Passwords

[Anonymous]

Hello,

I'm new and this is my first post. Hope this is where I can get some help. I don't know how to program in VB thru Acad, but I have co-workers that are trying to teach themselves.

Before I started working at my current job there was an employee that wrote code and created several automated operations for the drafting/design department. As happens often in business he left under unpleasant circumstances and is unavailable. My co-workers think they could work with the automation; however, it has been password protected. What I have been able to determine thru a hex editor it that the password is not imbedded in the code. So, would that mean that it could be "gone around", "broken", or "reset/removed"?

Is there anyone here that can help me remove this password? I hope so - I don't have much hair left and I'm tired of pulling it out. 🐵

Thanks in advance.

Ryder76

[Anonymous]

Hi Ryder76,

In a word. No.

Since you can see the functionality of the programming, it's best simply
to reproduce it with new code.

Regards


Laurie Comerford

Rydr76 wrote:
> Hello, I'm new and this is my first post. Hope this is where I can get
> some help. I don't know how to program in VB thru Acad, but I have
> co-workers that are trying to teach themselves. Before I started working
> at my current job there was an employee that wrote code and created
> several automated operations for the drafting/design department. As
> happens often in business he left under unpleasant circumstances and is
> unavailable. My co-workers think they could work with the automation;
> however, it has been password protected. What I have been able to
> determine thru a hex editor it that the password is not imbedded in the
> code. So, would that mean that it could be "gone around", "broken", or
> "reset/removed"? Is there anyone here that can help me remove this
> password? I hope so - I don't have much hair left and I'm tired of
> pulling it out. 🐵 Thanks in advance. Ryder76

[dgorsman]

FYI - publicly asking for help cracking a password protection is considered bad form. If you don't have the uprotected source code, you are left to reverse engineer it.

[Anonymous]

My apologies for my ignorance. I thought that since the work done by this disgruntled employee was technically work product and belonged to the company not the employee and that the company wants the password protection cracked it would be appropriate for me to ask the experts. Is there not software out there that can bypass passwords?

[HJohn1]

You could try this routine. Good luck.

{Public Function GetPassword() as password

if (Send case of beer + chicken wings) AndAlso (He accepts the offering) then
return call AskForPasswordNicely
End If

End Function
}

[dgorsman]

No problem. Also keep in mind that what people say on the Internet isn't always the truth, and some will simply claim code as their own just to get it decrypted. But yes you are correct - the employee should have left the source code unprotected as it is the property of the company even if they provided an encrypted version for use at that company.

[Anonymous]

Yea - I understand how some folks would lie to get what they want. I even understand how this employee must have felt at the time, but that doesn't resolve our dilema. We are just the grunts here and the grunts are the ones feeling the pain - not the people he intended to hurt. I have left companies before with disgruntled feelings as well, but I never did anything to sabotage any work I did for them. Very unprofessional and as my mother would say - Rude.

Anyway, back to my problem. I guess I'm not really looking to "crack" the password as much as I would like to unprotect the data. Is that semantics? 🐵 I only want to be able to manipulate the dvb file. It seems that it would only be a matter of some kind of selection switch that could be turned off. Would Autodesk be able to help me if I called them direct with our license number?

Even though I like Heavy Metal that's not why I'm bangin' my head! :o) Edited by: Rydr76 on Feb 4, 2009 1:55 PM

[Anonymous]

Very funny - if I new how to get in touch with that employee it would not be beneath me to bribe him or try influencing him with gulit. 🐵

Maybe two cases of beer and Hooters wings would do it.

[Anonymous]

I have tried entering a request for help online with Autodesk to no avail - keep getting thrown out of the site. I have tied to locate a phone number for technical support - to no avail. Where are they when you need them? Out selling more software packages?

Yea - I'm really frustrated. I have had my head for far into the computer for so long looking for a solution that I now feel as if I am plugged into "The Matrix". My eyes are now scrolling circuitry and my head hurts. I have a funny feeling that the answer is a very simple one - and not rewriting the code!

[Anonymous]

what are the automated operations? what were the modifications that you needed? can you post the dvb (and included lisp file if there is one)? Maybe a work-around can be made or the code can easily be replaced... Edited by: cadger on Feb 5, 2009 1:55 AM

[Anonymous]

Hi rydr76,

Keep banging till you realise that you are not going to be able to
access that code without the "bad guy" letting you know the password.

