Title: Simulating Delphi running to bypass evaluation version protection
Question: How can I use components that only work when Delphi is running ?
Answer:
Some Delphi authors write trial versions of their shareware components by using a 'protection' that consists in testing if Delphi is running or not, with a function like :
function IsDelphiRunning : boolean;
begin
Result := (FindWindow('TAppBuilder',nil) 0) and
(FindWindow('TPropertyInspector',nil) 0) and
(FindWindow('TAlignPalette',nil) 0);
end;
If Delphi is not running, these components doesn't work or display shareware information. This 'protection' can be easily cracked by creating similar windows to Delphi's. In your 'uses' clause, simply insert the following unit before the shareware component.
(******************************************************************************
DSim 1.2 simulates Delphi running
Copyright (C) 2001 Antarlac Software
http://antarlac.intercosmos.com
******************************************************************************)
unit DSim;
interface
implementation
uses Windows;
const
AppBuilderWindowClass :TWndClass =
(
style :0;
lpfnWndProc :@DefWindowProc;
cbClsExtra :0;
cbWndExtra :0;
hInstance :0;
hIcon :0;
hCursor :0;
hbrBackground :0;
lpszMenuName :NIL;
lpszClassName :'TAppBuilder'
);
PropertyInspectorWindowClass :TWndClass =
(
style :0;
lpfnWndProc :@DefWindowProc;
cbClsExtra :0;
cbWndExtra :0;
hInstance :0;
hIcon :0;
hCursor :0;
hbrBackground :0;
lpszMenuName :NIL;
lpszClassName :'TPropertyInspector'
);
AlignPaletteWindowClass :TWndClass =
(
style :0;
lpfnWndProc :@DefWindowProc;
cbClsExtra :0;
cbWndExtra :0;
hInstance :0;
hIcon :0;
hCursor :0;
hbrBackground :0;
lpszMenuName :NIL;
lpszClassName :'TAlignPalette'
);
var
AppBuilderHWND :HWND;
PropertyInspectorHWND :HWND;
AlignPaletteHWND :HWND;
initialization
{ TAppBuilder }
if FindWindow(AppBuilderWindowClass.lpszClassName,NIL) = 0 then
begin
RegisterClass(AppBuilderWindowClass);
AppBuilderHWND := CreateWindowEx(0, AppBuilderWindowClass.lpszClassName,
'', 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, HInstance, NIL);
end;
{ TPropertyInspector }
if FindWindow(PropertyInspectorWindowClass.lpszClassName,NIL) = 0 then
begin
RegisterClass(PropertyInspectorWindowClass);
PropertyInspectorHWND := CreateWindowEx(0, PropertyInspectorWindowClass.lpszClassName,
'', 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, HInstance, NIL);
end;
{ TAlignPalette }
if FindWindow(AlignPaletteWindowClass.lpszClassName,NIL) = 0 then
begin
RegisterClass(AlignPaletteWindowClass);
AlignPaletteHWND := CreateWindowEx(0, AlignPaletteWindowClass.lpszClassName,
'', 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, HInstance, NIL);
end;
finalization
{ TAppBuilder }
UnregisterClass(AppBuilderWindowClass.lpszClassName, HInstance);
if AppBuilderHWND 0 then
DestroyWindow(AppBuilderHWND);
{ TPropertyInspector }
UnregisterClass(PropertyInspectorWindowClass.lpszClassName, HInstance);
if PropertyInspectorHWND 0 then
DestroyWindow(PropertyInspectorHWND);
{ TAlignPalette }
UnregisterClass(AlignPaletteWindowClass.lpszClassName, HInstance);
if AlignPaletteHWND 0 then
DestroyWindow(AlignPaletteHWND);
end.