you all of the vital information that you need to crack the program, so be sure to
write down what it says.
CRACKING THE PROTECTION:
Now, run Win32Dasm. On the file menu open DISASSEMBLER > OPEN FILE TO
DISASSEMBLE. Select SoftwareX’s executable file in the popup window that will
appear (e.g. SoftwareX.exe). W32Dasm may take several minutes to disassemble the file.
When W32Dasm finishes disassembling the file it will display unrecognizable text; this is
what we want. Click on the String Data References button. Scroll through the String Data
Items until you find SoftwareX’s error message. When you locate it, double click the
error message and then close the window to return to the Win32Dasm text. You will
notice that you have been moved somewhere within the SoftwareX’s check routine; this
is where the error message in generated.
