Unprotect for TFX.

Ok, the guys who wrote TFX certainly don't want anyone pirating
this game. This is what I know (Or have heard) about the protection
methods and what I've done about them:

1) The first protection method is a scheme to ensure that the
installation disks can't be copied: 
Now I haven't even attempted to address this problem, since I have no
need to copy the installation disks. So if you have a copy of these
disks which won't install: HARD LUCK - this unprotect won't help you.

2) The second protection method involves determining whether the copy
of TFX on your hard disk is the original one. (I.E. Whether it has been
copied from hard disk to hard disk or not.). This is how it does it:

When the program is installed, TFX analyses your system and records
the hardware settings. Everytime you play TFX, it checks to see
if the hardware settings have altered:
*If they have, it's most likely that the program has been copied onto a
different machine and TFX will refuse to run. You have to re-install to
remove the problem.
*Of course it's possible that you are the original owner and have just
expanded the system. But that's no problem - you are the owner, you have
the original disks. (Or more likely, you friend has, cos he can't copy
the damn things.)

*THIS UNPROTECT REMOVES PROTECTION (2) ABOVE.
I'm always pulling my P.C. apart and changing things and this protection
method seriously gets on my nerves. (Clambering up in the loft to find the
fucking disks. I mean, it's a long way up to the loft. How lazy is this
man?)

Now I can't be arsed to write an executable file to automatically
remove the protection. I think a text file is much simpler. To remove
the protect, do the following:

You load the file START.EXE into a hex editor (Something like Norton's
DISKEDIT). You go to offset &7F6 (That's &5F6 from the execution entry
point.) and have a look. You should see the bytes &74 and &1B (which
translate in assembly to JE 0613). Replace them with &90 and &90 (which
translate to NOP NOP). Hey presto! TFX will run.

However, when TFX returns to DOS, it will still display the message
about the hardware being changed. If you are real fussy and want to get
rid of this then go to offset &852 (&652 from the execution entry point).
You should see the bytes &E8 &E8 &FD (which translate in assembly to
CALL 043D). Replace them with &90, &90 and &90 (NOP NOP NOP) and the
message will go away.


Now I learn't something today. I decided to include details of what to
enter in DEBUG (External DOS command) incase some people don't have
hex editors. Trouble was: I'd never used DEBUG from DOS before and then
found that it wouldn't edit .EXE files. (It's obvious why, but why can't
there be an override switch?) However, you can get round this problem.

If you want to use debug, try: (Return after each line)

rename start.exe start.e
debug start.e
l
e 8f6 90
e 8f7 90
e 952 90
e 953 90
e 954 90
w
q
rename start.e start.exe

That's it (Don't type this in.). NOTE that the values after the 'e' command
are &100 above the values I stated earlier. (This is because DEBUG is a
crappy stupid program and you have to do this.)

Mr A.P.E.