Files

Cracktros and intros: Cracktros are mini adverts created by cracking groups to announce their releases to the community. Initially, these programs were inserted and launched whenever the cracked software was in use. We have over 400 cracktro and crack-intros for Windows individually itemised for download, while another 3500 of these for MS-DOS are playable in your web browser! Also, we hold a collection of 440 scene software installers that complimented the cracktros and 200 demoscene productions to juxapose.

NFO files and scene releases: NFO or information text files are generally in every scene release of which we hold 5900 items. Often, they are stylised with ASCII text art and arranged in a standard format. In the early days, these texts included detailed group information, but now they focus more on the cracked software. Also, we hold a collection of 140 NFO viewers and editors.
The 4090 group release proofs are to verify the use of retail-ready physical media that's supplied for release.

ANSI art: Coloured ANSI text art was commonly used on BBSes for advertising and theming of their sites. This collection includes over 3000 pieces used for marketing BBSes, FTP sites, group NFOs and brand logos.

BBS ads: Bulletin Board Systems were a proto-Interweb for online communication and the exchange of files during the 1980s until the mid-1990s. This collection of 13800 files include 6400 BBStros, 2800 ANSI art, many images and 1900 text files. We also have a large collection of FTP ads plus lists of BBS sites and FTP sites are also available.

Magazines: Before the web and social media existed, groups used to exchange ideas and write articles on their communities in the form of digital magazines and newsletters. The 1020 issues for 190 publications are also listed under their publication titles.

Filepacks: Filepacks are packages of files that share a common theme that people have collected and curated for easy distribution. Popular pack topics include ANSI art, BBS ads, NFOs and cracktros.

Databases: Scene databases are often once private datasets of cracked software titles, release dates and associated groups. Due to their size, these sets are often incomplete and sometimes inaccurate. You can also download a live copy of the Defacto2 database used by this website.

Text files and documents: The vast majority of scene releases involve text and documents such as the 12710 text files hosted here. Of which, 5900 are NFO files plus the 2690 texts created for the Commodore Amiga. There are also more modern document formats such as PDFs, HTML, and websites. As well as some files covering the former Apple ][ and Atari ST scenes.

Mainstream news: Scans and retypes of computer magazines and newspaper articles that attempt to report on the scene.

Busts and takedowns: Reports and alerts for software pirate arrests and police raids.

Community standards: Rules and agreed standards for the various divisions of the scene.

Community drama: The very competitive scene often has led to online flamewars and occasionally offline conflicts.

Announcements: Public notices and community farewells.

For sale: Adverts for commercial goods and online services, that vary in legality.

Group jobs: Calls for new group memberships or employment and tools for possible applicants. Sometimes a trial crackme is made to test one's abilty.

Restricted: Internal tools and documents that were never intended to be made public, but give a great insight into the operations of scene groups.

Game hacks: A small collection of hacks, exploits, cheats and trainers for legacy PC games.

Guides and how-tos: Texts and guides on how to analyse, patch and crack legacy software.

Computer tools: Legacy software to analyse, decrypt, patch and crack other programs.

ANSI tools: Legacy software used to create and edit ANSI art files.

NFO tools: Legacy software designed to create and edit NFO text files.

Multimedia

Images include pixel art, photoshop creations and various photos.
Music tracks found in productions and songs inspired by the scene.
Videos mostly of animated group logos.

Interviews: Discussions with scene members, be prepared for bad speling and typos. There are also countless other interviews contained within the numerous magazines.

International Network of Crackers (INC)

Bar Manager Feb, 1993
The History and INC Today
Coolhand June, 1998
Scenelink interview
Line Noise March, 1993
Adrenalin Magazine interview

Fairlight (FLT)

- Ford Perfect Jan, 1993
  Before the "Incident"...
- Genesis Oct, 1991
  Software Chronicles Digest interview

Razor 1911 (RZR)

Pitbull 2005
Former leader talks about life after being busted
The Renegade Chemist June, 1996
Spotlight on

The Dream Team (TDT)

Belgarion Oct, 1991
Retired THG member and ex-sysop of The Festering Pit BBS
Hard Core 1993
An interview with the founder
T800 Jan, 1996
Defacto interview
The Grim Reaper Feb, 1993
Adrenalin interview

