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How do trial versions enforce their limit?

F

Felecha

Golden Member
I'm not a bad guy. I don't think I'm violating the intent of the software vendor here. I'm a student, with a particular interest in database applications. A database company (Sybase) offers trial versions of lots of their products. I downloaded a bunch of them earlier in the year, to play around with them. I didn't have enough time, with classes going on, to really get to them. Now I'm out for the summer and a week ago the time ran out (60 days). I uninstalled all of them, downloaded new zips, ran RegClean, hoping to wipe out anything stuck into the Registry to kill trials after 60 days, and it worked for some of the apps, but one of them insists the trial has expired, and I really want to get a look at it. I'm not going to be using their stuff for free, who would invest the effort to set up a database that would self-destruct?

Anyone have any clues as to how to get around it?

I don't want to post this question on their own newsgroup site, even though I know I'm a nice guy
 
You are not a nice guy. You are a criminal. You are breaking the DMCA by attempting to circumvent an access control.
 
What's a DMCA?

And are you serious?

It's one thing to get around stuff so you can use someone's software for your own profit and not pay for it. I've tried lots of shareware stuff and always paid for the ones I actually keep and use.

What in the world would I do with a business-oriented database application costing thousands of dollars? I'm just me. I just want to look at it and learn about using it. I may end up seeking work in some aspect of the business some day. How would it hurt Sybase for me to get a second chance to look at their stuff?

I did hesitate to post the question, because I realize whatever anyone might tell me that works for this kind of thing could in fact be used by anyone who reads it to violate the purposes of trial limits, and that's why I hesitated to send it over to the Sybase forums. How could I ask them to post on their own site the trick (if there is one)?
 
Some shareware apps put stuff everywhere, the registry, temp-folder, system folder, etc. Everywhere and don't expect them to use obvious names for those files or keys.

So far the only way I've found to use such a trial app for longer than 30/60 days, is to wipe the HD clean and do a reinstall.

You could buy another (small) HD, install the OS on it and all apps you want to try out. You can then wipe that HD clean as many times as you want.
 
That would be a little much, I think. If I can't find a do-able answer here, I'll let it go. Not that big a deal
 
The DMCA is the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. It outlaws the circumvention of access control of copyrighted materials. There are heavy monetary fines and jailtimes if you are caught and prosecuted.

If a software company has placed an access control on their software that makes it impossible to use it beyond a 60 day trial period, then that is how they intend the software to be used. What your intentions are, or what their intentions are, doesn't come into play here. You are attempting to circumvent an access control and you are in violation of the DMCA.

If you believe that you are somehow entitled to further use of the software than is allowed by the access control, you can contact the software company and get them to license you the software under different licensing terms. This is called cross-licensing. If you are using a specific version of the software with a specific access control, you are required to use the software with regard to those access controls. Trying to circumvent them is illegal.
 
lucidguy - You don't have to be a prick to the man. He only asked a question. And who are you to go around accusing someone of being a criminal? By asking a question, he's a criminal? Get a life.

Felecha - Although lucidguy was a bit terse in his response, he is right.

If you have interests in learning about databases, you may want to try some free databases such as mySql. There are numerous databases that run under the GPL and with them, you don't have to worry about licenses. I hope you wouldn't give up learning about databases because sybase's lousy 60 day eval period expired! 😉

There may also be a newer version of Sybase around with another 60 day eval. A newer version of software should give you another 60 day eval period I would guess.
 
Install regmon and filemon from http://www.sysinternals.com, run them prior to installing your stuff, and they will log every files or regkeys your installer changes (lots of stuff to read, be warned).
You can also try to monitor the install with a cleansweep-like utility.
The purpose is either to completely wipe the apllication, or guess where the deadline is hidden, though there are chances it's encrypted in an odd place.
 
Pfffffffffffft.
Rocket scientists.
First option: Call the company..Tell them whatsup. They will probably give you a code or another download or maybe just give you the damn program if you're a student.

Option 2..... murdock2525@hotmail.com
Mr Lucid can pray for our Evil Soulzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
 


<< Mr Lucid can pray for our Evil Soulzzzzzzzzzzzzz. >>



You don't understand. I'm not taking a moral stance here as to whether it is right or wrong to defeat access controls. I am simply pointing out relevant law.

If the original poster identifies himself as a &quot;nice guy&quot; and wants to remain a &quot;nice guy&quot; he will not want to break a law that can cost him hundreds of thousands of dollars in monetary fees and years of jailtime.

Justified or not, this is the law as it currently stands. One must know the relevant law before one can decide if it is worth breaking it.
 
didn't mean to kick over the beehive. I did call the company and they said sorry, nothing they could do for me.

Oh well
 
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