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From: wagner@utcs.uucp (Michael Wagner)
Newsgroups: net.micro.amiga
Subject: Re: Maxidesk, Deluxe Paint
Message-ID: <1048@utcs.uucp>
Date: Fri, 10-Jan-86 00:25:01 EST
Article-I.D.: utcs.1048
Posted: Fri Jan 10 00:25:01 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 10-Jan-86 00:32:53 EST
References: <831@caip.RUTGERS.EDU> <185@uscvax.UUCP>
Reply-To: wagner@utcs.UUCP (Michael Wagner)
Organization: University of Toronto - General Purpose UNIX
Lines: 52
Summary: 


I have DeluxePaint, and I've noticed a few things that seem strange.
Together, they smack of copy protection, but I'm not sure.
First off, unlike everything else I have gotten so far, the instructions
make no mention of backing up the disk.  I don't tend to let that worry
me....I've been around long enough to make backups of my disks without
waiting for the documentation to remind me.

Unfortunately, using the standard drag-the-icon-over-an-empty-disk-icon
method of backing up a disk fails with a sector header error on the source
disk.  Awfully suspicious.  Seems to be repeatable.

So then I used copy from CLI to make a new disk.  Grinds forever, but is
actually copying things.  Directories look similar afterwards (didn't do
a logical byte-by-byte compare - is there one?).  The copy boots, shows
the paint can, does some more I/O (including to the second drive with 
nothing in it), then quietly puts the machine to sleep.  Only rebooting
will re-awaken it.

Well, now, the I/O to the second disk intrigued me, so I put the original
disknto the second drive, rebooted, and got to the point where it had died . 
before.  This time, much more flashing on the second drive, then Poof...it
came up.

At this point, I'm postulating that the program has some copy protection 
scheme whereby the original (presumably subtly damaged) disk must be online
somewhere during the initial boot-up.  After that, you can (seemingly) remove
the original and run on the copy.

Does anyone know if I am surmising correctly?  Can anyone confirm or 
contradict this from their experiences?

I guess the reason this all bothers me is (a) nowhere did it say that I was
buying a copy-protected program (I might not have bought it had I known), and
(b) the disk is starting to scream and whistle and play tunes when accessed.
It's the only one of 15 disks I have that is so musical.  In all my years,
I have never really gotten complacent about the sounds of disks crashing,
and this one sure sounds like it is on it's way.  At that point, I have no
idea what policies of return and so forth Electronic Arts subscribes to, but
I am betting that I will be without the usage of my program for at least a
while.

While I sound very calm about all this, I am actually rather upset.  I just
don't emote well in ASCII.  But if only I could speak, face to face, with
the executive who thought he was doing his company some good by making his
program less than reliable .....................................

Michael

P.S. I expect Electronic Arts is a name registered in some legal way or 
     other.  But then, they don't seem to respect my integrity, so why
should I worry about their name?