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	   How to crack the WINDOWS 98 "year 2001" problem ???

*****************************************************   -=[THOG]=- 1/1999  ******



    (1) Who should read this ???
	------------------------

	Everybody who has installed the WINDOWS 98 - Update (release 4.10.1721.3) on
	system. You don't know ??? If this text appears before your system is booting:


	  ->	   ACHTUNG:  Die Lizenz fⁿr diese Vorabversion ist ungⁿltig.
		   Aktualisieren Sie umgehend die Software.
		   Diese Vorabversion von Windows 98 ist gⁿltig bis zum 1. April 2001

		   Weiter mit beliebiger Taste...

     
        be sure - you have this version !!!

	This short essay will show you how to solve this problem forever ....    



    (2) What we need this time ???
        --------------------------

	-> No SOFTICE [because a debugger is useless this time - remember your SYSTEM 
		       is not running when this "NAG"-Screen :) appears]
	-> No IDA

	-> "AfDpRO" or another DOS-debugger

	-> YOUR BRAIN [always important ... maybe a little bit knowledge about INT 21]	
        
 	-> DISK-EDitor [NORTON ...]

	-> HEX-EDiTor  [WINHEX; HIEW ... ]




    (3) Let us begin !!!
        ---------------      	 

	First I started up my computer and saw the dirty NAG-Screen. Since 4 month this 
	text was shown on my screen and I was forced to press a key. "Computer should 
	never say what people have to do ...": I thaught - "I will press a key to boot 
	up last time!". It was time to do something !!!

	Its clear - the problem must be settled on the bootsector. So I opened all 
        SYSTEM-files and searching the string "Vorabversion". The "IO.SYS"
	includes the string. YEAHHHH .... Then I used IDA and pitch the file through 
	the disassembler. I┤m waiting .... and waiting (my computer is not so fast!) 
	I had a closer look and found nothing. Mhhhmmm.... The string and the checking 
	routines were not dissassebled. "Good Microsoft "encryption" or packed ?": 
	I asked my self. 
	I remebered that the IO.SYS is concepted like a CONFUSING COM-file. But where is 
	the check-routine for the right "date"? The boot-system works with simple DOS:

					MOV AH, 2Ah
					INT 21h

	ask your system clock for the date. This little code is HEX: B4/2A/CD/21.
	I turned on my HEX-Editor and load the IO.SYS. B4/2A/CD/21 was found at
	position 7159h. Then I marked 100 bytes started at 7159h and saved it to a 
	seperate file. This little file was loaded to AfdPro [its a very old but good
	debugger ... but you can use every program like TR, TRW, IDA, Tracer which can
	disassemble a file]. 
					
					MOV AH, 2Ah
					INT 21		   <= get the systemdate;
							      CX=year	

					XCHG AX,CX         <= year into AX
					SUB  AX, 7BCh
 					:
					:
					OR   AX,DX        <= check the year - important(!)
					:
					JNZ ....	  <= check the month and day 
					JMP ....
					:
					:
					JNZ .....
					JMP .....  
        
	I saw all this different jumps - help !!!!! By the way - important is only the
	OR AX,DX !!! Keep this in your mind ...

	OK, to crack this code is easy but what should i modify ??? Every jump ????
	I decide to patch 

			    SUB AX, 7BCh  ===>   MOV AX, const value (this date is always 
								      correct :) !!!!).

	PATCH 3 bytes at position 715D - 715f    B8/11/00 and save the "IO.SYS" to disk.


	Start your system again and have fun  .... 

	 


					

     (4) Any problems - any questions ???
         --------------------------------
	
			Mail me :     THOG1995@Hotmail.com .