Bandido 1999

Of Drink or Die and RiSC, Griffiths made global headlines in 2007 after being extradited to the USA despite never visiting the country

Bryn Rogers Aug, 2012

My memories of Lamers of Power

ChinaBlue June, 1998

Retirement and the 'bust or be busted' scene mentality

Marvel July, 1999

An artist for Future Crew, the most influential demogroup on the PC

TGK June, 1998

Scenelink interview about Amnesia

Operating systems

DOS: Software written for the original x86 operating system and precursor to Microsoft Windows. This platform was popular in North America during the 1980s and for much of the world during the first half of the 1990s.

Windows: Windows became the inevitable replacement for MS-DOS on the x86 platform. Most Windows software released in the 1990s and would probably target Windows 95 and 98 while later releases would be for Windows XP or 7.

macOS: Is the software created for Apple's macOS and earlier OS-X line of operating systems.

Linux: Scene software created for the Linux desktop and server platforms. This software may fail to run on modern distributions

Scripts: Shell scripts and software created in interpreted programming languages such as PHP, Perl, TCL, Python and Ruby.

Java: Multi-platform applications written in the Java programming language.

Scene milestones: These milestones for the PC cracking scene are based on what we have collected. There were earlier and more notable communities on other microcomputers for which the PC scene often poorly mimicked.

1981
First PC August 12: IBM PC 5150

1983
Earliest distributed cracked game: Galaxian broken by Koyote Kid
First PC clone March: Compaq Portable
Earliest unprotect document May 12: Directions for Unprotecting SPOC by Randy Day SPOC.UNP

1984
Earliest PC groups: Against Software Protection (ASP)

Software Pirates Inc (SPi)
EGA graphics standard October
Earliest info text October 17: Zorktools 1.0 by Software Pirates Inc

1985
Earliest text loader May 26: Spy Hunter by Imperial Warlords

1986

Earliest DOX

Dam Buster Documentation by Apocalypse BBS `DAMBUST1.DOC`

Earliest PC loaders June

Gremlins by Mr. Turbo

Ultima 3 by ESP Pirates

and later Frogger II by SPI

1987

AdLib audio standard

VGA graphics standard

Earliest PC demo June 22

3 Dimensional EGA Demonstration

First 32 color VGA game December

Rockford: The Arcade Game
The first 256-color game on the IBM PC

1988
Earliest standalone BBS ad April 4: Swashbucklers II BBS README.!!!
Earliest ANSI ad June: Paperboy by BSP SCREEN.ANS
Earliest NFO-like document July 30: Romance of the Three Kingdoms by BSP
Earliest ASCII art October 6: Fire Power by $print $PRINT.TXT
The earliest example of scene drama November 25: TNWC accusing PTL of stealing a release README.NOW

1988

Dude Man Dude HQ BBS (313)
↪ The Grand Council TGC
The Neutral Zone BBS (206)
↪ North West Connection TNWC
Sprint
↪ Triad 1989
Bentley Sidwell Productions BSP
↪ The Firm 1989
Crackers in Action CIA
The Sysops Association Network TSAN

1989
First 256 color VGA game March: 688 Attack Sub
The first 256-color game on the IBM PC
Earliest BBS ANSI loader March: Rogues Gallery BBS
Earliest PC intro April: First intro by Sorcerers
Earliest PC cracktro April 29: Lombard RAC Rally by Future Brain Inc (FBi)

1989

The Underground Council UGC
↪ Triad
Norwegian Cracking Company NCC
↪ International Network of Crackers 1990
Pirates Sick of Initials PSi
↪ Triad 1990
Future Brain Inc FBI
American Pirate Industries Newsletter
Pirate

Miami Cracking Machine MCM + New York Crackers NYC + ECA

1990
Sound Blaster audio standard
Use of the .NFO file extension Jan 23: Knights of Legend by The Humble Guys KNIGHTS.NFO
Earliest PC cracktro with music December 2: M1 Tank Platoon by The Cat
First enchanced PC game on CD-ROM Winter: Mixed-Up Mother Goose 1. 2.