Hellcat Ace Unprotect   by Independent (IND)

THE SOFTWARE PRIVATEER presents Hellcat Ace Unprotect This file will tell you how to unprotection Hellcat Ace by MicroProse. To complete this unprotection you will need the following: 1. A good copy program like BACKUP.EXE or COPYIIPC.EXE. 2. DEBUG.COM can be found on your DOS disk. 3. U-FORMAT.EXE can be found on most Bulletin Boards. BACKGROUND: The copy protection scheme used by Micro Prose on Hellcat Ace is very good. I have found no commercial copy program that can make a usable backup copy of this disk. The Hellcat Ace master disk has track 10 specially made. Track 10 has 16 sector ids on it instead of the normal 8 or 9. Using COPYIIPC, track 10 will be reproduced with only 10 ids on it. When Hellcat Ace boots up it verifies, in four places, that all 16 sector ids exist. The sectors on track 10 contain no usable data. Hellcat Ace just makes sure that they exist. Knowing this we can go in and patch Hellcat Ace so that it doesn't check track 10 at all. After patching the program we can go in and re-format track 10 to normal sector size. With this done, you will have a working copy of Hellcat Ace that can be copied by DISKCOPY.COM. Step 1: Make a backup copy of your master Hellcat Ace disk. Your copy program must be able to handle non-DOS sector sizes. Norell BACKUP or Central Point COPYIIPC can do this. Remember to copy both sides of the disk, Hellcat Ace is double-sided. Once you have copied the master disk put it away. You will not be needing it again. NOTE: The backup copy just made will not function ... yet. When you are done with Step 2, the disk will run. When you are done with Step 3, the disk will be DISKCOPYable. Step 2: Load DEBUG into memory. Put Hellcat Ace backup copy into drive A. From the DEBUG prompt '-', enter the following: -l 0 0 21 1<CR> This command will load the 2nd sector on track 2 side 0 into memory. At this point we want to patch one of the locations that check track 10 for 16 sector ids. To do this type the following: -e1A0 <CR> XXXX:01A0 B4.EB 08.1E <CR> Now we want to write the changes back to disk. To do this type the following: -w 0 0 21 1<CR> -l 0 0 25 1<CR> This command will load the 6th sector on track 2 side 0 into memory. At this point we want to patch the second location that checks track 10 for 16 sector ids. To do this type the following: -e164 <CR> XXXX:0164 B4.EB 08.1E <CR> Now we want to write the changes back to disk. To do this type the following: -w 0 0 25 1<CR> -l 0 0 29 1<CR> This command will load the 2nd sector on track 2 side 1 into memory. At this point we want to patch the third location that checks track 10 for 16 sector ids. To do this type the following: -e1A9 <CR> XXXX:01A9 B4.EB 08.1E <CR> Now we want to write the changes back to disk. To do this type the following: -w 0 0 29 1<CR> -l 0 0 2E 1<CR> This command will load the 7th sector on track 2 side 1 into memory. At this point we want to patch the fourth location that checks track 10 for 16 sector ids. To do this type the following: -e108 <CR> XXXX:0108 B4.EB 08.1E <CR> Now we want to write the changes back to disk. To do this type the following: -w 0 0 2E 1<CR> At this point your backup disk will now function! Step 3: Now we want to re-format track 10 to normal double-sided track. U-FORMAT.EXE will do this job quite well. You want to format track 10 with 8 sectors on 2 sides. Having completed the above 3 steps, you will have a working copy of Hellcat Ace that can be copied by DISKCOPY.COM. Step 4: Enjoy the game!!