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Domain: v-com.com

Stories and comments across the archive that link to v-com.com.

Comments · 7

  1. Re:OK, just use the XP bootloader by luguvalium2 · · Score: 1 · on Fedora Core Doesn't Like to Dual Boot?

    My $.02:

    Since I usually multiboot, I've been using System Commander for years and haven't had any problems. I suspect it may help in this case too since when you install grub, I don't install it on the mbr. So far I haven't had any problem with any of the Fedora Core 2 test installations and Windows.

  2. Re:Windows + F = useless by dgmartin98 · · Score: 1 · on Google Experiments With Local Filesystem Search

    Agreed. What? 15 minutes to find a single freakin' file on my hard drive? Are you kidding me?

    That's why I use PowerDesk, a free program (trial version with no expiry), available for download here.

    Among with all kinds of file-management tools (which I never use), it has an amazingly FAST and VERSATILE right-click file-finding utility (i.e. right-click a folder or drive to find within). FAST, find by attribute, by date, by size, containing text. After you've found matching files, you can double-click them, right-click them, etc...

    Dave

  3. Re:My First 10... by persaud · · Score: 2, Informative · on First Ten Programs on New Install?

    After drivers and OS patches:

    1. PowerDesk (free file mgr )
    2. ZoneAlarm
    3. Ecco Pro (info mgr, free)
    4. Intellimouse / TweakUI (clicklock, default button)
    5. PerfectDisk (defrag, commercial)
    6. RegSafe (registry backup, commercial)
    7. RoboForm (password mgr, free)
    8. SurfSaver (web page archive & search, free)
    9. ToolsWorks (mouse/kb macros, commercial)
    10. SSH client

  4. Re:Some products by Nerd4News · · Score: 1 · on Good, Affordable PC Diagnostic Software?

    I just used Ontrack EZ Recovery Pro to recover files off a 160 gig HD that was so hosed that nothing else would recognize it. Took a couple of hours to index it then I recovered to a mapped drive over the network. I've even used it to recover files off a HD that had been repartitioned and formatted. Great software available Here

    The old Ontrack SystemSuite is the answer to those that hate Norton (as I do.) Full set of system utilities including hardware diags. It's now sold by VCOM

  5. Re:Centre for Software Maintenance by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting · on On the (Im)possibility of Obfuscating Programs
    Yes, although dcc won't decompile MS Word, I can see its value for a whole class of problems: device drivers. It would seem to have a lot of potential in that area.

    And yes, IDA is quite good. Having experienced the fun of IDA, I can vouch for its usefullness. It requires you to use that computer between your ears but with a bit of skill you can do wonders with it. For completeness, Sourcer should be mentioned. It is quite good too, and somewhat orthogonal to IDA. However, I find myself returning to IDA, especially for the "tough" parts.

  6. Re:The interesting questions: 'who?', 'for how lon by tb3 · · Score: 2 · on Judge Says Microsoft Must Give States Windows Code

    Cool. For all the trolls wanting the source code, Schulman sells a program called Windows Source, that "Turns Windows and OS/2 files into source code". Knock yourselves out, guys.

  7. The fine art of reverse engineering by shambler+snack · · Score: 3 · on Update to The Magic Cauldron
    This reminds me of the bad old days, and four stories in particular. The first was reverse engineering Commodore ROM Basic back to commented source code on the Commodore 64. Once reversed, I ported it to an embbeded 65C802 system I was working on. The tool I was using was called Sourcerer. Needless to say it worked, and I had my own kernel with a BASIC running on top of it.

    The second story was with a 68000 monitor and debubber that I had to write a disassembler for in order to move it to a 68010 SBC. The disassembler was hand-made by me.

    The third involved the original 8052 BASIC52 that Intel had produced. There were some bugs and lacking features in it, so I wrote a small assembly routine to dump the contents of the chip out its built-in serial port. The 8052 output was captured on an IBM PC, and I wrote a disassembler in MSC 4 to put it back into 8052 assembly language. I then fixed the bugs and added the features I needed, after which I programmed it back into an 8752 for further development. I sent the code back to Ciarcia, and I even got a little note back.

    But the biggest tool I used was V Communications Sourcer. I got started using it to reverse IBM PC ROMS to hack the drive tables, and then started to add little features and fix little bugs. I used it commercially to reverse engineer the IBM RTIC communications card DOS drivers. I did that so we could then port the card to Novell Netware 2.15 as a VAD (IBM had no plans at the time to port it, and we needed it to provide a Bouroughs data link between a Netware server and a Bouroughs mainframe). Sourcer was, and still is, the cleanest disassembler on the market, capable of giving you back highly commented source code from binary files. I haven't updated my license lately since I prefer open systems to Windows, but if I had to do that again I would go back to Sourcer.

    The point is that reverse engineering is equal parts art and science, and if you need it bad enough and know assembly well enough, you'll find and/or build the right tools for the job. ESR needs to calm down a bit.