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Is this an old school copy protection device?
Clash Royale CLAN TAG#URR8PPP
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Is this a parallel port dongle that's required to run certain old software (w/out modification)? If so, how do I determine for what software or publisher it is for, assuming it is possible to do so?
- https://i.stack.imgur.com/WQPwZ.jpg
- https://i.stack.imgur.com/238SU.jpg
- https://i.stack.imgur.com/5Axxa.jpg
copy-protection parallel-port
asked 7 hours ago
Alexander M
84
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
favorite
Is this a parallel port dongle that's required to run certain old software (w/out modification)? If so, how do I determine for what software or publisher it is for, assuming it is possible to do so?
- https://i.stack.imgur.com/WQPwZ.jpg
- https://i.stack.imgur.com/238SU.jpg
- https://i.stack.imgur.com/5Axxa.jpg
copy-protection parallel-port
asked 7 hours ago
Alexander M
84
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
favorite
up vote
1
down vote
favorite
Is this a parallel port dongle that's required to run certain old software (w/out modification)? If so, how do I determine for what software or publisher it is for, assuming it is possible to do so?
- https://i.stack.imgur.com/WQPwZ.jpg
- https://i.stack.imgur.com/238SU.jpg
- https://i.stack.imgur.com/5Axxa.jpg
copy-protection parallel-port
asked 7 hours ago
Alexander M
84
Is this a parallel port dongle that's required to run certain old software (w/out modification)? If so, how do I determine for what software or publisher it is for, assuming it is possible to do so?
- https://i.stack.imgur.com/WQPwZ.jpg
- https://i.stack.imgur.com/238SU.jpg
- https://i.stack.imgur.com/5Axxa.jpg
copy-protection parallel-port
copy-protection parallel-port
asked 7 hours ago
Alexander M
84
asked 7 hours ago
Alexander M
84
asked 7 hours ago
Alexander M
84
asked 7 hours ago
Alexander M
84
asked 7 hours ago
Alexander M
84
84
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
up vote
3
down vote
accepted
Is this a parallel port dongle that's required to run certain old software (w/out modification)?
That's certainly what it looks like. The use of potting epoxy (in the third picture) is a strong indicator that the manufacturer of this device was trying to prevent reverse engineering -- I wouldn't expect to see that in a simple adapter, for instance.
If so, how do I determine for what software or publisher it is for, assuming it is possible to do so?
This is unlikely to be feasible. The way that these dongles operated was (intentionally!) nonstandard and obscure. If you were able to identify how this specific one operated and read data from it, it's possible that it might contain data identifying the software which it applied to -- but this would be a significant hardware reverse-engineering effort, and might still turn up nothing if the dongle doesn't contain any stored data, or if the manufacturer didn't embed any obvious identifiers in that data.
answered 3 hours ago
duskwuff
2,3031113
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
I seriously doubt you could figure out what it's for. I've written for such things before--we did not manufacture them, we bought them from the companies that do. There was absolutely nothing about the outside that indicated they were ours. We were small enough we didn't print special labeling for them.
The only way to figure out what they were was to try to talk to them. Provide the right key and they would answer. Our name didn't even appear internally, the only way to figure out whose they were would be the company that made them--they would know the contact information associated with the ID burned into the key.
answered 1 hour ago
Loren Pechtel
1,7411420
add a comment |Â
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
3
down vote
accepted
Is this a parallel port dongle that's required to run certain old software (w/out modification)?
That's certainly what it looks like. The use of potting epoxy (in the third picture) is a strong indicator that the manufacturer of this device was trying to prevent reverse engineering -- I wouldn't expect to see that in a simple adapter, for instance.
If so, how do I determine for what software or publisher it is for, assuming it is possible to do so?
This is unlikely to be feasible. The way that these dongles operated was (intentionally!) nonstandard and obscure. If you were able to identify how this specific one operated and read data from it, it's possible that it might contain data identifying the software which it applied to -- but this would be a significant hardware reverse-engineering effort, and might still turn up nothing if the dongle doesn't contain any stored data, or if the manufacturer didn't embed any obvious identifiers in that data.
answered 3 hours ago
duskwuff
2,3031113
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
accepted
Is this a parallel port dongle that's required to run certain old software (w/out modification)?
That's certainly what it looks like. The use of potting epoxy (in the third picture) is a strong indicator that the manufacturer of this device was trying to prevent reverse engineering -- I wouldn't expect to see that in a simple adapter, for instance.
If so, how do I determine for what software or publisher it is for, assuming it is possible to do so?
