Forums Bug Reports Executable resource and hex edition

I'm trying to translate mirc like the previous versions I made, but it stop to oppening, any change to mirc.exe result in a unopenable exe.
what the --- are heppening whith this 6.1 version?
there's too many bugs!
I'm backing to use 6.03 until a fix being released...

This isn't a bug, Khaled has most-likely added an executable security feature which defeats hex editing the mIRC exe file for any reason. You shouldn't have to hex edit mIRC or resource hack it for any reason at all. It's the author's choice if he chooses to secure his compiled executable in this way or not; users shouldn't complain about this being a bug, it's really annoying.

From the license agreement which you so kindly accepted and agreed to when installing your mIRC:

mIRC may only be distributed as the original distribution install file as distributed by mIRC Co. Ltd. The mIRC distribution install file may not be distributed as a part of any package, and may not have files added to it or removed from it, and none of its contents may be modified, decompiled, or reverse engineered.

What you are doing is a violation of international copyright laws and punishable by law.

This only applies to a distribution of mIRC (made publicly available), and does not apply to a locally installed personal copy... unless otherwise prohibited or unprotected by local law.

International law? Umm no? There are a bunch of Eastern European nations, and from what I've been told a few Scandinavian nations, that basically say a license agreement is NOT legally binding. You can click "yes I accept" and under the laws of that nation, you can do every single thing the license agreement says you can't. In those nations, the license agreement is meaningless. Secondly, "international copyright laws" only apply to nations that have signed onto those agreements. If I recall, there are only about 100 nations that have done so. So in roughly 150 nations, "international copyright laws" do not apply.

Don't assume that just because in your country laws prohibit something, that they also do so everywhere else in the world. Don't you remember the "loveletter" virus? How the FBI tracked it to a guy in the Phillipines, and they caught the guy red handed? Well what happened with that? Oh yeah, they couldn't do anything to the guy because the Phillipines didn't have any laws against hacking and virus creation.

And even on a deeper issue than that, you can ask yourself if it's morally right or wrong to make personal modifications to the mIRC executable. What modifications are Okay because they only serve to improve the program, and which modifications are meant as a flagrant disregard for the author's right of recognition and compensation.

Correct, it would be impossible for Khaled to block certain types of modifications (like hexing out the version and sneaky trojan-like changes) while still allowing for others (such as translations and skinning other compatability adjustments).

There's certainly nothing wrong with Khaled adding integrity checks, it's certainly within his right-- but I think he should consider that people are still innocent until proven guilty, even though there are less innocent than guilty editing mIRC. Still, those determined to do so for the Wrong reasons will ultimatly succeed in doing so, while those who are less criminally minded will quickly give up with great disappointment.

- Raccoon

But the thing is, if I have enough know-how to turn mIRC into a trojan by modifying the binary code, they can also disable the integrity check. The only people who can't, are the people who just want to modify it for personal reasons.

Exactly the point I made in my final sentence.

see thats where the whole problem there in lies .. the ppl who make changes for personal reasons like translations cannot do so and the ones with the no how to wreak havoc are more than likely already figureing it out how to get around it ... this is just a major disapointment to me, personally i like to modify EVERYTHING on my pc seeing as ive paid for it i feel i should have that right, as for distributing it. no i dont modify anything i would ever send to anyone. secondly i dont have the know how to modify anything really major to afect anything other then my personal preference. this new check is hurting ppl like me more than it will ever affect the ppl who cause harm. again i know this is just small [censored] compared to all the bugs found already..... all in all im very very disapointed this isnt an upgrade this is a downgrade.

No... not entirely. In most cases, you paid for a license to use the software, not the ownership of it. The same applies to mIRC.

well lets put it this way .. the couple thousand dollars i paid for my pc and then the additional couple thousand dollars i paid for all the related software my personal preferences are going to take precidence to me regardless of ANY license agreement.

I'd like to see that outlook on life standing up in a court of law

I'd like to see a car manufacturer deny an owner's access under the hood.
(and please kill that cheesy banner. it's really annoying everyone. )

seeing as im not distributing this stuff and no one but me would ever know im modifying visual settings i dont see the relevence. thats like stealing grass from your own backyard ... i doubt any court would give a rats ass who it really belonged to ... its definatly not for personal gain .. and seein as ive paid each and ever script author for each program they have gotten thier money. if khaled asked for more money to allow the [censored] to be modified id gladly pay it ..... he doesnt so alas im stuck with this.

Not being able to modify a program is one of the prices you pay when using propriety software. You have no right to modify the software in any way, shape or form unless you have been given explicit permission by its author, regardless of whether or not it is for your own personal tastes.

This is why open source software is so attractive

Errr.... the rules/laws for a car are hugely different compared to software... I hope you're not that ignorant.

And if I get told by a moderator about the banner then I would gladly remove it.

The courts might frown upon such action, but if the author of the program decides to take action then it will happen (yes it'll be stupid, for example, for Khaled to try and get you in trouble for editing mIRC through the court system). But the law is the law, if he wants to, then the court will just look at the laws and decide whether they're being broken, and pass judgement.

When I look at all this I think there is only one solution:
Khaled, you make it possible to load skins or translations (tru some optinal files with translations of the sentences or something) and the rest makes the skins and translations. I think ppl are willing to sacrifice their time to a thing like that, I know I would... If they still try to hex edit the mIRC file, you can make it blow up in their face, its their own fault if it doesnt work then, thats what I think. Are we all friends again now?

Errr.... the rules/laws for a car are hugely different compared to software... I hope you're not that ignorant.

Wow, you're right. What was I thinking?! *ignorant me*

You pose a bullet proof arguement... just without the bullet proofing... or an arguement.
Please show me what law, chapter, subsection, paragraph and statement you are refering to.

From a purely personal standpoint, sitting on a dialup over pre-civil war phones lines that have been drowned by months of record rainfall and having a hard enuf time getting a connection over 4800 bps and simply staying connected when i do manage to hit something close to 19.6 bps, the time it takes to load your banner is trying, to say the least.