Team CDS - From the land of India

About -- Cracks, Patchs, Serials, Keygens

This is an excellent tut written by rajivrocks at our forum in an easy tounderstand language with some modification by me for the loader section. Credit goes to rajivrocks for providing such a useful knowlegde to newbies.

Let's begin... There are four different types of ways to "fix" a software program that you'll run into. "Fixing" a software program means bypassing the means it uses to keep it from being freely copied and distributed. This can include anything from removing trial limitations or nag screens to allowing a retail release to function. Those four means are: (often referred to as a release)

Crack
Patch
Serial
Keygen

The order isn't random. You'll see more cracks and patches then you will keygens or serials. However, a keygen is considered the best and a crack the most crude. Something else to keep in mind - a number of people call every release a "crack". I disagree with such a naming convention since each one serves a different purpose and is used differently. Here's what they all mean... (I'll explain how to use them later.)

CRACK
A crack is a modified version of a file that has been "pre-hacked" by the cracker. Frequently this is the actual EXE of the main program, but in modified form. It could also be a DLL or Key file that the program uses to register itself or check an online activation server. A cracked file has such checks removed. A drawback of a crack is it can be big (sometimes many MBs) since it's just a modified version of the original file. Also, it's one of the more difficult to use (along with a patch); that is, for a n00b.

PATCH
A patch is a little nicer then a crack. It's rarely more then...

Read More here: http://cdsgroup.byethost31.com/showthread.php?t=147

posted by Epsilon [Team CDS] @ 12:58 PM