This is unlikely to be feasible. The way that these dongles operated was (intentionally!) nonstandard and obscure. If you were able to identify how this specific one operated and read data from it, it's possible that it might contain data identifying the software which it applied to -- but this would be a significant hardware reverse-engineering effort, and might still turn up nothing if the dongle doesn't contain any stored data, or if the manufacturer didn't embed any obvious identifiers in that data.
answered 3 hours ago
duskwuff
2,3031113
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
accepted
up vote
3
down vote
accepted
Is this a parallel port dongle that's required to run certain old software (w/out modification)?
That's certainly what it looks like. The use of potting epoxy (in the third picture) is a strong indicator that the manufacturer of this device was trying to prevent reverse engineering -- I wouldn't expect to see that in a simple adapter, for instance.
If so, how do I determine for what software or publisher it is for, assuming it is possible to do so?
This is unlikely to be feasible. The way that these dongles operated was (intentionally!) nonstandard and obscure. If you were able to identify how this specific one operated and read data from it, it's possible that it might contain data identifying the software which it applied to -- but this would be a significant hardware reverse-engineering effort, and might still turn up nothing if the dongle doesn't contain any stored data, or if the manufacturer didn't embed any obvious identifiers in that data.
answered 3 hours ago
duskwuff
2,3031113
Is this a parallel port dongle that's required to run certain old software (w/out modification)?
That's certainly what it looks like. The use of potting epoxy (in the third picture) is a strong indicator that the manufacturer of this device was trying to prevent reverse engineering -- I wouldn't expect to see that in a simple adapter, for instance.
If so, how do I determine for what software or publisher it is for, assuming it is possible to do so?
This is unlikely to be feasible. The way that these dongles operated was (intentionally!) nonstandard and obscure. If you were able to identify how this specific one operated and read data from it, it's possible that it might contain data identifying the software which it applied to -- but this would be a significant hardware reverse-engineering effort, and might still turn up nothing if the dongle doesn't contain any stored data, or if the manufacturer didn't embed any obvious identifiers in that data.
answered 3 hours ago
duskwuff
2,3031113
answered 3 hours ago
duskwuff
2,3031113
answered 3 hours ago
duskwuff
2,3031113
answered 3 hours ago
duskwuff
2,3031113
2,3031113
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
I seriously doubt you could figure out what it's for. I've written for such things before--we did not manufacture them, we bought them from the companies that do. There was absolutely nothing about the outside that indicated they were ours. We were small enough we didn't print special labeling for them.
The only way to figure out what they were was to try to talk to them. Provide the right key and they would answer. Our name didn't even appear internally, the only way to figure out whose they were would be the company that made them--they would know the contact information associated with the ID burned into the key.
answered 1 hour ago
Loren Pechtel
1,7411420
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
I seriously doubt you could figure out what it's for. I've written for such things before--we did not manufacture them, we bought them from the companies that do. There was absolutely nothing about the outside that indicated they were ours. We were small enough we didn't print special labeling for them.
The only way to figure out what they were was to try to talk to them. Provide the right key and they would answer. Our name didn't even appear internally, the only way to figure out whose they were would be the company that made them--they would know the contact information associated with the ID burned into the key.
answered 1 hour ago
Loren Pechtel
1,7411420
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
up vote
3
down vote
I seriously doubt you could figure out what it's for. I've written for such things before--we did not manufacture them, we bought them from the companies that do. There was absolutely nothing about the outside that indicated they were ours. We were small enough we didn't print special labeling for them.
The only way to figure out what they were was to try to talk to them. Provide the right key and they would answer. Our name didn't even appear internally, the only way to figure out whose they were would be the company that made them--they would know the contact information associated with the ID burned into the key.
answered 1 hour ago
Loren Pechtel
1,7411420
I seriously doubt you could figure out what it's for. I've written for such things before--we did not manufacture them, we bought them from the companies that do. There was absolutely nothing about the outside that indicated they were ours. We were small enough we didn't print special labeling for them.
The only way to figure out what they were was to try to talk to them. Provide the right key and they would answer. Our name didn't even appear internally, the only way to figure out whose they were would be the company that made them--they would know the contact information associated with the ID burned into the key.
answered 1 hour ago
Loren Pechtel
1,7411420
answered 1 hour ago
Loren Pechtel
1,7411420
answered 1 hour ago
Loren Pechtel
1,7411420
answered 1 hour ago
Loren Pechtel
1,7411420
1,7411420
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
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