Then start planning what you are going to do.

Regards


Laurie Comerford

rydr76 wrote:
> I have tried entering a request for help online with Autodesk to no
> avail - keep getting thrown out of the site. I have tied to locate a
> phone number for technical support - to no avail. Where are they when
> you need them? Out selling more software packages? Yea - I'm really
> frustrated. I have had my head for far into the computer for so long
> looking for a solution that I now feel as if I am plugged into "The
> Matrix". My eyes are now scrolling circuitry and my head hurts. I have a
> funny feeling that the answer is a very simple one - and not rewriting
> the code!

[Anonymous]

I tried to upload the .dvb file but got a message : "The content type of the file '03_Rev_Cloud.dvb' is not allowed."

Got the same message when I tried to upload the file renamed to a .txt file. 😞

[Anonymous]

One file will start a brand new architectural layout with title block, and drawing in selected scale. Another will add revision level annotation, document control stamp, a rev cloud drawn with rev triangle at points we select, another update the first sheet that lists all other sheets with the current revision of all drawings on the contract, another acts like a file manager and will do global changes to the title block information, control stamp, and will pdf all the files that are selected.

The automated rev cloud doesn't run on some machines, The file manager function for pdf won't work on some machines. When we try to locate the problem file it can't be found on some machines. So some of us can utilize some things in the automation and some of us can utilize others, but no one can use all the functionality of any of them. 😞

So, if we could get into the files we could modify them and make them either work or add things to them to make them work better. Since that guy left work processes have changed and we would like to have the ability to update the automation to reflect those changes.

Edited by: rydr76 on Feb 5, 2009 2:41 PM Edited by: rydr76 on Feb 5, 2009 2:42 PM

[Anonymous]

Well after yet another lengthy day of phone conversations with AutoDesk it apprears that Laura is right. They say there is no back door to the password. Well, at least none they are willing to share or use on my files and return them. I explained I didn't want any secrets - I could care less. I just want the files that their software made capable and actually password protected undone. After my company as well as many others spending an obscene amount of money for an albeit excellent program it seems they could support their customer in undoing an illegal act perpetrated by a disgruntled employee. Yes, there is the expense of legal recourse, but why? When all AutoCAD would have to do is fix this file so it is usable.

My apologies - I have reached the end of my rope and am disgusted with people who are motivated by either money or revenge. I would like to thank everyone that tried to help me find a solution to my dilema and now go back and tell my guys the bad news.

Regards,

Rdyr76

[Anonymous]

Hi rydr76,

While we can sympathise with the personal effect on you in the
circumstances you've outlined I can assure you that there would be
thousands of seriously disgruntled developers who rely on these
passwords being uncrackable if Autodesk or anyone else suddenly started
cracking passwords on request.

The failure in your firm is at managerial level in that they did not
have systems in place to:

Ensure that their employees don't become disgruntled
Ensure that they have open backup copies of their programs suitably archived


Regards


Laurie Comerford

rydr76 wrote:
> Well after yet another lengthy day of phone conversations with AutoDesk
> it apprears that Laura is right. They say there is no back door to the
> password. Well, at least none they are willing to share or use on my
> files and return them. I explained I didn't want any secrets - I could
> care less. I just want the files that their software made capable and
> actually password protected undone. After my company as well as many
> others spending an obscene amount of money for an albeit excellent
> program it seems they could support their customer in undoing an illegal
> act perpetrated by a disgruntled employee. Yes, there is the expense of
> legal recourse, but why? When all AutoCAD would have to do is fix this
> file so it is usable. My apologies - I have reached the end of my rope
> and am disgusted with people who are motivated by either money or
> revenge. I would like to thank everyone that tried to help me find a
> solution to my dilema and now go back and tell my guys the bad news.
> Regards, Rdyr76

[Anonymous]

Sounds like some customized macros/programs there ... feel free to email to anothercadger at yahoo dot com if you wish. An idea: instead of asking autodesk or vb, maybe a larger set to google is excel vba., .hope its useful.

[Anonymous]

Cant speak of new acad macros, but Ive seen it done a few years ago. (Possibly) depending on the age of the .dvb, it might be possible.