Locked db

[TheFailedWizzard]

Hi folks

Hope someone can/will help

About5 yrs ago I paid a large amount of money for an application that had been writen in Access. On buying the product I was given a security code that unlocked it and gave me access to the source code so that it could be integrated with other access db's.

I haven't used this app for some time (about 2 years now)and I can't find the licence number anymore. the developer says that he has no way of checking my origonal purchase and, therefor, will not give me a license code and says I will have to make a fresh purchase.

The fact that I have the origonal disks dosn't seem to make any difference to him but I don't see why I should have to pay this guy again for this product.

It has been converted to a .mde so that all the code hidden behind forms,queries, etc is hidden untill the licence code is input. I can still use the app as a stand alone but I need to integrate it with an application I am building.

Sorry for such a long post but I feel some justification for my request for help is needed in this case.

 

[JeremyNYC]

There's a general policy floating out here in the ether of not helping folks crack security, even when their stories sound legit, as does yours.

Did you make your purchase by credit card? Do you keep business receipts? I don't mean to be drilling you,I'm just looking for ways of establishing, for the vendor, that you did purchase this.

In any case, if it's truly an MDE, no security code in the world will unlock it. Maybe he means that he'll send you the database in mdb format if you produce the code? Or maybe it's not really stored as an mde, just named as such. But there's no way to decompile an mde into an editable mdb.

Jeremy

==
Jeremy Wallace
AlphaBet City Dataworks

http://www.ABCDataworks.com

Access Databases for Non-Profit Organizations

Please post in the appropriate forum with a descriptive subject; code and SQL, if referenced; and expected results. See thread181-473997 for more pointers.

 

[TheFailedWizzard]

Thank you for your reply and I note your comments, hence the long explanation.

I can still show payment for the app in question but only in the form of business acounts. My lawer says that we could bring a case against the guy but it would be very expensive and then only a slim chance of winning.

I have tried every way other than cracking this progrm but the guy just wants my bank balance.

It sure behaves like it is a proper .mde but if all becomes visable with a licence code I thought there may be some way aroound it

Thanks anyway

 

[scottian]

where do you put the licence code?have you tried changing the extension from mde to mdb?

an mde is a compiled database and all design functionalty is stripped out, as JeremyNYC pointed you cant do anything to an mde file to put the design functionalty back in.

have you also tried importing all the items into a blank database?

Be ALERT - Your country needs Lerts

 

[TheQuestioner]

If the original application has always been an MDE file, then it doesn't matter whether you have the security key or not, you will never be able to access the underlying code.

Also, this guy seems like a bit of a weasal. I would try and keep my dealings with him to an absolute minimum – you never know how he may stab you in the back in the future.

I would suggest paying another developer to try and duplicate the functionality of the app by building one from scratch, but only if this is financially feasible.